About Lodestar

Lodestar is the software-first space prime for the hardware abundant era. We believe the next generation of space systems will be defined not by launch, fuel, and batteries, but by software, compute, and autonomous effects.

Space is becoming an increasingly contested warfighting domain, with growing threats to the satellites and critical infrastructure underpinning modern life. Maintaining Western strategic advantage will require a new generation of space capabilities built for the speed, complexity and scale of future conflict.

Lodestar is addressing this challenge by building superintelligent spacecraft capable of operating autonomously in orbit. Combining our capabilities in advanced adversarial tracking & characterisation, onboard edge compute and autonomous effect delivery, our technology enables spacecraft to execute complex rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO), detect and classify objects, predict intent and respond to orbital threats - even in denied environments. By integrating sensing, reasoning and action into a single autonomous system, we aim to deliver decisive situational awareness and space superiority for defence and commercial operators.

Backed by elite deep-tech venture capital, international space agencies and government stakeholders, Lodestar is rapidly expanding its footprint across the U.S. Space Force, the Department of War, and major commercial satellite operators. We are a lean, high-autonomy team of engineers and operators building the space defense infrastructure of tomorrow.

Join us.

About the Job

As a Payload Engineer I at Lodestar, you'll join the payload team as a primary delivery engineer, taking the payload from laboratory breadboard to qualified engineering model.

You'll help design, build, integrate and test the payload across optics, mechanical, avionics and software. Working alongside senior systems, GNC, electronics and optics engineers, you'll take the engineering model through design reviews, integration and qualification.

This is an early-career role with a deliberately broad scope. We're looking for hands-on building experience and fast learning rather than a long track record, and you'll own the engineering model from day one with the support to grow into it.

We proudly have an "extreme ownership" oriented engineering culture.

What You’ll Do

Own the payload engineering model day-to-day, end-to-end: requirements, design, build, integration, test, and write-up
Develop payload, autonomy, effector, power, thermal, and pointing requirements, and the ICDs between payload, avionics, and spacecraft bus
Prepare SRR, PDR and CDR packages, and keep the verification matrix and risk register current between reviews
Carry out performance verification and feed corrective design iterations back into the build
Run hardware-in-the-loop testing at internal & external testing facilities, closing the loop from perception through to pointing against simulated orbital targets
Support environmental qualification (TVAC, launch vibration, EMC/EMI), including pre-and post-test functional testing and the anomaly and corrective-action trail
Deliver an end-to-end ground demonstration on a payload-in-the-loop testbed
Produce technical documentation: test reports, qualification records, and performance assessments against requirements

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical or Electronic Engineering, Physics, Optics or Photonics, Robotics, Computer Science, or demonstrated equivalent knowledge
0-2 years of professional experience. Early-career candidates, including recent graduates, are encouraged to apply
Hands-on evidence of building something real and making it work, such as a university cubesat or rocketry team, research lab, Formula Student, a hardware internship, or a project taken from nothing to working. We weight this far far above grades
Working proficiency in Python

Preferred Skills & Experience

Space exposure in any form: CubeSat program, hosted payload, space or defense internship, or a space-focused Master's project