Chief Engineer and Technical Program Manager
Full-Time, In-office, must be willing to commute to Lafayette, Colorado.
About EOI Space
EOI Space is building a next-generation satellite constellation in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) to deliver the highest-resolution Earth imagery available from space. Flying lower than traditional satellites lets us capture sharper, more timely data, giving commercial and defense customers a clearer picture of a rapidly changing world, faster than ever before.
Based in Lafayette, Colorado, we’re a small, mission-driven team moving fast to bring this capability to market. As we scale toward Series B and beyond, we’re looking for people who want real ownership over their function and see the undefined parts of this stage as the opportunity, not the obstacle.
About the Role
EOI Space is looking for a Chief Engineer / Technical Program Manager to be the single technical and programmatic authority for our spacecraft: the person who makes the subsystems come together as one vehicle, owns the schedule and the risk register, makes the design-closure (CDR-equivalent) and flight-readiness calls, and carries what we learn from our first vehicle into the production design that follows it.
The Chief Engineer / Technical Program Manager owns both the technical outcome of the spacecraft and the program that delivers it: the schedule, the risk register and the trade-offs between them. You will take our first vehicle (SV1) through integration, environmental test, launch and commissioning, and then carry its lessons directly into the SV2 design.
You will lead a team of subsystem leads (ADCS, mechanical/structures/thermal, electrical power and avionics, propulsion, flight and embedded software, RF/communications, harness) who own their subsystems end to end. Your job is not to design every subsystem; it is to own the system: the top-level vehicle requirements, the system budgets and interfaces, the cross-subsystem judgment that catches integration risk early, and the decisions that only one person can make. You will be the senior technical escalation point for the subsystem leads, reviewing their work, pairing experts with owners who are growing into their roles, and pulling problems up to the system level when they cross subsystem lines.
This is a hands-on role in a small, senior, AI-forward team. We scale process to consequence: lean and fast where failures are recoverable, full rigor on the few things that cannot fail (range safety, propulsion inhibits, debris and casualty requirements, regulatory, and the ability to recover and observe the vehicle). You hold that line. There is no separate program manager: you own the integrated master schedule, program cadence and risk register, supported by a Program Controls Coordinator, and you make the schedule, scope and resourcing calls. You work alongside the SEIT lead, who runs integration and test, and with the Technical Fellow, Director of Product and VP Engineering form the company’s technical leadership. You are a member of the CEO’s staff and report to the VP Engineering.
This is a full-time, exempt, in-office position based in Lafayette, Colorado.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the single technical authority for the spacecraft: make the build-commit (CDR-equivalent) decision for each subsystem as its design matures, and make the flight-readiness call
- Own the top-level system requirements, the living system budgets (mass, power, propellant, pointing, link, data), the interface control documents, the program budget and staffing plan; keep them current and binding
- Make the subsystems come together as one system: run continuous cross-subsystem design review and requirements flowdown, and decide how cross-subsystem problems (jitter, power/thermal, fault management) are divided among the subsystem leads
- Own system verification and validation, scaled to consequence: subsystem leads verify their own subsystems, with formal closure only where failure consequence demands it; define the verification program with the SEIT lead
- Lead, review and develop the subsystem leads; be the senior technical escalation point on consequential decisions and set up mentor pairings where knowledge sits with one person
- Accept technical risk that crosses subsystems or touches safety- or mission-critical items, and ensure every accepted risk is logged in the risk register and owned
- Make the technical and programmatic calls on descopes, schedule and resourcing when pressure arrives; scope flexes to hold the launch date
- Own the program: set priorities and sequence, own the integrated master schedule and its critical path, chair the program cadence and reviews, own the risk register and estimate to complete, and report status, risks and resourcing needs to the executive team
- Own the formal milestone reviews (build-commit/CDR, TRR, PSR, FRR, etc.), the launch and regulatory deliverables, and our interactions with the launch providers, ground stations, regulators and key vendors
- Direct the Program Controls Coordinator: provide the durations, dependencies, priorities and cost inputs they need to keep the schedule and estimate to complete current, and act on the schedule, cost and scope slips they escalate
- Run the anomaly and flight-data review for the vehicle: turn test failures and on-orbit anomalies into design changes for the next build
