Chief Engineer - Spacecraft

Company: Gravitics
Location: Washington
Posted on: February 18, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description About Gravitics At Gravitics, we're not exploring space—we're building it. We're creating the infrastructure for a thriving space economy, enabling humanity to flourish beyond Earth. Our vision is bold, but we're not just dreamers; we're doers. We design and manufacture large-scale orbital structures that enable commercial operations while meeting the requirements of defense and government missions. Our systems are built to scale and built to last—bridging commercial innovation with mission-critical performance. If you're ready to lay the foundations for a new era in space, embrace a culture of relentless learning and innovation, and contribute to a future where humanity's reach extends farther, Gravitics is the place for you. Let's build the future together. About the Role You will own the technical development of one or more Gravitics spacecraft from concept design through flight. This role spans multiple commercial and USG programs with a diverse range of requirements and priorities. You will work across every engineering discipline and every aspect of the program—including manufacturing, integration & test, and mission operations —to ensure customer success. This role requires a highly effective technical leader with a broad range of knowledge, strong development experience, commitment to technical excellence, and pragmatic decision making. - Lead technical and programmatic execution of existing spacecraft and new derivatives. - Instill technical rigor in all we do while maintaining a sense of urgency to meet business goals. - Own the successful delivery of a qualified vehicle. - Direct multidisciplinary teams and engage in the smallest detail. - Recognize and fill technical skill gaps as necessary. - Identify, preempt, and solve issues that threaten the program. - Clearly communicate technical concepts and programmatic elements to your team, colleagues, executive leadership, and customers. - Ensure mission success. This is a far-reaching role spanning multiple programs in a fast-paced environment. Come join us if you thrive in challenging projects with confidence to shape ambiguity into strong solutions. About You Successful candidates exude servant leadership. You can maintain the broadest program view while diving deep into the smallest technical detail with the team. You hold yourself to exacting standards and inspire others to do the same. You have an established track record of taking ownership and delivering results. Required Attributes - Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Software Engineering or similar. - Demonstrated past ownership of complex projects. - Ability to understand and drive from first principles. - Deep understanding of several spacecraft disciplines. - Familiarity with ground support systems. - Comfort working in fast-paced environments. - Excellent verbal and written communication skills. - Successful candidates typically have 10-15 years of experience in spacecraft development or operations. Bonus Points for - Prior experience working with Commercial, NASA, and DOD customers. - Demonstrated leadership in full product lifecycle of one or more vehicle subsystems. - Solid fundamentals in FDIR and fault tolerant schemes. - Strong familiarity with SMC-S-016 and various qualification and protoqualification approaches. - Direct experience with rendezvous and proximity operations, including system verification & validation. Familiarity with SSP 50808 and ISO 24330. - Willingness to travel up to 25% time to supplier, customer, test, and launch sites. Compensation and Benefits Your level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the considerations of job-related knowledge and skills, education, and direct experience. Salary is just one component of the total employee package, which also includes company equity at an exciting time of company growth, as well as comprehensive medical, 401(k) retirement plan, a generous PTO policy, employee discounts, and more. ITAR Requirements To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Gravitics is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin or ethnicity, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Keywords: Gravitics, Bel Air North , Chief Engineer - Spacecraft, Engineering , Washington, Maryland