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Deputy Engineering Lead

Los Angeles

Deputy Engineering Lead

Location: Playa Vista, California (in-person, five days per week)

Outpost is pioneering Earth return logistics for space. We're building vehicles that can return payloads from orbit safely and precisely—enabling faster space-based manufacturing, global delivery, and entirely new capabilities in the space economy. Our spacecraft is already backed by the U.S. government with multiple missions ahead. We’re a mission-focused team, building with urgency, grit, and care for the work we do and the people we do it with.

About the Role:

As the Deputy Engineering Lead you will serve as a strategic support arm to the VP of Engineering by managing critical external technical engagements, maintaining program-level schedules, ensuring subcontractor alignment, and enabling seamless execution across engineering programs.

Qualifications:

  • 5–8 years of experience in engineering program management, technical subcontract management, or a related role in aerospace or defense. 
  • Proven ability to manage technical subcontracts or external vendor relationships, including tracking scope, deliverables, and technical alignment.
  • Strong understanding of engineering development lifecycles and ability to work cross-functionally with systems, mechanical, avionics, and software teams.
  • Experience maintaining or contributing to an Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)
  • Excellent organizational and communication skills, with a proactive, detail-oriented approach to following up and driving accountability.
  • Comfortable acting as a trusted partner to senior technical leaders, taking ownership of high-leverage, cross-functional tasks with minimal direction.

Responsibilities:

Technical Oversight & Subcontractor Management

  • Act as the primary point of contact for key technical subcontractors or external vendors, representing Outpost’s technical and programmatic interests.
  • Ensure technical questions and decisions are routed to the appropriate internal subject matter experts for resolution.
  • Monitor technical execution and validate that subcontractors are aligned with scope, milestones, and expectations.
  • Serve as a technical subcontract lead, helping translate internal direction into clear external deliverables.
  • Act as engineering oversight to subcontractors — providing accountability, clarity, and coordination.

 Program & Schedule Support 

  • Support the maintenance and execution of schedules and deliverables for government-funded programs.
  • Help manage the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) by tracking task progress and following up with internal stakeholders to ensure milestones stay on track.
  • Assist with program planning, deliverable tracking, and compliance reporting related to government contract execution.
  • Provide ad hoc program management support as needed to keep programs moving.

Ongoing Engineering Support & Coordination

  • Help track engineering tasks, deliverables, and communications across multiple initiatives.
  • Coordinate cross-functional updates and help maintain alignment between engineering and program goals.
  • Identify inefficiencies or gaps in visibility and propose lightweight systems or tools for improvement.

Compensation & Benefits:

  • $140k - $200k, Salary is based on experience. 
  • Incentive Equity
  • Annual Performance-Based Bonus
  • Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
  • Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • PTO
  • 401k with Company match
  • Subsidized daily catered lunch, snacks and coffee

You must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 , or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State

Please click here to Apply.

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