Spacecraft represent the most pressing unmet need across the entire aerospace industry. As more launch vehicles come online and the cost to orbit decreases, more companies launching payloads to space continue to emerge.

For the first time in history, this influx of payload companies combined with reduced launch costs has resulted in a massive increase in need for commercial spacecraft platforms, known as satellite buses. These buses hold the payloads of our customers and are flown on launch vehicles.

Apex manufactures these satellite buses at scale using a combination of software, vertical integration, and hardware that is designed for manufacturing. Our spacecraft enable the future of society: ranging from earth observation to communications and more.

We’d love for you to join us on our mission of providing humankind access to the galaxy beyond our planet.

About the Role

Apex is looking for an Electro-Optical Engineer to own our sensor products across the full development lifecycle, from clean-sheet concept to qualified, production-ready hardware. This role sits at the intersection of design, analysis, test, and production, acting as the technical authority that carries a sensor from architecture through qualification and into the field. You'll own how our sensors perform in the real world, driving trade studies that balance performance, cost, and risk, leading verification and qualification campaigns, and closing the loop through failure investigations that sharpen every future design.

Responsibilities

System ownership

Own sensor products through the full development lifecycle, including conceptualization, architecture, design, analysis, prototyping, qualification, and production

Support production as the hardware Responsible Engineering Authority (REA), providing technical solutions, guidance, and documentation when issues arise

Manage project budget, schedule, and tasking within a multidisciplinary team of engineers

Test Engineering

Own verification and validation activities for sensor subsystem requirements

Develop and execute qualification and test campaigns, including creation of test plans, procedures, and reports. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and maintain test stations and ground support equipment (GSE/STE)

Perform failure investigations and root cause analyses, incorporating lessons learned into future designs and test approaches

Technical Development

Perform system- and component-level trade studies to evaluate architectures and designs to optimize performance, cost, schedule, and technical risk

Collaborate with teams across structures, thermal, optics, avionics, software, GNC, manufacturing, mission assurance, and supply chain to develop integrated sensor solutions

Present technical work at design reviews and create clear, thorough engineering documentation

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related discipline

Hands-on experience developing, prototyping, integrating, and/or testing multidisciplinary systems

Demonstrated hardware, project, or product ownership experience

Strong understanding of test engineering fundamentals and methodologies

Demonstrated leadership, time management, and organizational skills

Comfortable researching and creating clean-sheet subsystem architectures and designs within an open design space

Self-motivated and eager to learn in a fast-paced, collaborative engineering environment

Preferred Qualifications

1-2 years of experience in aerospace, automotive, or other technical product development/test

Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related discipline

Experience developing, designing, implementing, and/or testing sensor systems

Familiarity with Design for Manufacturing (DFM/DFMA) principles

Familiarity with satellite systems and space environments