Program Chief Engineer – Spacecraft / Satellite Systems

Program Chief Engineer – Spacecraft / Satellite Systems

Location: Toronto, Ontario
Employment: Permanent, Full-Time
Work Model: Hybrid with regular onsite presence
Relocation: Available for qualified candidates

The Opportunity

We are seeking an accomplished Program Chief Engineer to serve as a senior technical authority across complex spacecraft and satellite programs.

Reporting directly to senior Satellite Systems leadership, you will provide technical direction across the complete spacecraft lifecycle — architecture and design through integration, verification, launch and on-orbit operations.

This is a high-impact opportunity with significant technical ownership and visibility across multiple missions and advanced space technologies.

What You’ll Do

• Serve as a senior technical authority across spacecraft programs, ensuring technical integrity and mission success.
• Lead across Systems, Flight & Ground Software, Electrical/Avionics, Mechanical, RF, GNC, Payload, AIT, Manufacturing and Operations.
• Drive spacecraft architecture, engineering execution and technical alignment across disciplines.
• Lead technical, design, anomaly and readiness reviews.
• Make evidence-based technical decisions balancing performance, reliability, cost, schedule, manufacturability and mission risk.
• Identify technical roadblocks and bring multidisciplinary teams together to resolve complex engineering challenges.
• Drive spacecraft through integration, qualification, launch and successful on-orbit operations.
• Represent Engineering in customer reviews, supplier discussions and executive briefings.
• Mentor senior engineers and emerging technical leaders while promoting engineering rigor, standardization and lessons learned.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• Typically 10–15+ years of spacecraft, satellite or highly relevant aerospace engineering experience.
• Senior technical leadership experience on at least one complete spacecraft development lifecycle, from design/development through integration, launch and operations.
• Multiple complete spacecraft lifecycles strongly preferred.
• Broad knowledge of spacecraft architecture, integration, verification, qualification, manufacturing, launch and mission operations.
• Ability to lead technically across multiple engineering disciplines rather than within a single subsystem.
• Strong spacecraft-level technical decision-making and engineering trade-off experience.
• Exceptional technical judgment, communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to influence teams, challenge assumptions and drive decisions without relying on direct reporting authority.

The Right Background

You do not necessarily need to currently hold the Chief Engineer title.

We are open to exceptional Deputy Chief Engineers, Principal/Staff Systems Engineers, Spacecraft Systems Architects, Technical Authorities and senior engineering leads who have worked closely with a Chief Engineer and are ready to step into broader technical ownership.

Experience combining the engineering rigor of traditional aerospace/space programs with the speed and ownership of New Space is particularly valuable.

Additional assets include constellation or multi-spacecraft programs, integration and launch campaigns, mission assurance, on-orbit operations, optical/RF communications, hosted payloads, on-orbit computing, Earth observation, ISR, and government or defence space programs.

Why This Opportunity?

Join an established, growing space technology organization operating at the forefront of real-time space connectivity, optical communications, on-orbit computing, hosted payloads and next-generation spacecraft infrastructure.

You’ll work in an environment that combines the pace and ownership of New Space with proven technology and active spacecraft programs — providing the opportunity to influence architecture, technical decisions and mission outcomes across multiple programs.

What’s Offered

• Competitive base compensation
• Significant equity participation
• Comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage
• Unlimited vacation and supportive parental leave
• Company-wide holiday shutdown
• Relocation assistance for approved candidates
• Annual professional development funding
• Collaborative, highly technical environment with significant leadership visibility

Regular onsite presence in Toronto is required. Relocation support is available for qualified candidates.

If you have taken spacecraft from design → integration → launch → on-orbit operations and are ready to apply those lessons across the next generation of space programs, we’d like to hear from you.