Power plant operator Jobs in Centennial, CO

Parallax Space is building critical mission infrastructure to enable rapid, reliable, and scalable access to space. We partner with commercial, civil, and national security customers to deliver high-performance satellite components, integrated payload systems, and mission capabilities that close critical gaps in modern space architecture.

Our model combines advanced engineering, mission execution, and scalable manufacturing to deliver high-TRL products and flight-ready systems at speed.

We are building the infrastructure backbone for the next generation of space systems.

Position Overview

Parallax Space is seeking a Avionics & Electrical Power Engineer to design, develop, integrate, and qualify electrical power systems for spacecraft, payloads, and mission hardware. This is a mid-to-senior-level role with direct ownership of power architecture, power distribution, and battery design across the full product lifecycle.

The engineer will translate mission and product requirements into reliable, manufacturable electrical power systems encompassing generation, energy storage, regulation, conversion, protection, switching, and distribution. The role will own power budgets and operating profiles; size batteries and power-distribution hardware; develop and review schematics, interfaces, and analyses; and support hardware through procurement, build, integration, environmental test, delivery, and mission operations.

The successful candidate will combine strong spacecraft power-system fundamentals with practical hardware judgment. This individual must be comfortable moving between system-level trades and detailed design, working directly with multidisciplinary engineering teams and suppliers, troubleshooting integrated hardware, and making timely decisions in a fast-paced development environment.

The position may be filled at the mid-level or senior level based on the candidate’s experience, technical depth, and demonstrated scope of ownership.

Key Responsibilities

Electrical Power System Architecture

Develop end-to-end electrical power system architectures for spacecraft, payloads, and mission hardwareTranslate mission requirements and operational concepts into power-generation, storage, conversion, distribution, and protection requirementsCreate and maintain power budgets, energy balances, peak-load assessments, mode-based load profiles, efficiency estimates, and system marginsSize solar-array interfaces, batteries, power converters, regulators, distribution channels, harnesses, protection devices, and related hardwarePerform architecture trades addressing regulated and unregulated buses, voltage selection, redundancy, fault tolerance, scalability, recurring cost, and mission lifeDefine and control electrical interfaces, grounding and bonding approaches, power-quality requirements, and compatibility across subsystemsSupport system design reviews and clearly communicate architecture decisions, margins, assumptions, and technical risks

Power Distribution & Conversion

Design and develop power distribution units, power conditioning and distribution units, electronic power systems, and related spacecraft power electronicsDefine load-switching, current-limiting, inrush-control, overvoltage, undervoltage, short-circuit, reverse-polarity, and fault-containment strategiesDevelop or evaluate DC-DC converters, point-of-load regulation, battery charge and discharge electronics, bus regulation, and power switching circuitsEstablish channel allocation, load shedding, safe-state behavior, redundancy, telemetry, command, and fault-response requirementsCreate and review schematics, electrical block diagrams, interface-control documents, wiring diagrams, component selections, and printed circuit board layoutsEvaluate power integrity, conducted emissions and susceptibility, grounding, isolation, transient response, ripple, stability, efficiency, and thermal performancePartner with avionics, flight software, systems, and mission operations teams to implement power control, monitoring, autonomy, and fault management

Battery & Energy Storage Design

Lead battery architecture, cell selection, pack sizing, configuration, and performance assessment for spacecraft and payload applicationsDevelop battery requirements addressing energy, power, voltage, depth of discharge, cycle life, calendar life, radiation, temperature, storage, and mission durationDesign or oversee cell balancing, state-of-charge monitoring, charge control, protection, fusing, isolation, telemetry, and battery management functionsPerform charge and discharge modeling, capacity and degradation analysis, duty-cycle assessment, fault analysis, and operating-margin evaluationCoordinate battery electrical, thermal, mechanical, safety, handling, shipping, storage, and integration requirements across the product teamEvaluate cells, modules, battery assemblies, and suppliers using test data, heritage, qualification status, manufacturability, availability, and mission riskDevelop battery development, screening, acceptance, qualification, and life-test plans in coordination with test and mission assurance teams

Analysis, Reliability & Technical Documentation

Perform circuit analysis, worst-case analysis, component derating, tolerance analysis, efficiency assessment, thermal dissipation analysis, and electrical stress evaluationContribute to failure modes and effects analysis, fault-tree analysis, reliability assessments, hazard analyses, and single-point-failure reviewsSelect electrical and electronic parts appropriate for the mission environment, availability needs, producibility, and program risk postureMaintain requirements, calculations, models, design descriptions, interface definitions, test procedures, reports, and verification evidence under configuration controlEnsure designs comply with applicable internal standards, customer requirements, workmanship expectations, and mission-assurance practicesIdentify technical risks early and develop practical mitigation, development-test, qualification, or redesign plans

