PV Engineer

Mission

Aetherflux's mission is to deliver energy to planet Earth. Our work will make energy more accessible, establish American energy independence, power underdeveloped and disaster-stricken areas, and protect American warfighters.

Background

Aetherflux is taking a new approach to an old idea called space solar power. Our constellation of satellites will collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit, convert it to electricity, and transmit power through infrared lasers to ground stations, providing reliable energy access where traditional delivery is expensive, challenging, or dangerous.

Current energy systems rely on complex logistics and outdated infrastructure, making them vulnerable to natural disasters, extreme weather, and physical and cyber attacks. Aetherflux overcomes these challenges by enabling direct, on-demand, secure, and scalable 24-hour energy distribution from space. This can revolutionize energy generation and delivery, and enable new capabilities as we deliver power to remote regions, military bases, bespoke operations, and unmanned autonomous systems.

Baiju Bhatt, who also co-founded Robinhood, founded Aetherflux in 2024. Inspired by his father’s career at NASA, Baiju earned his B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Mathematics at Stanford before starting Robinhood, now a public company that has helped over 20 million Americans access the financial system. Aetherflux is currently self-funded through a $10 million investment from Baiju.

This is an ambitious mission that demands extraordinary talent. Aetherflux’s team has worked at places like Robinhood, SpaceX, NASA, Anduril, JPL, and the U.S. Navy, and is based in San Carlos, CA. If you're ready to solve complex technical challenges and help build the most important energy company in the world, we want to hear from you.

Overview

The PV Engineer at Aetherflux will lead the development and integration of advanced space-based solar power systems. This role will focus on optimizing solar array technologies for high-efficiency energy conversion, maximizing performance in extreme space environments, and integrating photovoltaic modules into spacecraft systems. You will work closely with electrical, thermal, and mechanical engineers to develop and test innovative solar energy solutions that enable continuous power generation from orbit.

Responsibilities

• Solar Array Design : Develop high-efficiency photovoltaic (PV) modules tailored for space applications, including radiation-hardened and thin-film solar cells.
• Integration & Manufacturing : Collaborate with aerospace and manufacturing teams to integrate PV modules into satellite platforms, ensuring compatibility with spacecraft architecture.
• Performance Optimization : Optimize PV efficiency by considering environmental factors such as radiation exposure, thermal cycling, and micrometeoroid impacts.
• Testing & Qualification : Lead environmental testing, including thermal vacuum, vibration, and radiation exposure, to validate PV module reliability in space conditions.
• Power Management : Work with electrical engineers to design power conditioning and distribution systems to maximize energy transfer from PV arrays to payloads.
• Materials & Coatings Development : Research and develop advanced coatings and encapsulants to enhance PV longevity and minimize degradation in space.
• Simulation & Modeling : Utilize computational tools to simulate PV performance and optimize power output under varying orbital conditions.
• Continuous Improvement : Drive advancements in solar energy harvesting by exploring emerging PV technologies, including perovskite and multi-junction cells.
• Collaboration : Work with optical, electrical, and mechanical engineers to develop integrated energy solutions for space-based power beaming.

Basic Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

Benefits

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 Aetherflux’s discretion.

Aetherflux is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Aetherflux is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.