VP Vehicle Engineering

Responsibilities

• Full accountability for schedule, technical performance, and budget across Carryall and Airdrop
• Hire, develop, and manage engineering leaders across all vehicle disciplines
• Own architecture implementation, interface control, and performance envelopes
• Enforce design standards, margin policy, and flight readiness criteria
• Chair PDR, CDR, TRR, and CoFR reviews
• Manage Material Review Board and Failure Reporting, Analysis, and Corrective Action System
• Establish DFM, QMS, configuration management, and acceptance criteria
• Own make/buy and supplier strategy across propulsion, avionics, TPS, and recovery subsystems
• Represent vehicle engineering to the CEO, Board, customers, and government stakeholders

Requirements

• Bachelor's or higher in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering
• 10+ years of experience in space vehicle and spacecraft development
• Demonstrated operational technical authority on a complete vehicle program
• Track record building and scaling multi-disciplinary engineering orgs of 50+
• Deep system-level fluency across mass, power, GNC, structural loads, and thermal environments
• Experience bridging R&D and manufacturing (DFM, travelers, acceptance criteria, LRIP)

Preferred Qualifications

• Active U.S. Government Security Clearance
• Experience with reentry vehicles, hypersonics, or autonomous recovery systems
• Fluency in FAR/DFARS, OTA, or NASA safety and mission assurance
• Venture-backed or rapid-growth aerospace experience

Benefits

• Competitive compensation ($275,000 – $325,000)
• Annual performance-based bonuses
• Meaningful equity
• Comprehensive healthcare (Medical, dental, vision)
• Short- and long-term disability and life insurance
• Paid time off and 9 days of paid holidays
• 401(k) with company match
• Daily DoorDash lunch stipend and unlimited snacks
• Pet-friendly office

About the Company

Outpost is building the missing infrastructure between orbit and Earth: reusable vehicles that bring payloads back from space and deliver them to a precise location within hours.