Senior Instrument Scientist

Cosmic Frontier’s mission is to dramatically expand access to high performance space telescopes, democratize the scientific process, and build tools for exploring the Universe.

Cosmic Frontier team members own the full lifecycle of spaceflight hardware and software, from early architecture through flight. We build and fly real hardware. The systems you build will go to orbit within the next two years.

Role Description:

We’re looking for an instrument scientist to bridge science goals and instrument design, defining what our telescopes should measure and how we prove the data delivers.

What you’ll do:

• Translate science questions into requirements, observing modes, calibration strategy, and data quality metrics
• Drive trades across optics, detectors, readout, and operations with a bias toward flight worthy simplicity
• Be hands on from lab characterization through commissioning and on orbit calibration

What Success looks like in the first 90 days:

• Produce a v1 science to requirements map for the first instrument suite and observing modes
• Write the calibration and commissioning plan, including what we measure on the ground versus in orbit
• Define a v1 pipeline and validation approach tied to lab truth data and on orbit checks

Required qualifications:

• Education background in Astrophysics, Physics, Optical Engineering, or related field, plus meaningful experience building and operating scientific instruments
• Proven ability to translate science goals into clear, testable instrument requirements, observing modes, and data quality metrics
• Hands on experience with instrument characterization, calibration, and commissioning, comfortable working in the lab and close to hardware
• Strong systems mindset with the ability to drive practical tradeoffs across optics, detectors, readout, and operations in a fast moving environment

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience working on spaceflight or small satellite missions, especially in lean or early stage teams
• Built or defined data reduction pipelines and validation frameworks tied to ground truth and on orbit checks
• Experience making pragmatic design decisions under cost, schedule, and mass constraints
• Comfortable operating with ambiguity, taking ownership of first of kind systems, and shipping v1 solutions quickly

Benefits:

• Unlimited PTO, sick leave, parental leave, bereavement leave.
• Medical, dental, vision, reproductive healthcare, HSA/FSA, life and disability insurance, One Medical.
• 401(k), education benefits, cell phone and Wi-Fi reimbursement, one-time work-from-home stipend, commuter benefits, wellness programs.

Export control:

Due to the nature of the products and information handled in this role, employment is restricted to U.S. Persons as defined by U.S. export control laws.

Salary Band:

• L4: $120,000 – $160,000
• L5: $170,000 – $250,000

Diversity and Inclusion:

We encourage anyone who is excited about this role to apply, even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications. We value builders with strong judgment, high ownership, and a track record of making complex systems work in the real world.

Recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and retaining a diverse workforce is critical to our success. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Cosmic Frontier Labs is a Program and Operating Division of the Renaissance Philanthropy Fund. Renaissance Philanthropy is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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