Avionics Engineer (NewSpace)
Location: Reading, Berkshire
Employment Type: Full-Time | On-Site
Package: Competitive Salary + Equity + Benefits + Flexible PTO
Are you an avionics engineer passionate about building flight-ready spacecraft hardware that performs flawlessly in extreme orbital environments?
On offer is the opportunity to join a high-growth space company pushing the limits of ultra-low Earth orbit operations. You’ll play a key role in designing, integrating, and validating the avionics backbone of a next-generation satellite platform — owning critical electronic subsystems that connect, control, and protect mission hardware across the full spacecraft lifecycle.
Join a team delivering fast-moving aerospace programs where reliability, testability, and clean system integration matter. You’ll collaborate closely with EPS, propulsion, ADCS, flight software, mechanical, and systems teams to develop robust avionics architectures that survive harsh environments and enable mission success from day one in orbit.
This position would suit a hands-on engineer who thrives on hardware ownership, board-level debugging, clean interface design, and translating system requirements into tested, flight-qualified electronics.
Key Responsibilities
* Design, develop, and support spacecraft avionics hardware including command and data handling, interface boards, and subsystem control electronics.
* Define avionics requirements, interfaces, and architecture in collaboration with systems and flight software teams.
* Support hardware development from schematic capture and PCB layout review through bring-up, debugging, and qualification.
* Own key electrical interfaces across the spacecraft (data, power, control), ensuring robust integration between subsystems.
* Support harnessing definition, connector selection, grounding strategy, and EMI/EMC best practices across the spacecraft.
* Develop and execute avionics test plans including functional testing, fault handling, and subsystem-level verification.
* Support system-level integration and environmental test campaigns (TVAC, vibration, EMC pre-compliance).
* Investigate and resolve hardware faults rapidly during integration, test, and early mission operations.
* Contribute to technical documentation including ICDs, test procedures, and design review material (PDR/CDR).
* Work closely with manufacturing partners and internal integration teams to deliver repeatable, scalable flight hardware.
Essential Skills and Experience
* Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Aerospace, or similar discipline.
* 3+ years’ experience developing avionics or embedded electronics for spacecraft, aerospace, defence, robotics, or high-reliability systems.
* Strong experience with board-level electronics development, bring-up, and debugging in a lab environment.
* Familiarity with common spacecraft buses and interfaces such as I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, SpaceWire, Ethernet, or RS-422/485.
* Working knowledge of power distribution fundamentals and how avionics interfaces with EPS systems.
* Strong understanding of signal integrity, grounding, shielding, and EMI/EMC considerations.
* Comfortable producing and reviewing technical documentation and supporting design reviews.
* Hands-on and proactive mindset — able to work in agile environments with changing priorities and tight delivery timelines.
If you’re ready to build and validate the avionics backbone of next-generation spacecraft operating at the very lowest orbits, apply now or send your CV to jake.payne@newspacetechnical.com