Mission Systems Engineer

Sophia Space is a venture-backed deep technology company building high-performance, energy-efficient computing systems designed to operate in orbit. Our work sits at the intersection of aerospace systems, advanced computing, artificial intelligence, and applied physics, enabling a new generation of distributed edge computing capabilities in space.

Having successfully completed our Seed financing, Sophia is focused on scaling its team, products, and capabilities as we prepare for the next stage of growth. We are building a world-class engineering organization that combines expertise from aerospace, cloud computing, robotics, and AI to solve some of the most challenging problems in space infrastructure. As both a product company and an engineering-driven organization, we actively leverage modern AI tools throughout our development process to accelerate learning, improve productivity, and help deliver innovative, environmentally responsible computing platforms for the future.

Sophia Space is developing the Athena demonstration mission to validate distributed orbital computing technologies on a commercial spacecraft platform. We are seeking a versatile Senior Mission Systems Engineer to support mission architecture, spacecraft systems engineering, integration planning, and mission execution across multiple technical disciplines.

Rather than specializing in a single subsystem, this engineer will provide experienced systems engineering support wherever needed across the mission lifecycle. The role combines mission analysis, operational planning, interface definition, trade studies, requirements development, and technical leadership while working closely with spacecraft providers, payload teams, avionics, software, and mission operations personnel.

The successful candidate will possess broad spacecraft systems engineering experience, strong technical judgment, and the ability to rapidly contribute across multiple engineering domains while helping mature technical products, reduce mission risk, and enable successful mission execution.

This position is primarily in-person in Pasadena, California, with occasional hybrid flexibility based on business needs.

This position requires access to technology that is subject to U.S. export control laws. To comply with applicable ITAR and EAR regulations, applicants must qualify as a U.S. Person, as defined under those regulations. U.S. Persons generally include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and certain protected individuals as defined by applicable law.

• Support system-level requirements development, interface definition, verification planning, and technical trade studies.
• Develop and review mission architecture products, technical analyses, and engineering recommendations.
• Coordinate technical interfaces across spacecraft, payload, avionics, software, GNC, communications, and mission operations teams.
• Support technical reviews including SDR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR, and operational readiness activities.
• Contribute to technical risk identification, mitigation planning, and anomaly resolution.

• Support development of mission Con Ops, operational timelines, and contingency procedures.
• Develop operational procedures for spacecraft commanding, telemetry monitoring, and mission execution.
• Review ground segment architecture, operational readiness, staffing concepts, and mission support plans.
• Coordinate operational interfaces and responsibilities with spacecraft providers and mission partners.

• Review and validate spacecraft communications analyses, link budgets, and RF system performance.
• Support communications requirements, ICD development, and ground network…