--- title: 'Avionics Data Engineer - Payloads at Stratolaunch' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/avionics-data-engineer-payloads-stratolaunch-mojave-n72gjnd97vkd' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-25' --- # Avionics Data Engineer - Payloads at Stratolaunch - **Company:** Stratolaunch - **Location:** Mojave, CA - **Posted:** 2026-10-21 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-25 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/stratolaunch/jobs/5460203008 ## Job description Stratolaunch accelerates the development of next-generation aerospace and defense technologies through reusable hypersonic flight testing. Our autonomous, air-launched Talon-A vehicles provide access to operationally realistic flight environments at speeds exceeding Mach 5, delivering critical data that helps customers validate system performance and advance technologies toward deployment. Our team brings together expertise in engineering, manufacturing, and flight operations to solve complex challenges and advance capabilities essential to national security. Stratolaunch is seeking a Level I, II, or Sr-level Avionics or Flight Test Instrumentation Engineer to support the design, build, integration, and testing of experimental customer payloads on the Talon-A hypersonic vehicles.  This position involves working with a multi-disciplinary engineering team, program management, and customers.  An ideal candidate exudes passion and an interest in aviation. ## ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES - Evaluate experimental payload requirements to determine fit for integration onto a hypersonic test bed. - Work across many teams and subsystems to define and implement collection and recording of experimental payload data - Contribute to instrumentation and telemetry (data) system requirements development, design, testing, & operation for customer payloads - Develop and support instrumentation and telemetry tests - Make suggestions and recommendations for improvements, including changes to workflow - Support Talon-A Payload Integration Lead - Support technical customer reviews and ensure contract deliverables are on time and meet or exceed customer expectations - Analyze flight data and generate reports for customers - Be an effective and professional representative of the company - Travel, as needed, to support the company - Demonstrate honesty, responsibility, integrity and fulfillment of commitments ## QUALIFICATION & SKILLS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential responsibility satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Required Qualifications - Experience in instrumentation, telemetry, or network engineering in an operational or regulated test environment. - Experience with data acquisition systems and dataloggers - Experience working with government procurement processes - Experience writing system requirements or ability to effectively elicit requirements from a customer - Experience with designing test equipment to support both bench and in vehicle testing of electronic assemblies - Excellent written and verbal communication - Ability to acquire and maintain a DOW security clearance Required Skills - Proficiency with at least one programming language, including but not limited to C/C++/C#, Python - Experience with source control systems such as git - Fundamental experience with laboratory equipment (e.g. oscilloscope, benchtop power supplies, etc.) - Proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, Visio) ## Preferred Qualifications - Flight test program experience or Mission Control Room console experience - Experience designing & manufacturing aircraft harnesses - Aircraft and/or launch vehicle development or design experience (electrical, structures, or propulsion systems) - Experience with integration and test of payloads onto vehicles - Expertise with RF devices such as transmitters, receivers, encoders/decoders, or similar - Experience with environmental qualification of electronic devices intended for flight vehicles. - Hands-on aircraft build, piloting, or flight test experience - Active DOW TS/SCI security clearance ## Preferred Skills - Experience with Curtiss-Wright or Safran Data Acquisition Units - Experience with NI LabVIEW and NI DAQmx - Experience with requirements management tools such as JAMA or Doors ## EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE - Level I ($86,000-$103,800): Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) from accredited institution and 0-2 years of engineering experience, OR equivalent combination of education and experience - Level II ($97,500-$120,000): Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) from accredited institution and 2-5 years of engineering experience, OR equivalent combination of education and experience - Sr Level ($120,000-$147,600): Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) from accredited institution and 5-10 years of engineering experience, OR equivalent combination of education and experience Special remarks regarding work environment, if applicable - This position is located in Mojave, CA. Consideration for hybrid work arrangement with at least 75% on-site time for well-qualified candidates. - Travel estimated to be <10% in support of the program - 9/80 schedule Base salary and leveling are established on a case-by-case basis. We consider several factors to ensure a competitive offer, including your location, educational background, and a comprehensive assessment of the skills and experience demonstrated during your interviews. [Benefits](https://www.stratolaunch.com/careers/benefits/) and our https://www.stratolaunch.com/careers/locations/: - Healthcare (medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs) - Paid Maternity and Parental Leave - 50% company match per contributed dollar into 401(k) savings plan, up to $11,500 - Tuition reimbursement This position may involve the operation of company vehicles as part of assigned duties. Mojave Air & Spaceport is located just outside of Lancaster/Palmdale and is only 95 miles north of Los Angeles.  The area offers both affordability and central access to a variety of California's best attractions and landmarks. Not much for the outdoors and prefer the city life? You’re within a half day’s drive or less of Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, and San Francisco where you can find a variety of live entertainment, museums, tours, and historical sight-seeing. Theme parks are in abundance, with Six Flags Magic Mountain, Disneyland, and Knotts Berry Farm ready to meet the needs of rollercoaster thrill seekers. Food and drink fanatics are in a haven of delectable choices. Wine aficionados will also find easy access to some of the state’s best vino in Paso Robles, Santa Ynez, and even more locally in Tehachapi and Agua Dulce. Beer fanatics will find some of the best West Coast IPAs at Bravery and Lucky Luke’s in Lancaster. Any food option you crave is covered, and we always recommend the authentic and fresh Mexican food that you won’t find anywhere else in the United States. Stratolaunch is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity at our company. We encourage people from all walks of life to apply, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. Our management team does not tolerate discrimination or harassment at any point during our employees’ and applicants’ time with us, especially with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment during employment.  