What are the responsibilities and job description for the CTO position at AdAstra?
About the Company
Our client is a rare company actually building manufacturing infrastructure in microgravity environments. Not researching whether it's possible. Actually building it.
They went from an idea to a vehicle on orbit in under a year, and haven't slowed down since. The company has since been recognized by a competitive federal space-innovation program and is now scaling from a proven demonstration into standardized, repeatable production.
The materials in question aren't small-batch lab curiosities. Think biomaterials that are valuable enough per gram building them in space is economical. That's the commercial logic underneath everything this team builds.
This is a direct hire, permanent placement position for a client of AdAstra Talent Advisors.
About the RoleThis is a leadership seat. Our client needs a CTO to take the company from proven science into scaled, industrialized production, standardizing the manufacturing platform, building real vertical integration from orbital operations through production and back down to Earth, and leading the push toward the company owning its own atmospheric return capability.
What You'll Own / Responsibilities
- Technical vision and execution across aerospace systems, software, automation, and manufacturing
- Building and scaling a world-class, multidisciplinary engineering org
- The path from commissioned, third-party atmospheric return to an in-house capability
- Engineering culture, technical standards, and the processes that let a small team move fast without breaking things
- A seat at the table on strategy, fundraising conversations, and major technical bets
The team already has deep hands-on spaceflight hardware talent. What it doesn't have is the vehicle-level program leader to organize it, own execution end to end, and be the technical counterweight to a technical CEO.
Who We're Looking For / Requirements
Not necessarily someone who's held the CTO title before. What matters more: someone who has personally shipped hard, complex hardware end-to-end, operates like a founding team member, and is ready to step into a bigger seat than they've held so far.
A strong director of engineering who's led 5-10 people and loves hands-on building is a better fit here than a 15-year executive with a big title and no recent IC work in the weeds.
Non-negotiables:
- STEM background (aerospace, mechanical, electrical, physics, robotics, or adjacent)
- Has personally built and shipped complex spacecraft end to end, not just managed the org chart around one or delivered a single subsystem.
- Vehicle-level systems thinking and genuine first-principles engineering instinct.
- Real startup experience. Comfortable making fast, high-stakes calls in a resource-constrained, ambiguous environment.
- U.S. Person, per export control requirements below.
- Strong clarity in communication.
Nice to have, not required:
- Direct experience with atmospheric reentry, recovery, or thermal protection systems
- Exposure to fluid handling or bio/material-handling systems in constrained environments
- Customer-facing technical leadership, or experience with government or regulated-industry programs
- Direct experience working alongside founders, executives, or a board
We'd rather see someone with real NewSpace startup-builder instincts and a thinner resume than time with a legacy prime. If you've spent your career at a large defense or aerospace incumbent without a clear track record of personally building and shipping things fast in a small team, this probably isn't the right fit, and that's fine, there are plenty of roles that are.
*The above qualifications are desired, not required. We encourage you to apply if you are a strong candidate with only some of the desired skills and experience listed.
Logistical Requirements
Based in the Los Angeles area, or willing to relocate.
ITAR / Export Control Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Six months in, engineering has a real org structure, the production platform has a standardization roadmap, and the team trusts your technical calls. A year in, the path to owning atmospheric return in-house is funded, staffed, and de-risked, not just a slide in a deck. You are a builder, not a caretaker.
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🚀 Ground-floor equity in a company building an entirely new industrial category
🩺 Health, dental, vision, and life insurance
🏖️ Unlimited PTO
💰 401(k) program
🩹 OneMedical membership
Equal Opportunity
Our client is an equal opportunity employer. They evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.About AdAstra
AdAstra Talent Advisors is a headhunting and talent advising firm focused on the Climate, Space, and Defense sectors of Hard Tech. We specialize in pairing highly technical and executive talent with some of the world’s leading Hard Tech startups.
At AdAstra, we catalyze the innovations that future generations depend on by placing the right people in the right seats. Our dedicated work enables inconceivable technology from Earth, to the stars. And it’s all because of trailblazing talent like you - those driven to do what’s never been done before.
We care about long term relationships with both candidates and companies. Even if the role we initially discuss isn’t a perfect fit, it’s likely we’ll have something relevant to share with you in the future.
Join us on our journey by following along via LinkedIn!
CEO, Seyka Mejeur | LinkedIn profile
CTO / COO, Brian Mejeur | LinkedIn profile
AdAstra Talent Advisors | LinkedIn profile
AdAstra Website