Chief Technology Officer

Astrobotic Technology, Inc. is a space robotics company that seeks to make space accessible to the world. The company’s suite of lunar landers delivers payloads to the Moon for companies, governments, universities, non-profits, and individuals. The company is also developing advanced space robotics capabilities such as terrain relative navigation, mobile robotics for lunar surface operations, and reliable computing systems for mission-critical applications. Originally spun out of Carnegie Mellon University in 2007, Astrobotic is pioneering affordable planetary access that promises to spark a new era of exploration, science, tourism, resource utilization, and mining. Astrobotic is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Astrobotic is seeking a Chief Technology Officer to develop visionary space system concepts for lunar infrastructure/mobility and space robotics bids and proposals. This position will report to the CEO and will work closely with subject matter experts throughout Astrobotic. Successful candidates will have a multidisciplinary engineering perspective and first-hand knowledge of the full lifecycle of spacecraft development.

Responsibilities

• Leads designs and development of high-level technical solutions, concepts, and technologies for new market opportunities from inception through to commercialization in concert and coordination with business development and technical departments
• Contributes to the development of marketing and sales materials for new technical concepts and solutions including customer presentations and proposals
• Partners with business development and technical departments to identify and develop technologies that could become viable commercial products from the company’s existing portfolio of technologies and capabilities
• Manages company’s IR&D budget, and strategizes company technology investments in concert with business development and technical departments
• Partners with business development and technical departments to set IR&D priorities
• Manages cross departmental IR&D efforts
• Partners with technical departments to identify, assess, and advance technical upgrades to existing product lines
• Manages company’s technology portfolio and communicates with external stakeholders
• Maintains a working knowledge of space industry developments, markets, cutting edge technologies, and associated trends
• Develops and communicates company’s technology vision and strategy internally and externally, which are aligned with business needs
• Creates company roadmap and timeline for new technical concepts and solutions from inception to minimum viable product for commercialization in coordination with the business development and technical departments
• Defines technology development processes and toolsets for full product development lifecycle
• Provides insightful feedback on key technology developments from an engineering, cost, and schedule perspective.
• Serves as the technology leader on the company’s leadership team

Qualifications

• Strong designer, with an ability to take an idea from a notional concept, and develop it into a product or service that has technical credibility and is responsive to a business case and market
• Strong technology leader with demonstrated skills in new product development, strategic planning, goal setting, process development, budgeting, and mentoring for professional development within technology team members
• Excellent communication, leadership, and strategic thinking abilities with a problem-solving aptitude
• Solid understanding of broad space technology trends and the ability to align innovation with business goals
• Strong ability to convey technical topics in easy-to-understand business terms and work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and external partners
• Strategic smarts, including the ability to identify new opportunities, drive clarity, create focus, and make tough decisions in complex and dynamic contexts

Education and Experience Requirements

• 15 years space technology experience
• Previous experience as a CTO, director, or similar technical leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience with diverse space technology disciplines
• BS, MS, or PHD in an engineering discipline related to space