"Engineer"

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

The Michigan Exploration Laboratory at Michigan Aerospace Engineering Department is looking for a team-oriented professional to provide support for our educational and research activities related to small satellite missions. These activities include designing, building, testing, and operating spacecraft, ground stations, robots, hardware, software, and tools used in the lab. Additionally, there may be opportunities to help us develop hardware, software, and procedures for educational lab activities related to various course lab classes. These activities collaborate with the UM Space Institute, which was recently created with investment from across the university to develop educational and research capabilities to explore outer space.

• Conceive, architect, and lead the development of advanced spaceflight systems, with primary responsibility for the technical integrity and end-to-end performance of the spacecraft.
• Design, integrate, and test advanced electro-optical and electromechanical subsystems, with particular emphasis on precision attitude determination and control, optical pointing, and spaceborne laser payloads.
• Oversee spacecraft avionics, sensors, actuators, flight software, power, structures, and thermal systems, ensuring robust interfaces and system-level coherence.
• Develop and maintain system requirements, interface control documents, and verification plans; perform design trades, analyses, and risk assessments; and lead hardware and software integration, test, and on-orbit readiness activities.
• Design, assemble, debug, and test flight and ground support hardware and software using modern CAD, circuit design, simulation, and test tools. Maintain and evolve mission testbeds, laboratories, and fabrication resources.
• Engage closely with faculty leadership, industry collaborators, and undergraduate and graduate student teams, providing technical mentorship while guiding the mission from concept through launch and on-orbit operations.

Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a closely related field, with 1 (one) year of relevant experience in spacecraft, space systems, or precision aerospace systems; equivalent industry or flight-program experience considered. Demonstrated experience designing, integrating, and testing complex spaceflight or high-reliability aerospace systems, with system-level responsibility across multiple subsystems.

Strong background in attitude determination and control systems (ADCS), including inertial sensors, star trackers, reaction wheels, magnetorquers, actuators, estimation and control algorithms, and precision pointing or formation-flying applications. Experience with optical or laser-based systems, such as laser communications, optical terminals, precision pointing mechanisms, optical sensors, or free-space optical testbeds. Experience with circuit board bring-up, debugging, and test; familiarity with mixed-signal electronics, power systems, and low-level hardware/software interfaces. Software experience across multiple environments (e.g., Python, C/C++, embedded systems, Linux), with proficiency in flight software, embedded control, simulation, or hardware-in-the-loop testing.

Experience with laboratory instrumentation, including sensor calibration, optical alignment, signal conditioning, data acquisition, and system-level diagnostics. Experience developing and maintaining engineering documentation, including requirements, interface control documents, test plans, and verification reports. Ability to work effectively in a collaborative academic research environment, mentoring undergraduate and graduate students while coordinating with faculty and external partners.

This is a one-year term limited position with possibility of renewal contingent upon financial availability.