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Program Chief Engineer

Kepler· Engineering – Systems
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Toronto, ONFull-time RegularPosted 2mo ago

About the role

Senior technical authority for the spacecraft program, providing cross-disciplinary technical leadership to ensure the spacecraft is designed, built, verified, and operated as an integrated system.

Responsibilities

  • Provide technical leadership across Systems, Software, Electrical, Mechanical, RF, GNC, Payload, AIT, Manufacturing, Operations, and Product Assurance
  • Drive engineering convergence toward a technically coherent spacecraft
  • Ensure engineering activities remain aligned with mission objectives
  • Drive engineering progress and maintain technical momentum
  • Identify and remove technical roadblocks
  • Ensure timely technical decision-making and accountability across engineering disciplines
  • Lead rigorous technical reviews across all spacecraft subsystems
  • Challenge assumptions, analyses, margins, interfaces, and verification evidence
  • Lead design reviews, anomaly reviews, and readiness reviews
  • Make timely, evidence-based technical decisions
  • Balance performance, cost, schedule, manufacturability, reliability, and mission risk
  • Remove technical barriers to maintain engineering momentum
  • Communicate technical direction clearly across the engineering organization
  • Translate complex technical issues into concise recommendations for executive leadership
  • Represent Engineering during customer reviews, supplier meetings, executive briefings, and governance boards
  • Ensure decisions, assumptions, risks, and actions are clearly documented and communicated
  • Build alignment across Engineering, Program Management, Product Assurance, Manufacturing, Operations, and executive leadership
  • Mentor senior engineers and future technical leaders
  • Continuously raise the standard of technical rigor, engineering reviews, and engineering excellence
  • Drive continuous improvement, platform standardization, and lessons learned

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant engineering discipline
  • 15+ years of experience developing complex spacecraft or aerospace systems
  • Experience serving as the technical authority or senior technical leader for at least one spacecraft development program
  • Extensive knowledge of spacecraft architecture, integration, verification, manufacturing, qualification, launch, and mission operations
  • Exceptional technical judgment, communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills

Skills

Required:Technical leadership across multiple disciplinesTechnical decision-makingDesign reviews and readinessCommunication with stakeholders

Benefits

  • Competitive compensation with a robust equity plan to share in our success
  • Comprehensive coverage for health, dental, and vision insurance—including dependents
  • Unlimited vacation, supportive parental leave policy, and company-wide holiday shutdown
  • Semi-annual company-wide parties and frequent in-office team events
  • Relocation packages available for approved roles
  • $1,500 annual professional development fund to support your growth
  • Fully stocked Toronto office kitchen with snacks, drinks, games and top-notch kitchen appliances
  • Town Halls, Celebration Calls, and Company-wide events to stay connected and engaged
  • We’re a certified Great Place to Work®, seven years in a row!
Last updated Oct 22, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Kepler

Connecting Space. Empowering Earth.

Powered by advanced optical technology, the Kepler Network provides real-time data relay, on-orbit compute, and hosted payload services to form the modern backbone of a connected space ecosystem. These capabilities support defense and intelligence missions, accelerate earth observation insights, and enable scientific, commercial, and humanitarian applications that benefit people and the planet.

space technologycommunicationsearth observationdefensesciencecommercial
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