For purposes of transparency, U.S. Citizenship may be required for some positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions. Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law : [https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf](https://usg02.safelinks.protection.office365.us/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dol.gov%2Fofccp%2Fregs%2Fcompliance%2Fposters%2Fpdf%2Feeopost.pdf&data=05%7C02%7CJustin.Bunkis%40stratolaunch.com%7Cc995cc1cb2d54cb9e84f08dd8369f5d0%7C6b1ba37e5a954845af92bbebaa34f2bf%7C0%7C0%7C638811213293596097%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=HA1xZ73OqtOavsYHMEB53oSEKk%2FQdrb0FNLHeuEPqjg%3D&reserved=0) ## About Stratolaunch ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Stratolaunch designs, manufactures, and launches aerospace vehicles and technologies to provide the U.S. and its allies with routine, affordable access to hypersonic flight testing and space. - **Entity Type**: Private (total funding $24.7M; recent grant and private equity rounds) - **Headquarters**: Mojave, California, United States - **Founded**: 2011 - **Founders**: Not listed in available sources ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Defense and Space Manufacturing – hypersonic test technology and air-launch services. - **Target customers**: U.S. government agencies (Missile Defense Agency, Department of Defense), defense contractors, and commercial aerospace companies. - **Mission**: To advance a national imperative by enabling routine access to the hypersonic environment, accelerating technology development, and validating system performance through flight data. ## Products & Services - **Roc (Air-Launch Platform)**: The world’s largest aircraft by wingspan, used as a mobile launch pad to deploy hypersonic test vehicles from high altitude. - **Talon-A**: A reusable, air-launched hypersonic test vehicle capable of sustained Mach 5+ flight; provides critical flight data for technology maturation. - **Hypersonic Flight Testing Services**: End-to-end mission planning, payload integration, flight operations, and data analysis for government and commercial customers. ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed - **Key Metrics**: - Annual revenue: ~$28.7M (source: LinkedIn) - Total funding: $24.7M (led by Missile Defense Agency grant, January 2025; plus a private equity round in January 2026) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Missile Defense Agency (MDA), U.S. Department of Defense; acquired WINDWRIGHT, LLC. - **Growth Signals**: - Headcount grew 15.3% YoY to 253 employees. - Active job postings increased 176.2% YoY. - Received a $90.8M contract award under MACH-TB 2.0 Task 3 for air-launched capability test vehicles. - Conducted a hypersonic test flight with the Missile Defense Agency. ## Competitive Advantages - **Unique Air-Launch Capability**: Operates Roc, the only aircraft of its size, enabling flexible, over-the-horizon launch of hypersonic vehicles without ground range constraints. - **Vertical Integration**: In-house design, manufacturing, and flight test capabilities reduce timelines and allow rapid iteration. - **Government Trust**: Multiple contract awards from MDA and DoD demonstrate confidence in Stratolaunch’s technology and execution. ## Strategic Focus - Scaling hypersonic testing capacity to meet growing national security demand. - Maturing Talon-A into a reusable, operational vehicle for repeatable, cost-effective hypersonic flights. - Expanding customer base beyond the MDA to include other defense agencies and commercial hypersonic developers. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Values include “Safety Always,” “Be courageous & bold,” “Strength in humility,” and “Be the teammate you’d want to have.” Emphasis on hands-on, cross‑disciplinary learning alongside top aerospace engineers. - **Work Environment**: Majority on‑site (57 of 64 current positions are on‑site); limited hybrid/remote options. HQ in Mojave, CA, with additional offices in Washington, D.C., and Huntsville, AL. - **Notable Perks**: Direct involvement in cutting‑edge hypersonic technology with national importance; exposure to multiple engineering disciplines; safety‑first, ego‑free culture. - **Compensation Example**: Propulsion Technician ~$65,890/yr; Executive Assistant ~$88,580/yr (LinkedIn estimates). - **Employer Rating**: 3.7/5 (55 reviews) – Compensation rated 4.0/5, Culture 3.5/5, Work‑Life 2.8/5. ## Sources 1. [stratolaunch.com](https://www.stratolaunch.com/) 2. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/stratolaunch) 3. [job-boards.greenhouse.io](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/stratolaunch) 4. [stratolaunch.com/careers/culture](https://www.stratolaunch.com/careers/culture/) ## Other roles at Stratolaunch - [Supply Chain Intern- Summer 2027](https://feeny.ai/job/supply-chain-intern-summer-2027-stratolaunch-mojave-d5yfv0p0xc4k) — Mojave, CA - [Facilities Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/facilities-technician-stratolaunch-mojave-0smjyj8eeej6) — Mojave, CA - [Environmental Test Engineering Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/environmental-test-engineering-technician-stratolaunch-mojave-ednnky15rad3) — Mojave, CA - [Environmental Test Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/environmental-test-engineer-stratolaunch-mojave-c3rrrzbcb26j) — Mojave, CA - [Avionics Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/avionics-manager-stratolaunch-mojave-4p64jb09483b) — Mojave, CA - [Security Administrative Assistant](https://feeny.ai/job/security-administrative-assistant-stratolaunch-mojave-9rsbsg21j8xa) — Mojave, CA - [Government Relations Summer Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/government-relations-summer-intern-stratolaunch-washington-8r3tq69n8hkm) — Washington, DC - [Engineering Intern Summer 2027](https://feeny.ai/job/engineering-intern-summer-2027-stratolaunch-mojave-bs9c9drq5718) — Mojave, CA - [Structural Analyst](https://feeny.ai/job/structural-analyst-stratolaunch-mojave-j5edb826aw4w) — Mojave, CA - [Engineering Section Manager - Avionics](https://feeny.ai/job/engineering-section-manager-avionics-stratolaunch-mojave-zpmzecyr75n5) — Mojave, CA