Back to jobs
New

Reliability Engineer

Rockville, MD or Hawthorne, CA or Tulsa, OK

 

Quantum Space is redefining mobility and maneuverability in space. Our high-mobility spacecraft platforms support national security, civil, and commercial missions with unmatched flexibility and propulsion capability. We build fast and iterate quickly.

Who We're Looking For

We are seeking a Reliability Engineer to ensure the reliability, safety,

and mission assurance of our next-generation spacecraft and supporting systems. In this role, you will perform reliability analyses, influence system architecture and hardware design, support environmental testing and failure investigations, and help establish the processes that ensure mission success throughout the product lifecycle. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys solving complex technical challenges, and is passionate about building next-generation space systems that support mission success.

Where You'll Make an Impact

  • Perform functional and interface Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analyses (FMEA/FMECA) at the part, assembly, and system levels, and maintain the Critical Items List (CIL).

  • Develop Fault Tree Analyses (FTA), Reliability Block Diagrams (RBD), and reliability predictions including MTBF and MTTF to support design trades, redundancy decisions, and sparing strategies.

  • Apply physics-of-failure methodologies, Weibull analysis, accelerated life testing, and probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) to evaluate mission-critical hardware.

  • Support EEE parts reliability through component selection and derating, parts stress analysis, worst-case analysis, and radiation effects screening in accordance with EEE-INST-002.

  • Monitor GIDEP alerts and supplier advisories, tracking limited-life and limited-shelf-life components throughout the production lifecycle.

  • Partner with design and systems engineering teams to integrate reliability requirements into spacecraft architecture, supplier selection, and manufacturing processes early in development.

  • Provide actionable reliability analyses that influence redundancy, design margins, and component selection while maintaining documentation for technical reviews and audits.

  • Support environmental qualification, life testing, and verification activities by reviewing test plans, evaluating results, and assessing reliability impacts.

  • Tailor reliability activities to mission risk classifications while maintaining rigorous standards for safety-critical and range safety systems.

  • Help develop and continuously improve Quantum Space's reliability engineering processes, procedures, analysis templates, and requirements within our AS9100 Rev D Quality Management System.

What It Takes

  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.

  • Approximately 5+ years of reliability, mission assurance, or closely related engineering experience supporting flight hardware or similarly high-reliability systems; senior candidates typically possess 8–10+ years of relevant experience.

  • Hands-on experience developing FMEA/FMECA, FTA, Reliability Block Diagrams (RBD), and reliability predictions.

  • Working knowledge of reliability and mission assurance standards including NASA-STD-8729.1, MIL-STD-882, and EEE-INST-002.

  • Experience applying reliability engineering principles to complex aerospace or high-reliability systems.

  • Strong technical writing and analytical skills with the ability to assess risk and recommend appropriate mitigation strategies.

  • Ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary engineering teams in a fast-paced development environment.

  • Must be a U.S. Person as defined by ITAR/EAR regulations.

Nice-to-Have Experience

  • Master's degree in an engineering discipline or ASQ Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) certification.

  • Direct spacecraft, satellite, or flight hardware development experience.

  • Familiarity with NASA reliability, workmanship, and mission assurance standards.

  • Experience with PLM/PDM tools such as Creo and Windchill.

  • Familiarity with propulsion systems, pressure systems, batteries, ordnance, or other safety-critical spacecraft subsystems.

  • Experience supporting rideshare launch programs or range safety requirements.

What You'll Get

  • Ownership – Own reliability analyses and mission assurance activities that directly influence spacecraft design, qualification, and mission success.

  • Innovation – Apply advanced reliability engineering techniques to improve the performance, safety, and resilience of next-generation spacecraft systems.

  • Impact – Partner across engineering disciplines to identify and mitigate technical risks, ensuring reliable spacecraft performance from development through launch.

  • Growth – Collaborate with experienced aerospace engineers while helping mature Quantum Space's reliability engineering and mission assurance capabilities.

  • Compensation – Competitive salary, equity, and comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, generous leave, HSA, 401(k) matching, and equity participation.

Location: Rockville, MD

Base Salary: $120,000 – $180,000

The salary range for this role is determined based on a variety of factors including work experience, education, technical expertise, certifications, critical skills, and business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full-time offers and are considered part of Quantum Space's total compensation package.

Additional Requirements

To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including ITAR, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual under 8 U.S.C. §1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Apply now. Join us in building the next generation of spacecraft.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Please select your current security clearance status: *
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Quantum Space’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.