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

As the Lead Mission Integration Engineer, you will define and own end-to-end mission architecture while leading a team responsible for ensuring seamless integration between spacecraft systems, customers, and mission operations. You will be responsible for mentoring, tasking, and overall direction of the mission integration team, serving as the primary technical liaison for complex spacecraft missions. In this role, you will balance long term strategic mission planning with short term technical execution with a balance of roughly fifty percent management and fifty percent individual contributor work. We are looking for experienced engineers who are eager to solve complex mission integration challenges with a focus on practicality and scalability, and who thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced aerospace environment.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the mission integration team in defining end-to-end mission architecture, including spacecraft, launch vehicle, ground systems, and operations per customer requirements

• Own mission analysis capabilities across orbital mechanics, trajectory planning, and spacecraft deployment strategies while mentoring team members in advanced analysis techniques

• Serve as the senior technical liaison between internal technical teams and customers, leading critical design reviews and mission readiness assessments

• Direct technical assessments including coupled loads analysis (CLA), thermal analysis, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and mission-specific budgets across multiple concurrent missions

• Lead payload integration activities and collaborate with cross-functional teams to establish integration procedures and technical roadmaps for future missions