The Role
Lead Helogen’s technical vision and engineering execution for space manufacturing infrastructure. Build and scale multidisciplinary teams across aerospace, software, automation, robotics, and manufacturing; establish technical standards and processes; oversee roadmaps, architecture, resource allocation, risk, and program delivery. Partner with executives, customers, government programs, and strategic partners while evaluating emerging technologies and building an organization capable of rapid, scalable execution.
Summary Generated by Built In
About Helogen
Compensation
The next great industrial revolution will not happen on Earth.
For the first time in history, humanity has the ability to build factories beyond our planet. The research, testing, and manufacturing conducted in these environments will unlock breakthroughs in medicine, materials, energy, computing, and technologies that cannot be achieved under Earth's gravity.
Helogen is building the infrastructure that makes this future possible.
Our mission is to transform space from a distant realm we explore into an accessible world where industry operates. We are developing the manufacturing platforms, autonomous systems, logistics networks, and operational infrastructure required to power commercial production in space at scale. We believe innovations in space will define the next century of technological progress.
We're looking for leaders who want to build these systems from the ground up. This is an opportunity to help create an entirely new industrial category, assemble a world-class team, shape the future of manufacturing beyond Earth, and accelerate scientific and technological advances that can improve life on Earth.
The Role:
Helogen is seeking a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in Austin, Texas to lead the technical vision, strategy, and execution for the systems that enable manufacturing in space. You'll be joining a small team of high-caliber engineers, scientists, and operators united by the belief that the microgravity environment of space represents one of the greatest untapped opportunities in the history of medicine and industry.
As our CTO, you will be responsible for defining Helogen’s technical direction and ensuring the successful execution of its engineering programs. You’ll build and scale our engineering organization and provide the leadership that will underwrite their success. As an executive leader, you’ll work closely with the CEO and other stakeholders to translate strategy into roadmaps, establish engineering priorities, and formulate the organizational plans that will define Helogen's long-term trajectory.
This is a role for a seasoned aerospace engineering leader with the technical depth to earn the team's trust, the strategic vision to set technical direction, comfortability navigating ambiguous and evolving environments, and the ability to make the quick and confident decisions that drive technical execution. As a member of the founding leadership team, your decisions will shape not just how Helogen builds, but what it becomes.
How You’ll Make An Impact:
- Lead and scale the engineering organization across aerospace systems, software, automation, and manufacturing
- Build, recruit, and develop a world-class multidisciplinary engineering team
- Establish engineering culture, technical standards, and development processes that enable rapid execution and long-term scalability
- Drive technical execution across multiple concurrent programs while maintaining alignment with company priorities and customer commitments
- Partner with the CEO to translate company strategy into technical roadmaps, organizational plans, and engineering priorities
- Oversee resource allocation, technical planning, program execution, and risk management across the organization
- Lead technical reviews, architecture discussions, and major engineering decisions
- Foster strong collaboration between engineering, operations, product, business development, and executive leadership
- Support customer engagements, strategic partnerships, government programs, and fundraising as needed
- Evaluate emerging technologies and long-term platform investments
- Create an environment that attracts, develops, and retains exceptional engineering talent
What We're Looking For:
- Requirements:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related technical discipline
- Strong technical foundation in aerospace, robotics, manufacturing systems, software, autonomous systems, or related advanced technology fields
- Significant experience developing and delivering complex hardware and/or software systems
- Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams and deliver ambitious technical programs from concept through deployment under demanding schedules and resource constraints.
- Experience recruiting, mentoring, and developing engineering talent at scale
- Sound engineering judgment; can make quick technical decisions in ambiguous or rapidly evolving environments
- Ability to balance technical excellence with business objectives and execution speed
- Strong communication and organizational skills; comfortable operating across strategy, hiring, and execution simultaneously
- Comfortable operating in fast-paced startup environments with significant ambiguity
- Nice to have:
- Engineering leadership experience in aerospace, defense, robotics, manufacturing, or other deep technology industries; experience leading large technical programs involving multiple engineering disciplines a plus
- Experience scaling engineering organizations during periods of rapid growth
- Advanced understanding of developing products that integrate hardware, software, and operations
- Customer-facing technical leadership experience
- Government program execution or regulated industry experience
- Experience working directly with founders, executive leadership, or boards
Compensation:
The salary range for this position is $200,000-$240,000 with equity offered. Qualified candidates must be based in Austin, Texas or willing to relocate there.
Benefits:
- Build alongside a founding team of visionaries and investors from NASA, Blue Origin, MIT Lincoln Lab, and the ISS
- Unlimited PTO
- Health, dental, vision and life insurance
- 401(k) program
- Membership to OneMedical
- Be part of creating something new that will change the world
Export Control Requirements
Due to the nature of the work performed, applicants must be a U.S. Person as defined by U.S.* export control regulations or otherwise eligible to access export-controlled information and technology.
*U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum in the U.S.)
The base pay range for this role is $200,000 – $240,000 per year.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related technical discipline
- Strong technical foundation in aerospace, robotics, manufacturing systems, software, autonomous systems, or related advanced technology fields
- Significant experience developing and delivering complex hardware and/or software systems
- Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams and delivering complex technical programs from concept through deployment
- Experience recruiting, mentoring, and developing engineering talent at scale
- Sound engineering judgment and ability to make quick technical decisions in ambiguous environments
- Ability to balance technical excellence with business objectives and execution speed
- Strong communication and organizational skills across strategy, hiring, and execution
- Comfort operating in fast-paced startup environments with significant ambiguity
- Engineering leadership experience in aerospace, defense, robotics, manufacturing, or another deep-technology industry
- Experience leading large technical programs involving multiple engineering disciplines
- Experience scaling engineering organizations during rapid growth
- Advanced understanding of products integrating hardware, software, and operations
- Customer-facing technical leadership experience
- Government program execution or regulated-industry experience
- Experience working directly with founders, executive leadership, or boards
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The Company
What We Do
Helogen builds integrated space-manufacturing infrastructure for producing biomaterials and biological products in orbit. Its platform combines autonomous manufacturing operations, power and thermal systems, bioreactors, spacecraft, and orbital infrastructure. The company focuses on bio-derived products for regenerative medicine and industry, while also offering manufacturing systems, mission-specific spacecraft, and orbital infrastructure to commercial and government customers, with an emphasis on scalable, regulated production.
