Sr Harness Engineer

Sr Harness Engineer

Join to apply for the Sr Harness Engineer role at Astra.

Astra’s mission is to improve life on Earth from space by creating a healthier and more connected planet. Today, Astra offers one of the lowest cost‑per‑launch dedicated orbital launch services, and one of the industry’s leading flight‑proven electric propulsion systems for satellites, the Astra Spacecraft Engine.

We are looking for a talented and curious engineer to join our Avionics team to help design the harnesses for our launch vehicle. You will own the harness architecture and design, first‑article assembly, production, and testing of test and flight harnesses for the rocket system. The job will involve working with multi‑disciplinary teams and leaders for end‑to‑end development of state‑of‑the‑art harness designs, including mechanical design, schematic design, analysis, qualification testing, and system integration.

A successful person for this job will be dynamic, self‑starting, thrive in an entrepreneurial environment, and have the potential to become a significant contributor to the overall direction and success of our business.

• Act as the Harness Responsible Engineer on the launch vehicle program
• Work cross‑functionally with Mechanical, Thermal, and Electrical engineers to define harness requirements, material and connector selection
• Design routing, mechanical layout, Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) details, etc.
• Draft and review manufacturing and assembly drawings
• Create and maintain product and system level wiring diagrams and schematics
• Perform testing such as pin‑to‑pin isolation, grounding, and continuity checks
• Troubleshoot development and production issues as they arise
• Work in a hands‑on design, production, and testing environment

• You have a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related technical field
• You have 5+ years professional experience with harness design
• You have 3+ years of experience with mechanical design / CAD software and PLM software
• You have the ability to interpret and create complex electrical wiring diagrams
• You have an in-depth understanding of wire harness design and manufacturing processes
• You have experience with component material selection for aerospace applications
• You have hands‑on experience testing and troubleshooting complex wiring issues by getting to root cause and providing corrective action
• You can document & update testing procedures, test & analysis results, FMEAs, requirement documents, work instructions, etc.
• You have experience with any of the following specifications: IPC/WHMA‑A‑620, NASA‑STD‑8739.4 and 8739.6, NASA‑STD‑6016, SAE AS22759, or J‑STD‑001
• You design hardware with weight, cost, and manufacturability in mind
• You have the initiative to execute on open‑ended problems and deliver quality results
• You clearly communicate technical reasoning and manage hardware interfaces collaboratively between teams
• You apply critical thinking to root cause investigations and corrective actions
• You are self‑motivated and have excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Familiarity with aerospace applications
• Experience with redundancy strategies for flight‑critical systems
• Experience with designing for high‑vibration and vacuum environments
• Experience using Siemens NX and Teamcenter
• Experience using Rapid Harness

Pay range: $131,750 - $162,350. The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base salary range in the San Francisco Bay Area and excludes additional earnings such as bonus and benefits. If your salary requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply.

We do not require you to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. At Astra, we believe diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.

San Francisco Applicants:
Astra will consider applicants with arrest and conviction records (criminal histories) in a manner consistent with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

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