Staff Design Reliability Engineer

Long Beach · USD 137,000-195,000 · 7+ years experience · Full-time · Onsite · Posted Sep 28, 2026

At a glance

The Staff Design Reliability Engineer will support the development of systems required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.
This role reports to the Director of Design Reliability and focuses on technical leadership, design excellence, and process ownership to ensure engineering rigor.

Lead technical reviews and provide guidance during milestone design reviews and major risk gates.
Oversee qualification and test completeness for flight systems to ensure robust, human-rated reliability.
Identify risks early in test campaigns and help teams converge on safe, resilient solutions.
Evaluate complex design and operational changes to safeguard technical integrity.
Serve as the architect and guardian of engineering standards, design guides, and review frameworks.
Make engineering best practices accessible and actionable for teams working under ambitious timelines.
Capture lessons learned and strengthen future standards.
Own and refine design review templates, reliability checklists, and internal design guides.
Track design maturity and compliance across station and vehicle architecture.
Partner with configuration, change management, and software teams to ensure data and design decisions are accessible.

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field.
7+ years of experience in responsible engineering, design ownership, systems integration, test engineering, or reliability-focused development.
Demonstrated experience conducting design reviews, qualification reviews, or major change assessments.
Strong communicator and collaborative leader with high emotional intelligence and diplomacy.
Resilient, curious, and committed to continuous learning in fast-paced environments.
Willingness to work overtime or weekends to support critical mission milestones.

Experience in Responsible Engineering, Systems Engineering, Office of the Chief Engineer, or Reliability Engineering roles on complex aerospace systems.
Hands-on experience designing, assembling, integrating, or testing hardware.
Background with spacecraft, aircraft, launch vehicles, or other mission- or safety-critical systems.
Familiarity with fracture control, reliability methodologies, or human-rated hardware standards.
Experience creating engineering standards, review templates, or technical guidance frameworks.
Strong scripting and data analysis skills (Python, MATLAB, Excel) and familiarity with visualization tools (e.g., Tableau).
Knowledge of manufacturing processes, materials selection, and hardware qualification pathways.
Strong systems-level intuition and the ability to anticipate and articulate risks early.