Lunar Environment Modeling and Simulation Scientist

Interlune is a space resources company based in Seattle, WA. We will provide resources from space to power a clean and sustainable economy on Earth and in space.

We are looking for a Doer who wants to join our early-stage team and accelerate humanity's progress toward an off-world future. Our engineering team combines expert knowledge of geological sciences, mechanical engineering, automation, systems engineering, modeling and simulation, and advanced fabrication to build the infrastructure that will create an in-space economy. To join our small team, you must be agile, willing to learn, and able to take on multiple roles as needed.

Interlune is seeking early-career professionals with backgrounds in either engineering or science who can bridge lunar environment physics and practical hardware development. Interlune's goal is to develop lunar charging and environmental effects models and translate those results into actionable design requirements, mitigation strategies, and verification approaches

Responsibilities: 

• Develop, adapt, and maintain physics-based models of the lunar surface charging environment, including relevant contributions from solar radiation, plasma, dust, triboelectric processes, and vehicle/material interactions; apply established and emerging scientific literature to continuously improve model fidelity. 
• Predict surface charging, differential potentials, and charging-related hazard cases for rover subsystems and vehicle-level operations.
• Conduct parametric studies and sensitivity analyses to characterize how model outputs respond to input uncertainty, identify dominant physics drivers, and prioritize data needs for future validation campaigns. 
• Use model outputs to support evaluation of active and passive charge mitigation approaches across structures, mechanisms, avionics, power, and sensor systems.
• Define analysis assumptions, model limits, uncertainty bounds, and recommended design margins appropriate for flight development; maintain model configuration control and version history to support reproducibility and audit traceability. 
• Execute the model verification and validation (V&V) plan, including benchmarking against analytical solutions, published experimental data, and analog environment test results, and document confidence levels appropriate for each development phase. 
• Provide model-based analysis and simulation results to inform verification strategies and charging-related test objectives, in partnership with mechanical, electrical, systems, and test engineers.

Required Qualifications: 

• B.S. in Physics, Engineering, Planetary Science, or a related technical field.
• 1+ years of experience in spacecraft charging, space environment effects, plasma interactions, environmental modeling, or physics-based analysis for aerospace systems (advanced degrees can substitute for years of experience).
• Familiarity with the lunar surface environment, including relevant aspects of dust behavior, plasma interactions, and/or exosphere effects on surface charging and differential potentials.
• Experience developing or applying physics-based models to support engineering analysis or design. 
• Fluent in Python or another relevant programming language used for scientific computing and modeling.
• Proficient at working both independently to drive research and collaboratively to implement engineering solutions.
• Excellent communication skills, with a proven ability to translate complex physics concepts effectively within interdisciplinary engineering and science teams.

Desired Qualifications: 

• M.S. or Ph.D. in a relevant field.
• Direct experience developing spacecraft charging models, ideally with a specific emphasis on the lunar surface.
• Experience supporting hardware design for harsh or space environments.
• Familiarity with ESD/EMC, grounding/bonding, or charge mitigation for flight or other high-reliability systems.
• Experience defining environmental effects test objectives or supporting verification planning.

Export Control Regulations

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicants for employment at Interlune must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Interlune is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on creating our off-world future. Interlune is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. 

Don't meet every requirement? If you're excited about this role but you don't meet all of the job requirements, we encourage you to apply and explain why the experiences you do have are a suitable substitute. We'd hate to miss out on the perfect candidate for this or other roles. 

Compensation range for on site WA state employees is:

Target Levels:

Level 2 Range: $110,000 - $150,000

Level 3 Range: $125,000 - $195,000

Your actual level and base salary will be decided based on your specific experience and skill level.

Benefits:

Benefits include:  Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, short and long-term disability, and other benefits

Paid Time Off:  Flexible PTO policy with paid company holidays.