Chief Engineer

At Interstellar Lab, our mission is preserve life on Earth and help it expand to Space. Our vision is a world where technology enables humans to live in harmony with their environment, fostering thriving biodiversity on Earth and expanding life in Space. We design and build environment-controlled modules to create ideal conditions for plants to grow efficiently, enabling sustainable farming, biodiversity conservation, and optimized life-support systems for space exploration.

As Chief Engineer at Interstellar Lab, you will lead the engineering vision and execution of our biopherics modules, overseeing the development of cutting-edge platforms able to recreate ideal environmental life support conditions efficiently and autonomously.  To redefine sustainable agriculture while preparing space-based life support. You will manage a small, high-performing team of engineers, designers, and scientists, driving the design, manufacturing, and evolution of our environment-controlled modules. Working closely with the executive leadership, product, and plant science teams, you will ensure seamless integration of hardware and software solutions to achieve unparalleled efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and performance.

Your hands-on expertise and strategic leadership will be critical in solving complex engineering challenges, optimizing system designs, and ensuring the safety and reliability of our biofarms. You will champion first-principles thinking, mentor your team, and guide Interstellar Lab toward operational maturity while maintaining a relentless commitment to quality and innovation. Your role will be pivotal in realizing our goal of enabling life to grow anywhere.

• Define and execute the engineering strategy for Interstellar Lab’s biofarming platforms, including climate control, lighting, irrigation, fluidics and grow systems.

• Lead the design, development, and validation of state-of-the-art, reusable systems to optimize plant health, yield, and resource efficiency.

• Oversee the integration of hardware and software solutions, ensuring robust performance and compliance with safety and regulatory standards.

• Drive continuous improvement in system design, focusing on cost reduction, scalability, and sustainability KPIs.

• Foster a culture of innovation by mentoring engineers and promoting first-principles problem-solving.

• Manage and mentor a small, cross-functional team of engineers and designers, fostering collaboration and accountability.

• Collaborate with Plant Science, Product, and Executive teams to align engineering solutions with company objectives.

• Recruit and develop top engineering talent to build a world-class team.

• Develop and manage project plans, timelines, and budgets, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality engineering initiatives.

• Identify risks, implement mitigation strategies, and maintain accountability for project outcomes.

• Provide hands-on troubleshooting and real-time problem-solving during integration, testing, and operational phases.

• Partner with executive leadership to shape the technical roadmap and prioritize innovation projects.

• Guide the company toward operational maturity by establishing robust processes for design, manufacturing, and validation.

• Ensure biofarm systems are operable, efficient, and aligned with Interstellar Lab’s mission to support life on Earth and in space.

• Education or experience equivalent to a B.S. in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, or related discipline) with expertise in hardware development and fluidics.

• 10+ years of progressive engineering experience in aerospace, indoor farming, or controlled-environment systems.

• Proven experience managing small, high-performing engineering teams ( 5-25 members).

• Hands-on experience in designing, prototyping, and testing complex systems.

• US citizenship preferred.

• Hands-On and Dynamic: Thrives in a fast-paced, startup environment with a bias for action and a passion for building and testing prototypes.

• First-Principles Thinking: Approaches challenges with a piercing pragmatism, unafraid to rethink designs for better performance and cost-efficiency.

• Leadership in Startups: Comfortable navigating prototypical products/processes while guiding teams toward operational excellence.

• Complex Problem-Solving: Track record of solving intricate hardware challenges and driving economic improvements through design simplification.

• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Exceptional ability to build partnerships with scientists, product teams, and executives.

• Mentorship: Passion for developing engineers and fostering a collaborative, innovative team culture.

• Regulatory Knowledge: Familiarity with safety standards and regulatory requirements in agriculture, life sciences, or space systems.

• Communication Skills: Strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills to align stakeholders and articulate technical strategies.

• Passion for Mission: Deep commitment to sustainability, biodiversity, and enabling life in space.

• Ability to adapt rapidly to changing roles and responsibilities in a high-paced, challenging environment.

• Willingness to travel as needed to support project execution and team collaboration.

• Passion for hands-on work when required to drive project completion.

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Interstellar Lab. You may also be eligible for:

• Long-Term Incentives: Company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards.

• Comprehensive Benefits:

  • Medical, vision, and dental coverage.

  • 401(k) retirement plan.

  • Short- and long-term disability insurance.

  • Life insurance.

  • Paid parental leave.

  • Various discounts and perks.

Interstellar Lab is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, regional color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

As Chief Engineer, you will play a transformative role in shaping the future of sustainable agriculture and life in space. If you are a hands-on leader with a passion for innovation and a drive to enable life to grow anywhere, we invite you to join Interstellar Lab in this extraordinary mission.