Head of Engineering

Parallax Space is building critical mission infrastructure to enable rapid, reliable, and scalable access to space. We partner with commercial, civil, and national security customers to deliver high-performance satellite components, integrated payload systems, and mission capabilities that close critical gaps in modern space architecture.

Our model combines advanced engineering, mission execution, and scalable manufacturing to deliver high-TRL products and flight-ready systems at speed.

We are building the infrastructure backbone for the next generation of space systems.

Parallax Space is seeking an exceptional Head of Engineering to lead the company’s technical organization, engineering execution, and product development strategy as we scale from early product development into repeatable flight systems and production execution.

This leader will be responsible for building and managing a world-class multidisciplinary engineering organization spanning systems engineering, mechanical, electrical, avionics, software, test, and mission hardware development. The role requires both strategic technical leadership and hands‑on execution discipline, ensuring Parallax delivers mission‑ready systems with the speed, reliability, and manufacturability required for commercial and national security space customers.

The Head of Engineering will serve as a foundational executive leader, shaping technical direction, scaling engineering processes, recruiting top‑tier talent, and driving engineering excellence across every stage of the product lifecycle - from architecture and development through qualification, flight readiness, and production transition.

This is a high-ownership leadership role for a builder who thrives in fast‑moving environments and understands how to balance engineering rigor with startup execution speed.

• Lead and scale all engineering disciplines including systems engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, avionics, software, test, integration, and mission hardware development.
• Build and develop a high-performing engineering organization capable of rapid product development and mission execution.
• Define organizational structure, hiring plans, capability roadmaps, and technical leadership responsibilities.
• Recruit, mentor, and retain top engineering talent.
• Establish a culture of ownership, technical accountability, urgency, and continuous improvement.
• Develop engineering career progression, leadership development, and performance expectations.

• Define and maintain the technical roadmap aligned with company growth strategy, customer demand, and product expansion.
• Drive architecture decisions across spacecraft systems, hosted payloads, mission hardware, and enabling technologies.
• Ensure engineering efforts align with product strategy, recurring production objectives, and business priorities.
• Lead major technical trade studies, architecture reviews, and strategic design decisions.
• Balance performance, manufacturability, reliability, schedule, and cost in engineering decision-making.
• Partner with executive leadership on long-range technical planning and capability investment.
• Drive engineering execution across all active programs, internal product development efforts, and customer deliverables.
• Ensure disciplined execution from concept development through design, build, integration, testing, qualification, and flight readiness.
• Establish clear engineering ownership, execution cadence, milestone accountability, and technical reporting.
• Lead engineering participation in PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR, qualification reviews, and mission readiness activities.
• Remove technical and organizational obstacles impacting schedule or product delivery.
• Support rapid issue resolution across development and mission execution efforts.

• Build scalable engineering operating systems, workflows, and execution infrastructure.
• Establish standards for requirements management, configuration control, engineering documentation, release management, and technical change…