Chief Engineer, Vehicle

Chief Engineer, Vehicle 

Location: Playa Vista, California (in-person, five days per week) 

About Outpost 

The return lane isn’t going to build itself. Come build it with us. Outpost is an orbital logistics company rewriting the rules of global logistics by building reusable Earth-return vehicles that unlock in-space manufacturing, on-orbit warehousing, and 60-minute global delivery through space. Our CarryAll vehicle family returns payloads ranging from 200 kilograms to 10 metric tons, lands within 10 meters of its target, and can then be refurbished and launched again. One vehicle, many missions: responsive logistics and precision delivery for national security; commercial cargo moved with real cadence; R&D payloads flown, tested, and refined across repeatable cycles; and critical aid delivered where roads and runways can’t reach. The demand is already here, validated through defense and civil agreements and supported by a growing pipeline of government and commercial customers. We have the customers, the team, and a clear technical path ahead of us. We’re building the return lane. Come build it with us.

The Role 

The Chief Engineer, Vehicle will own the vision, execution, and culture behind Outpost’s vehicle portfolio, including the Carryall orbital return vehicle and the Airdrop atmospheric precision delivery system, and is accountable for bringing both to operational status at scale. Reporting to the CTO, you will work side by side with our VP of Engineering, Product, VP of Engineering, Production and VP of Engineering, Software. This is a rare opportunity to take real ownership at a company with strong momentum. You will be the top day-to-day technical authority across every vehicle at Outpost, making the key architectural decisions that shape performance, schedule, and cost, while building the processes and culture that will define how Outpost designs, builds, tests, and operates vehicles as the company scales.  At the center of it all is a bigger mission: changing the future of space exologistics by building the return lane from space. This role offers the chance to help create the infrastructure that will move materials reliably from orbit back to Earth, and to help shape both the vehicles and the organization making that future possible. 

Responsibilities 

• Full accountability for schedule, technical performance, and budget across Carryall and Airdrop; call the hard scope, risks schedule and make/buy trade-offs.
• Hire, develop, and manage engineering leaders across all vehicle disciplines; set the standard for technical excellence, ownership, and pace.
• Own architecture implementation, interface control, and performance envelopes; enforce design standards, margin policy, and flight readiness criteria; chair PDR, CDR, TRR, and CoFR reviews.
• Own Material Review Board /Failure Reporting, Analysis, and Corrective Action System rigor, oversight of test planning and execution.
• Establish DFM, QMS, configuration management, and acceptance criteria to move Carryall and Airdrop from development into LRIP and fleet-scale production.
• Own make/buy and supplier strategy across propulsion, avionics, TPS, and recovery subsystems.
• Represent vehicle engineering to the CEO, Board, customers, and government stakeholders; align execution with Programs, BD, and Operations.

Qualifications 

• Bachelor's or higher in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering.
• 12+ years' experience, spanning the full life cycle of space vehicle and spacecraft development.
• Demonstrated operational technical authority on a complete vehicle program from architecture through flight and anomaly resolution.
• Track record building and scaling multi-disciplinary engineering orgs of 50+ through Directors and Principal ICs.
• 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 Experience 

• Active U.S. Government Security Clearance (not required, but beneficial)
• Reentry vehicles, hypersonics, precision aerial delivery, or autonomous recovery systems.
• FAR/DFARS, OTA, or NASA safety and mission assurance fluency.
• Venture-backed or rapid-growth aerospace experience.

Compensation & Benefits 

• Competitive compensation: $275,000 – $325,000; (commensurate with experience).
• Additional Compensation:  Annual performance-based bonuses that reward your impact.
• Shared upside: Meaningful equity in Outpost so you share directly in the value you help create.
• Comprehensive healthcare: Medical, dental, and vision coverage to keep you and your loved ones covered. We cover the base tier of medical insurance and all premiums of vision and dental. 
  
• Protection when it matters: Company-provided short- and long-term disability coverage for peace of mind, plus life insurance for even more security.
• PTO: Recharge on your own terms with paid time off, plus 9 days of paid holidays.
• Invest in your future: 401(k) with company match to help you build long-term wealth.
• Fueled for the mission: Daily DoorDash lunch stipend, plus unlimited snacks, coffee, and tea to keep you energized.
• Mission that matters: Work shoulder-to-shoulder with leaders from aerospace, new space, and deep-tech industries building the future of orbital infrastructure.
• Pet Friendly Office: Bring your furry friend into the office so that they can be a part of our mission too.
• Monthly Company Happy Hours and Events: Drinks at the local bar, hibachi nights, mini golfing and more!