Space Datacenter Architect | Job Description
The Role
As the Space Datacenter Architect, you will own the end-to-end technical architecture that turns accelerator-class compute into flight-ready, commercially useful infrastructure. This is not a traditional spacecraft payload or a ground datacenter moved into orbit. You will reconcile useful compute throughput with power generation, heat rejection, radiation, mass, launch loads, limited serviceability, and autonomous recovery.
Your scope spans compute, networking, storage, power, cooling, platform firmware, infrastructure software, security, reliability, and test. You will set subsystem boundaries and technical budgets, lead architecture reviews, and guide a multidisciplinary team from requirements through flight readiness. This hands-on technical leadership role is based in San Carlos, California.
Responsibilities
• Own the Space Datacenter architecture across hardware, firmware, software, and fault management.
• Translate mission and customer workloads into requirements, interfaces, performance targets, technical budgets, and acceptance criteria.
• Define node and cluster architectures, including failure domains and graceful-degradation behavior.
• Drive quantitative trades across throughput, power, thermal margin, radiation risk, mass, cost, manufacturability, and schedule.
• Establish interfaces for boot, provisioning, orchestration, observability, updates, fault isolation, and autonomous recovery.
• Define qualification and recovery evidence with reliability, validation, and subsystem owners.
• Lead architecture reviews, resolve cross-functional conflicts, and maintain requirements traceability.
• Guide major platform and supplier decisions and communicate technical risk clearly to engineering and company leadership.
Basic Qualifications
• 10+ years architecting complex compute or other integrated hardware/software systems.
• Experience taking a multidisciplinary system from requirements through integration and validation.
• Experience with GPU, AI, HPC, or other accelerator-based systems at server, rack, or cluster scale.
• Strong technical judgment across compute hardware, networking, storage, power, cooling, firmware, and infrastructure software.
• Demonstrated ability to make high-consequence decisions using quantitative trades and test evidence.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience designing or operating large GPU or HPC clusters.
• Spaceflight, radiation, qualification, or other non-serviceable-system experience.
• High-density liquid cooling and high-power electrical-distribution experience.
• Experience with high-performance fabrics, AI storage, or workload orchestration.
• Experience establishing a new platform architecture and supplier ecosystem.
What You Will Accomplish
In your first year, you will:
• Establish the baseline Space Datacenter architecture, interfaces, and technical budgets.
• Lead an integrated prototype to measurable compute, power, thermal, and recovery targets.
• Deliver the qualification and flight-readiness framework used to make major program decisions.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for this position is $240,000 - $340,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.
• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan.
• Paid time off and 10 paid holidays per calendar year.
• Paid parental leave.
• Relocation assistance, if applicable.
• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks.
ITAR Requirements
Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.
Disclaimer
This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.'s discretion.
