The Role:
Helogen is seeking a Lead Vehicle Design Engineer (Atmospheric Flight) in Austin, Texas to design, develop, and deliver advanced aerospace systems from concept through flight. You’ll be joining a small team of high-caliber engineers, scientists, and operators united by the belief that the microgravity environment of space represents one of the greatest untapped opportunities in the history of medicine and industry. We value execution over perfection, clarity over complexity, and ownership over handholding. We move quickly, learn fast, and adapt as the company evolves.
In this role, you'll own vehicle systems and technical projects while contributing to overall vehicle architecture and system performance. You'll work across structures, thermal systems, avionics, manufacturing, testing, and operations to solve complex engineering challenges and deliver flight-ready hardware.
This role is ideal for a builder who thinks at the vehicle level, can rapidly evaluate tradeoffs, make sound technical decisions with incomplete information, and drive progress in a fast-paced development environment. As an early member of the engineering team, you'll have significant influence over technical direction, engineering culture, and the foundational systems that will power Helogen's long-term mission.
Responsibilities:
Design, develop, and deliver advanced aerospace systems from concept through flight
Own technical projects and subsystems while contributing to overall vehicle architecture and system performance
Perform engineering trades involving structures, thermal systems, avionics, flight dynamics, manufacturing, testing, and operations
Develop requirements, interface definitions, analysis plans, and verification approaches
Lead hardware design, prototyping, integration, and qualification activities
Work closely with cross-functional teams to solve complex multidisciplinary engineering challenges
Contribute to vehicle-level design reviews and technical decision-making
Support supplier engagement, manufacturing activities, and hardware build efforts
Participate in testing, mission preparation, flight operations, and post-flight analysis
Drive decision making in ambiguous environments
Help shape engineering culture, processes, and technical standards as the organization grows
What We're Looking For:
Requirements:
Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Robotics, or a related technical field
Experience developing complex hardware, aerospace systems, spacecraft, launch vehicles, autonomous systems, robotics, or other highly integrated engineering products through design, development, testing, and deployment
Vehicle level thinker who considers structures, thermal systems, manufacturing challenges, testing, and operations
Advanced engineering fundamentals and first-principles problem-solving abilities
Strong systems-thinking capabilities and the ability to evaluate tradeoffs across multiple engineering disciplines
Experience with engineering analysis, design tools, simulation environments, or hardware development workflows relevant to your area of expertise
Ability to solve challenging technical problems from definition through execution
Sound engineering judgment; can make quick technical decisions in ambiguous or rapidly evolving environments
Strong work ethic, with a willingness to support accelerated development schedules during critical testing and launch campaigns
Excellent communication and collaboration skills
Nice to have:
Aerospace, defense, robotics, automotive, energy, or other high-performance engineering industries
Flight hardware, spacecraft, launch vehicles, atmospheric flight systems, autonomous systems, or advanced manufacturing platforms
Hardware development in fast-paced or resource-constrained environments
Systems engineering, testing, integration, or vehicle development activities
Rapid prototyping, design iteration, and hardware qualification
Startup experience or experience building new products from the ground up
Experience working across multiple engineering disciplines
Compensation:
The salary range for this position is $170,000-$185,000 with equity offered. Qualified candidates must be based in Austin, Texas or willing to relocate there.
Benefits:
Unlimited PTO
Health, dental, vision and life insurance
401(k) program
Membership to OneMedical
Be part of creating something new that will change the world
Export Control Requirements
Due to the nature of the work performed, applicants must be a U.S. Person as defined by U.S.* export control regulations or otherwise eligible to access export-controlled information and technology.
- U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum in the U.S.)
Compensation Range: $170K - $185K
