Electrical Engineer, Space and Defence FSO Systems

Our client is an innovative and fast-growing technology company developing advanced optical communication and photonics-based systems for highly demanding applications.

As part of the growth of its engineering activities, we are looking for an Electrical Engineer, Space and Defence FSO Systems.

Reporting to the R&D and Engineering teams, you will contribute to the design and development of electronic systems supporting Free-Space Optical (FSO) communication products for space and defence applications.

You will work closely with the Lead Electrical Architect and take direct ownership of defined electronic subsystems, from requirements and architecture through to schematic design, PCB layout supervision, prototype bring-up, characterisation and validation.

The scope covers communication electronics, precision mechanism drive and readout electronics, as well as power conversion and distribution. You will design boards that support high-speed data links, optical modules, actuator drivers, position sensors, detector front-ends and embedded processing solutions.

• End-to-End Board Design: Design electronic boards from requirements definition and architecture through to component selection, schematic capture, PCB layout definition and review, prototype bring-up, characterisation, debugging and validation.

• Analogue & Drive Electronics: Develop actuator drive and precision analogue chains, including high-voltage drivers, motor drives, current-control circuits, precision biasing, low-noise amplifiers and detector front-ends.

• Digital & Telecom Electronics: Design high-speed and digital communication functions, including serial interfaces, optical modules, deterministic buses, clocking and time-distribution schemes, as well as processing platforms based on microcontrollers, FPGAs, SoMs or DSPs.

• Power Conversion & Distribution: Design and integrate DC/DC conversion and power-distribution functions from spacecraft or vehicle power buses. Address protection, inrush current, efficiency, thermal performance and system-level power budgets.

• Signal Integrity, Power Integrity & EMC: Define robust grounding, bonding and zoning strategies. Manage decoupling between high-power drive electronics and sensitive analogue readout chains, while addressing conducted and radiated emissions requirements.

• Harness & Electrical Interfaces: Define connectors, pin allocations, shielding strategies and harness interfaces. Collaborate with mechanical, system and supplier teams to ensure robust electrical integration.

• Component Selection & Reliability: Select components in line with performance, reliability and environmental requirements. Apply derating principles and contribute to parts lists, bill of materials reviews and component-control activities for demanding programmes.

• Manufacturing & Supplier Follow-up: Produce fabrication and assembly documentation, liaise with PCB manufacturers and assembly partners, support incoming inspection and ensure that boards meet defined quality and acceptance requirements.

• Prototype Bring-up & Test: Personally bring up and debug prototypes in the laboratory. Define and execute test plans, investigate anomalies and document results to support design maturity and qualification.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with optical, mechanical, embedded software and system engineering teams to ensure coherent interfaces and optimised performance at product level.

• Education: Master’s degree or Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Embedded Systems or a related discipline. Equivalent practical experience may also be considered.

• Professional Background: You have designed and delivered at least one electronic board from schematic through to functioning hardware. You are able to explain its architecture, design choices, measurements, limitations and the issues encountered during development.

• Technical Expertise:

  • Proficiency with a professional schematic-capture and PCB-design toolchain such as Altium Designer, Cadence, KiCad or equivalent.

  • Experience with multi-layer PCB design, controlled-impedance stack-ups and PCB layout review.

  • Strong understanding of analogue electronics, including noise, stability, grounding, layout parasitics and low-noise signal conditioning.

  • Experience in actuator-drive electronics, such as high-voltage drivers, motor drivers, current-control loops or precision bias circuits.

  • Experience in detector readout or other low-noise analogue front-end design is highly valued.

  • Knowledge of high-speed digital and telecommunications interfaces, including serial links, clock distribution, optical transceiver modules, channel modelling and eye-diagram analysis.

  • Practical experience with DC/DC conversion, power protection, inrush-current management, power-distribution architectures and thermal considerations.

  • Good understanding of signal integrity, power integrity, EMC/EMI mitigation, grounding and shielding practices.

• Test & Laboratory Skills: Comfortable working hands-on in the lab with oscilloscopes, spectrum analysers, network analysers, power analysers and other electronic measurement equipment. You rely on characterisation and measurement to validate design decisions.

• Additional Skills: Experience with firmware or board bring-up code is appreciated, though not required. Familiarity with circuit simulation, EMC pre-compliance testing, thermal analysis and reliability assessment of electronic assemblies would be a plus.

• Relevant Industry Experience: Experience in space, defence, telecommunications, precision instrumentation, motion control or high-reliability industrial electronics is highly valued. Exposure to radiation constraints, derating rules, component control and space electrical or EMC standards would be a strong advantage.

• Mindset: You are a practical, curious and rigorous hardware engineer. You enjoy taking ownership of real hardware, from the schematic to the bench, and are comfortable investigating issues methodically until the design performs as intended.

• English: Professional working proficiency in English, with the ability to write technical documentation and communicate effectively with international suppliers, partners and engineering teams.