- Stay close to the hardware: expect to be in the lab and on the floor, not only in reviews
- Communicate relentlessly: explain the reasoning behind decisions, bring the team along, and surface problems while they are cheap
- Additional duties as assigned
What We’re Looking For
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical or a related engineering discipline; Master’s preferred
- 12+ years of spacecraft development experience, including at least one vehicle taken from design through integration, test, launch and on-orbit commissioning in a chief engineer, lead systems engineer or equivalent vehicle-level role
- Demonstrated cross-subsystem technical judgment across power, thermal, structures, attitude control, propulsion, avionics, flight software and RF, and a record of catching integration problems before they reached the integration floor
- Experience owning system budgets, interface control and top-level requirements, and making build-readiness and flight-readiness decisions
- Experience owning a spacecraft program schedule, risk register and budget, directing program-controls or planning support, and making schedule, scope and resourcing decisions alongside the technical ones
- Experience leading and developing senior engineers, and a demonstrated preference for working through owners rather than around them
- Strong written and verbal communication; able to explain technical reasoning to engineers, executives, customers and regulators
- Comfortable in a small, fast-moving team that accepts risk explicitly and trades process for ownership
- Fluent use of AI tooling in design, analysis and documentation
- S. Person as defined under U.S. export regulations (this role works with export-controlled technology)
Highly Preferred:
- Experience with small, single-string, COTS-based spacecraft and a protoflight verification approach
- Electric propulsion, VLEO or Earth-observation imaging system experience
- Rideshare launch processing and launch-provider technical interface experience
- Familiarity with the technical content of NOAA remote-sensing and FCC filings
- Experience running continuous integration, software-in-the-loop and flatsat-based verification
- Passion for building and cultivating positive relationships with team members and external vendors.
- Continuous improvement mindset, with a drive for building and maintaining scalable and sustainable processes.
- People-first approach that contributes to a welcoming and collaborative atmosphere within the organization.
Physical/Mental Demands & Work Environment:
- Requires sitting and standing associated with a normal office environment
- Performs highly complex and varied tasks requiring independent knowledge and its application to a variety of situations, as well as exercising independent judgement
- Requires the use of office equipment such as a computer and telephone
- May view computer screens for prolonged periods of time
- Must be able to prioritize activities when faced with competing demands
- This position requires the skill set to work independently, exercising sound judgement while maintaining high productivity levels
- Requires elevated levels of electronic and telephone communication
Compensation
We believe in compensating our team fairly for the expertise and ownership this role demands. The base salary range for this position is $200,000 - $250,000 plus equity, reflecting both the specialized skillset we’re looking for and our commitment to growing alongside the people who help us get there. Final offers are based on experience, qualifications, and the value you bring to our mission.
What sets EOI Space apart?
At EOI Space, we are committed to fostering a supportive and enjoyable work environment. We believe in a healthy work/life harmony that not only allows you to excel while you’re here but also ensures you feel supported when you’re away.
Benefits
Here’s what we offer full-time employees:
- Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
- Employer-funded Life Insurance
- Employer-funded Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Equity Option Grants
- Unlimited time off
- Competitive wage aligned with experience
- Professional development opportunities
- Collaborative, supportive environment and company culture
- Social opportunities to engage with colleagues
- Opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge space technology industry while maintaining work-life balance
Our Commitment
We believe that you are the key to our success. Your unique background, life experiences, knowledge, self-expression, and talents make you who you are. Your individuality, experiences, and perspectives inspire us.
EOI Space is an equal-opportunity employer. We value the unique contributions you bring through your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, ancestry, sex, gender identity and expression, national origin, citizenship, marital status, age, languages spoken, veteran status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.
Interested? Here’s How to Apply
If you or someone you know is interested in joining EOI Space, learn more about us by visiting online at https://eoi.space
To apply, submit your application via our career page or online job portal. The application deadline is 12/13/26, and may be renewed based upon the needs of our business.