Hardware Development & Production Readiness

Support hardware development from breadboard and engineering models through qualification and flight productionPartner with mechanical, thermal, systems, avionics, software, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams throughout the design lifecycleApply design-for-manufacturing, design-for-test, design-to-cost, modularity, and component-availability principles to power hardwareGenerate and release engineering drawings, bills of material, specifications, test requirements, and manufacturing documentationSupport supplier selection, technical evaluations, design reviews, source inspections, first-article builds, and issue resolutionInvestigate nonconformances and failures, perform root-cause analysis, and implement corrective actions that improve reliability and yieldSupport configuration changes and product improvements while protecting qualified design baselines and customer commitments

Integration, Test & Qualification

Develop verification plans and procedures for power-system functional, performance, fault-response, efficiency, stability, and margin testingDefine electrical ground support equipment, battery simulators, solar-array simulators, loads, instrumentation, and automated test needsSupport board-, unit-, subsystem-, and vehicle-level integration and test activitiesLead troubleshooting of power anomalies using laboratory instrumentation, telemetry, software data, schematics, and structured root-cause methodsSupport environmental qualification and acceptance testing including thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, electromagnetic compatibility, and mission-representative cyclingAnalyze test results, document compliance, disposition anomalies, and close verification evidenceProvide technical support during delivery, launch-site processing, commissioning, and on-orbit operations as required

Cross-Functional & Customer Execution

Work closely with program leadership to maintain credible technical plans, schedules, estimates, and resource requirementsParticipate in customer meetings, design reviews, technical interchange meetings, and proposal developmentTranslate customer needs into executable power-system solutions while maintaining clear control of scope, interfaces, assumptions, and riskSupport make, buy, or partner decisions and technical management of external power-system and battery suppliersMentor junior engineers and contribute to engineering standards, reusable designs, analysis tools, and lessons learnedCommunicate technical status, tradeoffs, risks, and decisions clearly to engineering teams, leadership, customers, and suppliers

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field5+ years of experience designing or developing electrical power systems, power electronics, batteries, or related high-reliability hardwareExperience with spacecraft, satellite, payload, aerospace, defense, or other mission-critical electrical systemsDemonstrated understanding of electrical power architecture, power distribution, conversion, regulation, switching, protection, and fault managementHands-on experience with battery sizing, cell or pack selection, charging, discharging, protection, performance analysis, and integrationExperience developing power budgets, load profiles, energy balances, electrical interfaces, and system-level trade studiesExperience creating or reviewing schematics, component selections, printed circuit board layouts, wiring diagrams, and electrical design documentationExperience performing circuit analysis, worst-case analysis, derating, tolerance analysis, efficiency assessment, and electrical troubleshootingExperience supporting hardware through design reviews, build, integration, test, qualification, and deliveryProficiency with laboratory equipment such as power supplies, electronic loads, oscilloscopes, multimeters, data-acquisition systems, and power analyzersStrong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to operate effectively across multidisciplinary teamsAbility to work hands-on in a fast-paced development and production environmentAbility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

8+ years of directly relevant experience for consideration at the senior levelDirect experience designing spacecraft electrical power systems, power distribution units, power conditioning and distribution units, or battery systemsExperience with lithium-ion spacecraft batteries, battery management systems, cell screening, life testing, and safety controlsExperience designing DC-DC converters, regulated or unregulated power buses, solid-state power controllers, load switches, or fault-protection circuitsExperience with analog circuit design, mixed-signal electronics, embedded control, telemetry, or FPGA- and microcontroller-based power hardwareFamiliarity with radiation effects, parts derating, destructive physical analysis, electrical overstress, and space-grade parts selectionExperience with electromagnetic compatibility, grounding and bonding, conducted susceptibility, conducted emissions, and power integrityExperience with SPICE, MATLAB/Simulink, Python, electrical CAD, PCB design tools, requirements-management tools, or equivalent engineering softwareExperience with AS9100, configuration management, nonconformance disposition, root-cause analysis, and aerospace qualification practicesExperience transitioning power hardware from development into repeatable productionExperience with national security space, DoD, Space Force, SDA, NASA, or commercial satellite programsActive U.S. security clearanceMaster’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical discipline

Core Competencies

Power Systems EngineeringBattery DesignPower ElectronicsHardware OwnershipAnalytical RigorDesign for ManufacturingTroubleshootingTechnical JudgmentWhy Join Parallax Space

Join a team building critical infrastructure for the future of space. At Parallax Space, you will work on real hardware, real missions, and meaningful national-scale challenges alongside a high-performing team of engineers, operators, and builders.

Compliance

Parallax Space is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs. Certain positions may require eligibility to access export-controlled information under ITAR/EAR regulations and/or the ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance.

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