Design Reliability Engineer - System Safety
Stoke Space· Aerospace & Space Transportation· Sep 4, 2026 · 2mo ago
Kent, Washington
In office
Full-time
Senior
$177K–$328K
5+ years exp
Job description
At Stoke, we believe a thriving space economy will enable a vibrant, sustainable, and equitable future here on Earth. That is why we’re building Nova, our fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicle. Designed for daily flight, Nova tackles the core challenges of space transportation by reducing cost, increasing availability, and improving reliability. By radically lowering launch costs and increasing flight cadence, we’re helping create a truly scalable space industry.
Our team is mission-driven, collaborative, and empowered to take ownership of their work. If you want to work alongside some of the most dedicated and talented people on Earth, we’d love to have you join us. Description
As a Design Reliability Engineer with a focus on system safety, you will be a key player in the integration of teams and products across all areas of the Nova launch system. You will define processes and tools to perform system safety and reliability analyses such as Functional Hazard Analyses (FHA), Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analyses (FMECA), Fault Tolerance Analysis (FTA), and Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOP). You will work closely with engineers across the Nova team to perform system safety analyses on vehicle stages and subsystems, and to ensure consistency and completeness of these analyses across the vehicle. You will facilitate cross-disciplinary action and problem solving to improve system reliability. You must be organized, a good communicator, and excellent at identifying and solving problems related to the integration of complex systems. You must be ready to stay focused, move fast, self-direct, and learn on the fly.
Key Responsibilities
Develop processes, tools, and templates for performing FHA, FMECA, FTA, and HAZOP analyses
Lead the overall effort for system safety analyses for the Nova team, and partner with responsible engineers across the system to complete analyses for their products
Identify problems and propose solutions to improve Nova launch system reliability, including novel solutions that go beyond simple component-level fault tolerance but improve system-level reliability without adding design complexity
Estimate component-level quantitative reliability and determine overall probability of various vehicle functional failure modes using the outputs of the FTA and FMECA
Communicate analysis results, discuss feedback, and refine analysis approaches with external entities including FAA, Space Force, launch service customers, and others
Partner with other Design Reliability Engineers and the Nova product development teams to facilitate communication between teams, negotiate interfaces, and identify and manage interdisciplinary design risks
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or similar field
5+ years of experience in an engineering role on a complex product requiring high performance, high reliability, and a rapid development process
Exceptional command of fundamentals of system safety
Proficiency working with interdisciplinary technical teams, including mechanical, electrical, and software engineers
Attention to detail
Excellent written and verbal communication
Ability to lead and follow
Preferred Qualifications:
Master’s degree or PhD in aerospace engineering or similar field
Experience with system safety standards and methods per MIL-STD-882E
Experience with launch and/or reentry licensing with the FAA per 14 CFR Part 450
Benefits
Equity – We are pleased to offer equity in the form of stock options to all full-time employees.
Comprehensive benefits program including subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance
Company-paid life and disability insurance
401(k) plan with employer match
4 weeks’ Paid Time Off
Holidays – 10 days (including an end-of-year closure)
Paid Parental Leave
On-site gym or monthly wellness stipend (depending on location)
Dog friendly offices!
Compensation
Target Levels:
Level 3: $129,150 - $193,620
Level 4: $151,305 - $252,105
Level 5: $176,505 - $327,810
Our job posts are intentionally written to attract a wide variety of experience levels, and we make decisions about the right fit on a per-candidate basis.
Your actual level and base salary will be decided based on your specific experience and skill level. ITAR Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S. (i.e., current Green Card holder), or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).
Equal Opportunity
The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including with respect to disability and veteran status. It is committed to compliance with all equal opportunity laws, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and Title VII. It does not discriminate on the basis of nationality, race, citizenship, immigration status, or any other protected class when it comes to employment practices, including hiring.
Employment at the Company is contingent upon satisfactory completion of reference and background checks, and on your ability to prove your identity and authorization to work in the U.S. for the Company. Employees must comply with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services employment verification requirements, and, therefore, they must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 at the start of employment and re-verify authorization to work periodically.
Separate from this I-9 process, as noted above, this position entails access to certain technology and technical data that is restricted under U.S. export control laws and regulations. Employment or continued employment may be conditioned on your legal authorization to work with or have access to export control materials as necessary to perform your job.
Candidate Rights & Accommodations
If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete the application or participate in the interview process, please contact careers@stokespace.com . Requests will be handled in accordance with applicable laws. Please do not include medical or other confidential information in your initial request.
For more information about your rights, please refer to the "Know Your Rights" notice here .
E-Verify
Stoke Space uses E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires.
For more information on the right to work, please refer to the poster here .
Application prep
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Benefits
Benefits detected in the listing.
Dental
Vision
401(K)
Paid Time Off
Parental Leave
Wellness