Sr. Photovoltaic Design Engineer

Lanteris Space is seeking a self-motivated and innovative Sr. Photovoltaic Engineer to join our Solar Array, Battery, and Mechanisms team at our San Jose, CA office. In this role, you will contribute to the development of next-generation solar power systems for Lanteris 300 class spacecraft while also supporting the existing 1300 class product line . This is an opportunity to apply your expertise in mechanical design and space hardware development to enable advanced space exploration missions.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the subject matter expert for spacecraft solar arrays within the Electrical Power Subsystem.
• Collaborate closely with Program Engineers to support program execution and ensure all solar array testing and on-orbit performance requirements are achieved.
• Develop and maintain solar array on-orbit power predictions for spacecraft programs.
• Analyze on-orbit telemetry and correlate operational performance with predicted power models.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for on-orbit photovoltaic array (PVA) issues and anomaly resolution.
• Develop, document, and manage risk mitigation plans related to PVA technologies.
• Support procurement, design, integration, and testing activities for spacecraft solar array PVAs.
• Participate in the development and qualification of new or heritage hardware to meet mission-specific requirements.
• Generate technical documentation including test plans, procedures, and reports.
• Support technical reviews and customer presentations including PDRs, CDRs, TRRs, and MRRs, as required.
• Maintain oversight of PVA product line documentation, including test records and performance data.
• Provide engineering approval for subsystem and spacecraft design reviews.
• Coordinate with thermal and mechanical engineering teams to ensure alignment of solar array performance predictions and interface requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Aerospace Engineering.  A master’s degree may be counted as two years of experience.
• 5 years of experience in aerospace and/or terrestrial solar technology applications.
• Experience with photovoltaic solar array design, qualification, circuit modeling, testing, and data analysis.

Preferred Skills and Competencies

• Knowledge of solar cell device physics.
• Experience with DC circuit analysis and DC power electronics design.
• Familiarity with solar cell manufacturing processes and industry best practices.
• Experience supporting assembly, integration, and testing of electrical hardware in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary organizations.
• Demonstrated accountability, initiative, and problem-solving capability.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to quickly learn, adapt, and manage competing priorities.
• Comfortable interacting with senior leadership, program teams, customers, and international suppliers.
• Willingness to support international supplier meetings and on-orbit operations outside standard business hours as needed.
• Experience with Creo or equivalent 3D modeling/drafting tools preferred.

In support of pay transparency at Lanteris Space Systems, we disclose salary ranges on all U.S. job postings.  The successful candidate’s starting pay will fall within the salary range provided below and is determined based on job-related factors, including, but not limited to, the experience, qualifications, knowledge, skills, geographic work location, and market conditions. Candidates with the minimum necessary experience, qualifications, knowledge, and skillsets for the position should not expect to receive the upper end of the pay range.

For all other states, we use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop market-driven ranges for our roles, and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, health and welfare insurance, and 401(k) to eligible employees. More information on our benefits will be shared with candidates as they move forward in the recruitment process.

The application window is three days from the date the job is posted and will remain posted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire.  If the job is reposted regardless of reason, it will remain posted three days from the date the job is reposted and will remain reposted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire. 

The date of posting can be found on the Lanteris Space Systems Career page at the top of each job posting.

To apply, submit your application via the Lanteris Space Systems Career page.

Lanteris Space Systems values diversity in the workplace and is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.