Head of Avionics

Description

As Head of Avionics, you will own the end-to-end strategy, architecture, development, qualification, and production scaling for all avionics systems on Stoke's 100% reusable rockets. This includes flight computers, power distribution, sensors, actuators, RF communications, guidance/navigation/control (GNC) interfaces, flight termination systems, and environmental survivability for both ascent and reentry. You will drive innovation in compact, reliable, radiation-tolerant, and rapidly producible avionics tailored to high-cadence reusability - while leading a high-performing team in a fast-paced startup environment. 

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and strategic direction for the avionics organization, including roadmap development for current (Nova) and next-generation vehicles.
• Own avionics system architecture, requirements, design reviews, verification/validation, and certification/qualification processes to meet mission reliability and reusability goals.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with propulsion, structures, GNC/software, manufacturing, test, and operations teams to ensure seamless vehicle integration.
• Scale avionics production from prototypes to manufacturing, emphasizing design-for-manufacturability, rapid iteration, and cost reduction.
• Build, mentor, and grow a world-class avionics team, fostering a culture of ownership, speed, and technical excellence.
• Manage budgets, schedules, and resource allocation across avionics subsystems and projects.
• Drive risk reduction through hardware-in-the-loop testing, environmental qualification (vibration, thermal, EMI/EMC, radiation), and flight/vehicle-level testing.
• Support mission planning, anomaly resolution, and post-flight data reviews to continuously improve avionics performance across repeated flights.
• Drive execution against aggressive development schedules while maintaining safety and quality. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science or Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline, and 10+ years’ experience developing flight-critical avionics for spacecraft, launch vehicles, or other high-reliability systems, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• 5+ years’ experience building, leading, and scaling high performing engineering teams responsible for flight hardware 
• Deep technical expertise in multiple avionics domains: embedded systems, flight computers, power electronics, RF/communications, harness design, sensors/actuators, and environmental hardening.
• Experience architecting fault-tolerant, distributed avionics systems for launch vehicles or spacecraft
• Experience owning avionics systems across the full mission lifecycle, from architecture and development through qualification, launch, and flight operations
• Ability to make principled engineering trade-offs under schedule pressure
• Experience leading through ambiguity and rapid iteration
• Strong systems thinking and cross-disciplinary collaboration
• Self-starter with demonstrated history of ownership and accountability 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a capacity to identify issues and implement effective solutions  

Benefits

• Equity – We know that our employees are the reason we succeed. To give everyone a stake in our future, we are pleased to offer equity in the form of stock options to all regular, full-time employees. 
• Comprehensive benefits program including subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance 
• Company-paid life and disability insurance 
• 401(k) plan with employer match 
• 4 weeks’ Paid Time Off  
• Holidays – 10 days (including an end-of-year closure) 
• Paid Family/Parental Leave  
• On-site gym or monthly wellness stipend (depending on location) 
• Dog friendly offices! 

Compensation

Target Levels:

• Level 4 range: $151,305 - $252,105
• Level 5 range: $176,505 - $327,810

Our job posts are intentionally written to attract a wide variety of experience levels, and we make decisions about the right fit on a per-candidate basis. 

Your actual level and base salary will be decided based on your specific experience and skill level.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you 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.

Equal Opportunity 

The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including with respect to disability and veteran status.  It is committed to compliance with all equal opportunity laws, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and Title VII.   It does not discriminate on the basis of nationality, race, citizenship, immigration status, or any other protected class when it comes to employment practices, including hiring.