Note: This position is open exclusively to candidates currently enrolled in the Hiring Our Heroes Fellows Program. Applications from individuals not participating in the program will not be considered.
AIT Engineering Fellow
Company: Magma Space Inc.
Location: On-site (Washington, DC)
Job Type: Full-time
Travel: Up to 10%, typically
Overview
Magma Space is looking for a transitioning service member with hands-on experience building, maintaining, and testing complex hardware to join our Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) team through the DoD SkillBridge program.
You’ll work directly with the engineering team to assemble, integrate, and test our magnetically levitated reaction wheels, control moment gyroscopes, and the electronics that drive them. You’ll move between the mechanical and electrical sides of the work: building precision assemblies one day, then fabricating cable harnesses, reworking circuit boards, and bringing up electronics the next.
You’ll also help plan and run environmental test campaigns, including vibration, shock, thermal vacuum, and microvibration testing, and design and build the test fixtures and ground support equipment (GSE) that make those tests possible.
This is a hands-on role. It suits someone who has worked under strict technical standards, such as aviation maintenance, avionics, weapons systems, or electronics repair, and who takes pride in doing the job right the first time, following procedures exactly, and leaving a clear record of the work.
We’re a close-knit, mission-aligned team that likes building side by side in our DC office. We’re looking for someone with startup DNA who moves fast and wants real ownership of hardware flying on the next generation of spacecraft. We’ve just closed an oversubscribed funding round and have several high-stakes projects underway with NASA and the U.S. Space Force. This is your chance to help build the future of spaceflight from the ground up.
About Us
At Magma Space, we’re on a mission to deliver the most precise spacecraft pointing ever achieved. We are developing groundbreaking control actuators, including magnetically levitated reaction wheels and control moment gyroscopes that drastically reduce onboard vibrations while delivering unmatched momentum. But our vision goes beyond hardware — we’re at the forefront of integrating AI-enhanced software for real-time environment monitoring with novel sensing capabilities. Our goal is to provide satellites with an unprecedented level of stability, agility, and accuracy, enhancing their capabilities like never before.
We're proud to be supported by NASA, the U.S. Space Force, and Intelligence organizations, who see Magma's technology as critical to the success of the next generation of space missions. With three tech demos scheduled to go to space in 2027, we're gearing up to take the space sector by storm.
Join us at Magma Space and make a lasting impact on the booming space economy!
Key Responsibilities
- Assemble and integrate precision electromechanical hardware, including rotors, magnetic bearings, motors, and housings, for prototype, qualification, and flight units.
- Apply flight hardware practices such as cleanroom, ESD, and FOD control, calibrated torquing, staking, bonding, and careful handling of sensitive components.
- Fabricate and inspect cable harnesses and connectors, and perform soldering, PCB assembly, and rework to aerospace workmanship standards.
- Bring up and troubleshoot electronics, including power, motor drive, and sensor boards, using oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, and other bench equipment.
- Plan, set up, and run environmental and functional tests, including vibration, shock, thermal vacuum, and microvibration testing, in-house and at external test facilities.
- Design, build, and maintain test fixtures, ground support equipment, and lab setups.
- Follow assembly and test procedures exactly, record as-run data, and flag issues or deviations as they come up.
- Help set up and improve Magma’s in-house lab and test infrastructure.
- Work closely with design engineers to feed lessons from the build floor back into the design.
- Travel occasionally to support test campaigns and customer needs.
Required Qualifications
- Eligible and approved by your command to participate in the DoW SkillBridge program.
- 3+ years of hands-on experience building, maintaining, or testing electrical, electromechanical, or mechanical systems, in military or civilian roles (e.g., aviation maintenance, avionics, electronics technician, weapons or missile systems, or similar).
- Proficiency with hand tools, precision measurement tools, and torque-controlled assembly.
- Experience soldering, building or repairing cable harnesses, and troubleshooting electronics with standard bench equipment.
- Ability to read and work from mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and technical procedures.
- Track record of working to strict technical standards and documentation requirements.
- Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or asylee/refugee) due to ITAR/EAR export control requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
- Workmanship certifications such as IPC J-STD-001 (with space addendum), IPC/WHMA-A-620, IPC-A-610, NASA-STD-8739, or military 2M (miniature/microminiature) repair.
- Experience with environmental testing (vibration, shock, thermal vacuum) or test equipment such as shakers, accelerometers, and data acquisition systems.
- Experience working in cleanroom, ESD-controlled, or FOD-controlled environments.
- Familiarity with CAD (e.g., SolidWorks, Fusion 360) or machining and fabrication for building fixtures.
- Experience with scripting (e.g., Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB) for test automation or data analysis.
- Active security clearance.
- Interest in spaceflight, defense, or other high-reliability environments.
What We Offer
- Hands-on experience building and testing flight hardware at a fast-growing, well-backed space hardware company.
- Direct mentorship from the CTO and close collaboration with the engineering team.
- Real ownership of hardware, tests, and lab equipment that our space missions depend on.
- A high-energy, in-person team in DC that loves building together and is collaborative, ambitious, and mission-aligned.
- Flexible work schedule and a free on-site gym.
- The chance to make a visible impact on the future of space exploration. You’ll build hardware that goes to space!
- A path to full-time employment: fellows who perform well will be considered for a full-time role at the end of the fellowship. That role would come with a competitive salary, meaningful equity, and full benefits, including 401(k), health insurance with dental and vision, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, and paid parental leave.
SkillBridge participants keep their military pay and benefits during the fellowship. Magma Space does not provide compensation during the SkillBridge period.
The selected applicant will be required to pass a pre-employment third-party background check and reference check.
Magma Space Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Even if you don’t meet every qualification listed here but are excited about the role, we encourage you to apply anyway.
