Avionics Hardware Engineer

Founded in 2011, PLD Space is a high-tech engineering, manufacturing and service-driven company, with deep track record and expertise in space launch technologies.

We are a trusted global championing industry leader disrupting the pathway to space access. We are on a mission to reach new heights by making space more accessible, supporting missions that will make us smarter, safer and wealthier.

Our purpose is to propel new futures, to enable progress from space and enrich peoples’ lives on Earth, by moving new economies, people and world forward.

As an Avionics Hardware Engineer of the Avionics Team, you will be responsible for all aspects of hardware electronics design and development lifecycle, from high-level requirements collection to detail design of the different subsystems and avionics components, providing also support on the manufacturing, assembly and its integration in launch vehicles.

• Analyse and trace high-level avionics subsystem requirements to electrical and electronic specifications at unit and board levels.
• Manage and maintain avionics components requirements.
• Elaborate internal design criteria standards and rules for avionics hardware.
• Participate and collaborate concurrently to consolidate the architecture definition of Electrical Power Systems (EPS), On-Board Data Handling subsystems (OBDH), and flight instrumentation.
• Drive the design and development of launch vehicle electronics hardware such as flight computers, sensors acquisition units, power control and distribution systems, batteries, and actuation systems, among others.
• Perform component-level architecture definition and detailed design, components selection, analysis, schematic capture, board layout, place and route.
• Perform technical trade-off analyses (EEE components selection, technologies, architectures, schemes, topologies, etc.) to make technical decisions.
• Conduct avionics hardware analyses to feed design-validation loops (single-point failure, FMEA, reliability, hazard analysis, thermal, radiation, etc.).
• Perform circuit functional checks, debugging, troubleshooting and confidence testing.
• Coordinate with a multidisciplinary team (software, firmware, mechanical, AIT, harness, production) to fulfill the quality, cost and programmatic objectives.
• Drive improvements and perform investigations and trade studies to push avionics hardware design to new boundaries in terms of reliability, capabilities, mass and cost savings.
• Generate and release on schedule engineering documentation such as schematics, BOMs, production files, 3D models, drawings, ICDs, preliminary and detailed design documents, analysis and technical trade-off reports.
• Document and communicate the design and analysis results thoroughly and clearly via design reviews.
• Collaborate actively with the Supply Chain team to support all the activities related to external developments, manufacturing and procurement. Support vendor selection, manufacturing monitoring and procurement of EEE components and PCBs according to applicable product assurance standards.
• Collaborate actively as focal point of avionics components design with the AIT team to support the qualification and acceptance test campaigns (functional and environment tests).
• Provide interface support with the AIT and Production team to ensure compliance with the final design and feasibility to fulfill schedule goals.

• B.S. degree or higher in Electrical engineering, Aerospace engineering, Telecommunications engineering or an appropriate engineering field.
• 4+ years of experience working in related positions.
• 4+ years of experience in electronics hardware design in at least one of these areas:
• Power electronics: DC-DC converters and topologies, battery management circuitry, EMI filtering, LCL interfaces, protection circuitry, load switches, optocoupled control interfaces, etc.
• Digital electronics: communication interfaces (SPI, I2C, UART, MIL-STD-1553, CAN, PCIe, Ethernet, RS-422, RS-485…), memories, clocks, logic circuits, design for SoCs, microcontrollers, and microprocessors.
• Mixed-signal electronics: signal conditioning, filters, ADCs, DACs, operational amplifiers, etc.
• Experience with requirements management, tracing high-level requirements to hardware electronics design solutions.
• Experience working in formal engineering processes (requirements capture, documentation, design reviews, design verification, etc.)
• Understanding of electronic circuits and physical principles that drive the design of avionics hardware such as EMC, ESD, thermal, vibration, outgassing, SEE, etc.
• Experience with COTS, automotive, space-grade and military electronic components.
• Capability to solve complex design problems to tight schedules with minimal supervision.
• Strong teamwork and communication skills with a demonstrated ability to interact with other disciplines.
• Proven ability to work in a transversal and multitasking environment.
• Excellent attention to detail.

• Experience with design of electronics for hard environments (radiation, thermal, vacuum, vibration, shock…).
• Experience with design of electronics for safety-critical and/or mission-critical applications (medical, robotics, aerospace, automotive).
• Experience with aerospace industry normative (ECSS, NASA, RCC, MIL…).
• Experience with thermal and EMI/EMC analysis.
• Fast adaptability to rapid changes environments.
• Team player able to work different tasks in parallel.
• Ability to work in an autonomously driven and demanding startup atmosphere.
• Fluency in written and verbal communication, both Spanish and English.
• Location: Elche
• Full time position
• Flexibility and willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Health & Wellness: We want you to be happy and healthy in body and mind. We encourage you to have regular physiotherapy sessions at our facilities so that you can continue with your physical activities. We offer partial coverage of your medical scheme covering you, your spouse or partner, and your children.

Boost your creativity: Focus. Energy. Yummy snacks. It takes a lot to be creative all day, but we’ve got you covered. Eat local, sustainable, delectable fare at our cafes, and plunder our pantries for fresh fruit and other goodies whenever you need a boost.

Engineering by doing: We encourage hands-on learning and foster internal mobility and team collaboration, with one-third of positions filled by current employees and one in five people promoted each year.

Find balance: PLD Space offers 23 days of annual leave, + 24 and 31 of December. We prioritize work-life balance with flexible schedules, empowering teams to manage their own hours. We work hard here, so we encourage taking breaks to recharge, ensuring a healthy work environment.

Never stop learning: At PLD Space, education and professional development is a priority. We offer extensive learning opportunities, from conferences and webinars to higher education programs and technical certifications.

Focus on your financial future: Flexible remuneration plan lets you allocate part of your salary to everyday expenses like lunch, nursery school or public transport, which are exempt from Personal Income Tax (IRPF) when paid through this system.

We have five critical beliefs that guide the way PLD Space is shaping the future of space launch technologies.

• Teamwork.
• Hard work.
• Dynamism.
• Commitment.
• Keep it simple.

Join us to reinvent how rockets are built