Senior Harness Engineer

Company Overview:

Starcloud is building a network of data centers in space, starting at kilowatts and scaling to gigawatt capacity. Falling launch costs allow us to take advantage of the abundant energy, radiative cooling techniques, and ability to rapidly scale in space. Join our team, push the boundaries of the space economy, and be part of this pioneering effort to redefine the future of energy.

• Drive the electrical interconnect architecture for spacecraft power, data, RF, and GPU/compute subsystems, including high-current power distribution for multi-kilowatt payloads
• Produce complete harness designs: interconnect diagrams, wiring schematics, wire lists, connector and contact selection, wire gauge and derating analysis, shielding and grounding schemes, and bend-radius/routing constraints
• Model 3D harness routing in CAD (NX, Creo, CATIA, or Siemens Capital/Zuken E3 for electrical), coordinating clearances, clamp locations, service loops, and keep-outs with the mechanical team
• Define and release harness drawings, build books, from/to lists, and inspection criteria; manage revisions through release and ECO processes

• Partner with electrical engineers to capture pinouts, signal integrity and EMI/EMC requirements, power budgets, and connector interfaces from every avionics box and payload
• Partner with mechanical and structures engineers on routing paths, mounting provisions, thermal environments, and vehicle access for assembly and rework
• Own and maintain the interface control documentation (ICDs) for all electrical connections across the vehicle; catch interface mismatches before they reach the floor

• Own the build plan: sourcing of wire, connectors, contacts, backshells, overbraid, and tooling; long-lead procurement; and kitting
• Write build, crimp, solder, and inspection procedures to IPC/WHMA-A-620 (Space Addendum) and NASA-STD-8739.4 standards
• Stand up and scale harness production, in-house or with contract manufacturers; train and support harness technicians; perform or sign off on first-article inspections
• Be on the floor during builds to resolve issues in real time, disposition non-conformances, and implement fixes without stopping the line

• Support vehicle integration, continuity/hipot/insulation resistance testing, and functional checkouts
• Own harness-related anomaly investigation and root cause, in test and on orbit
• Feed lessons learned back into design standards, part libraries, and process documentation as we move from one-off builds to repeatable, rate production

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, aerospace engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 3+ years of experience designing and building electrical wire harnesses for spacecraft, launch vehicles, aircraft, automotive, or similar high-reliability hardware
• Hands-on experience taking a harness design from schematic through fabrication and installation
• Proficiency in at least one 3D CAD package and one electrical/harness design tool

• Experience with spaceflight harness standards (IPC/WHMA-A-620 Space Addendum, NASA-STD-8739.4, ECSS-Q-ST-70-series) and space-rated wire and connector families (D-sub, micro-D, nano-D, circular MIL-DTL-38999, RF coax, high-current power)
• Experience with high-power distribution (hundreds of volts, hundreds of amps), high-speed data (Ethernet, PCIe, SpaceWire, fiber), and associated shielding and grounding practices
• Experience with EMI/EMC, ESD, radiation, thermal, and vibration considerations for harness design
• Experience scaling from prototype to production: design for manufacturability, supplier management, cost and lead-time reduction
• IPC/WHMA-A-620 or NASA 8739.4 certification; comfortable crimping, soldering, and inspecting your own work
• Experience supporting vehicle integration and launch campaigns
• Ability to work in a fast-paced startup with ambiguity, tight schedules, and rapidly evolving designs

• You can walk into a room with a pinout list and a mechanical model and leave with a harness plan that everyone agrees on
• Harnesses arrive at integration on time, fit the first time, and pass test
• Mechanical and electrical engineers treat you as the authority on interconnect, and come to you early
• As the team grows, your standards, libraries, and processes are what new engineers and technicians learn from

• Willingness to work extended hours and weekends when needed to meet critical program milestones
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs, work on the production floor, and support integration in cleanroom environments
• (If applicable) To conform with U.S. export control regulations (ITAR/EAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State

Additional Requirements:

• Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as necessary to support critical project milestones.
• Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or eligible for authorization under U.S. export regulations.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Starcloud is committed to fostering an inclusive and meritocratic workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should notify our Human Resources Department.

Join Starcloud and shape the future!

Embrace the challenge, push technological boundaries, and contribute to solving the global energy challenge. Apply today to join our visionary team dedicated to innovation and advancing humanity.

We receive many applications, and so we apologize that we may not be able to respond to every applicant.