Lab Manager, Avionics Hardware at Cowboy Space Corp. in San Carlos, CA

Job description

About Cowboy Space Corp. Mission Cowboy Space Corporation is solving the global energy crisis by building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space-based solar energy. We are tackling one of humanity’s most complex engineering challenges with a world-class team dedicated to delivering a revolutionary power platform. Cowboy Space Corporation is transforming how civilization powers, computes and connects - from orbit to Earth. 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. Current energy and data systems rely on complex logistics and outdated infrastructure. Cowboy Space Corporation overcomes these challenges by enabling direct, on-demand, secure, and scalable energy distribution and data processing from space. This will revolutionize how we operate in orbit and on Earth, supporting the rapidly expanding space industrial base, ISAM (In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing) operations, remote regions, and military bases. Baiju Bhatt founded Cowboy Space Corporation in 2024. Inspired by his father’s work with NASA Langley Research Center, Baiju earned his B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Mathematics at Stanford before co-founding Robinhood, now a public company that has helped over 20 million Americans access the financial system. Cowboy Space Corporation has raised ~$365 million from Index Ventures, Interlagos, Construct Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and others. 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 As the Avionics Hardware Development Lab Manager, you will be the backbone of our engineering environment. You will oversee the daily operations, safety, and organization of our state-of-the-art avionics lab, ensuring our engineering teams have the tools, environments, and components they need to build the next generation of Avionics hardware. This is a dynamic, hybrid role combining operational leadership, inventory management, and high-precision hands-on technical execution (such as board rework, wire harness fabrication, and test setup). Responsibilities • Maintain a clean, organized, ESD-safe laboratory environment that supports rapid hardware development, integration, and testing. • Manage the full lifecycle of laboratory equipment, including procurement, calibration, maintenance, asset tracking, and troubleshooting of engineering test equipment. • Own laboratory safety by implementing and enforcing protocols for electrical safety, high-voltage systems, hazardous materials, and general lab compliance. • Perform precision board-level assembly, soldering, rework, and repair of complex PCBAs, including fine-pitch SMT, BGA, and other high-density electronic components. • Fabricate, modify, and repair custom wire harnesses, cable assemblies, and engineering fixtures from schematics, drawings, and engineering documentation. • Apply conformal coatings, potting compounds, and other environmental protection processes to flight hardware as required. • Manage inventory of electronic components, consumables, tooling, and raw materials, ensuring critical parts remain in stock and available for development activities. • Support engineering teams by assembling prototypes, configuring test benches, integrating instrumentation, and preparing hardware for functional, environmental, and qualification testing. • Assist