Deputy Engineering Lead

Deputy Engineering Lead

Location: Playa Vista, California (in-person, five days per week)

Outpost is pioneering Earth return logistics for space. We're building vehicles that can return payloads from orbit safely and precisely—enabling faster space-based manufacturing, global delivery, and entirely new capabilities in the space economy. Our spacecraft is already backed by the U.S. government with multiple missions ahead. We’re a mission-focused team, building with urgency, grit, and care for the work we do and the people we do it with.

About the Role:

As the Deputy Engineering Lead you will serve as a strategic support arm to the VP of Engineering by managing critical external technical engagements, maintaining program-level schedules, ensuring subcontractor alignment, and enabling seamless execution across engineering programs.

Qualifications:

• 5–8 years of experience in engineering program management, technical subcontract management, or a related role in aerospace or defense. 
• Proven ability to manage technical subcontracts or external vendor relationships, including tracking scope, deliverables, and technical alignment.
• Strong understanding of engineering development lifecycles and ability to work cross-functionally with systems, mechanical, avionics, and software teams.
• Experience maintaining or contributing to an Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)
• Excellent organizational and communication skills, with a proactive, detail-oriented approach to following up and driving accountability.
• Comfortable acting as a trusted partner to senior technical leaders, taking ownership of high-leverage, cross-functional tasks with minimal direction.

Responsibilities:

Technical Oversight & Subcontractor Management

• Act as the primary point of contact for key technical subcontractors or external vendors, representing Outpost’s technical and programmatic interests.
• Ensure technical questions and decisions are routed to the appropriate internal subject matter experts for resolution.
• Monitor technical execution and validate that subcontractors are aligned with scope, milestones, and expectations.
• Serve as a technical subcontract lead, helping translate internal direction into clear external deliverables.
• Act as engineering oversight to subcontractors — providing accountability, clarity, and coordination.

 Program & Schedule Support 

• Support the maintenance and execution of schedules and deliverables for government-funded programs.
• Help manage the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) by tracking task progress and following up with internal stakeholders to ensure milestones stay on track.
• Assist with program planning, deliverable tracking, and compliance reporting related to government contract execution.
• Provide ad hoc program management support as needed to keep programs moving.

Ongoing Engineering Support & Coordination

• Help track engineering tasks, deliverables, and communications across multiple initiatives.
• Coordinate cross-functional updates and help maintain alignment between engineering and program goals.
• Identify inefficiencies or gaps in visibility and propose lightweight systems or tools for improvement.

Compensation & Benefits:

• $140k - $200k, Salary is based on experience. 
• Incentive Equity
• Annual Performance-Based Bonus
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• PTO
• 401k with Company match
• Subsidized daily catered lunch, snacks and coffee

You must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 , or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State