Senior Compute Validation Engineer

Background
Cowboy Space Corporation is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our modular, scalable satellites collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit to enable multiple integrated applications: transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit high-performance computing clusters (GPU/TPU), and providing secure, high bandwidth optical data transport.

This is an ambitious mission that demands extraordinary talent. Cowboy Space Corporation’s team has worked at places like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, Astranis and NASA, and is based in San Carlos, CA. If you're ready to solve complex technical challenges and help build the most important energy company in the world, we want to hear from you.

The Role

This role is highly hands-on. You will own validation strategy and work across electrical, firmware, thermal, mechanical, and system software teams to uncover and resolve failure modes during launch and after orbital deployment.

Responsibilities

• Lead board bring-up and system validation for advanced edge compute platforms.

• Develop validation methodologies covering signal integrity, power integrity, power sequencing, thermal behavior, and system reliability.

• Debug complex hardware and firmware interactions across High-speed interconnects (PCIe, Nvidia NVLink, AMD XGMI), memory subsystems, BMC/SMC and HMC architectures.

• Perform detailed board analysis using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, and power instrumentation.

• Drive root-cause analysis for system failures discovered during validation and environmental testing.

• Design and validate interfaces using protocols such as I2C, SPI, and UART.

• Partner closely with mechanical, thermal, firmware, and software teams to ensure robust system integration.

• Help define engineering standards and validation processes for flight-ready compute hardware.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.

• Experience in board design review, system validation, or compute hardware engineering.

• 5+ years of experience designing and building compute hardware system

• Strong background in server, accelerated compute, or embedded compute platforms.

• Deep understanding of motherboard architecture, high-speed signaling, power delivery systems, and system management infrastructure.

• Extensive hands-on debugging experience at board and system level.

• Proficiency with lab equipment including oscilloscopes and protocol analyzers.

• Experience with scripting or automation in Python, C/C++, or similar languages.

• Strong ownership mentality and ability to independently drive technical problems to resolution.

• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience designing and building compute hardware system

• Experience with remote management technologies such as Redfish or IPMI.

• Experience with spacecraft avionics, power systems, and thermal systems

• Experience with environmental testing (vibe, thermal vacuum, EMI/EMC)

• Radiation testing for LEO avionics background

• Track record of ownership and leadership

Why this Role is Different

• Own critical hardware systems, not just a small component

• Fast iteration cycles with direct path from design to hardware testing

• Work closely across disciplines in a tightly integrated team

• High autonomy and ownership with real impact on the spacecraft

• Opportunity to help define hardware systems for a new class of space infrastructure

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $150,000 – $200,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

• 401(k) retirement savings plan

• Paid time off

• 10 paid holidays per calendar year

• Paid parental leave

• Relocation assistance if applicable

ITAR Requirements

• Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.