Spacecraft Electronics Engineer in Glasgow

As a Spacecraft Electronics Engineer, you will be designing and integrating custom components for our next-generation satellite platform. This includes the design of PCBAs; the selection, evaluation, and integration of various off-the-shelf components and custom sensors, radios, and power systems; making last‑minute fixes; working with third‑party fabricators and assemblers; and interfacing with the software and mechanical teams. You may also participate in guiding software and mechanical design and may be involved at any stage of development from proof of concept to new product introduction.

Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Department: Engineering

Responsibilities:

• Electrical Design of Spacecraft electronics including requirement gathering, architecture and detailed design.
• Component selection and circuit level design and simulation where required.
• Schematic capture and PCB layout using Altium Designer.
• Power supply and power monitoring circuit design.
• Design verification through circuit simulations, including worst‑case analysis.
• Signal and power integrity simulation and analysis.
• Peer review of schematics and layouts.
• Board bring‑up, validation and debugging.
• Assisting the validation and qualification process for testing new and existing systems.

Key Skills:

• Electronics theory, including component knowledge and analogue and digital circuitry expertise.
• Board design including schematic capture, PCB layout using any enterprise software (Altium preferred) with focus on design for manufacturing (DFM) principles.
• Experience with FPGA (Zynq MPSoC/RFSoC or similar platform) based designs for high‑speed and high data‑rate digital signal processing applications.
• Strong knowledge of high‑speed digital layout design practices (matched impedance, stack‑up and manufacturing restrictions) and experience using SI tools.
• Experience with digital communication interfaces (I2C, SPI, CAN, UART, USB, RS485, RS422, SpaceWire, PCIe, Gbit Ethernet).
• Experience with rigid, flex and rigid‑flex PCB design.
• Strong debugging experience and fault identification.
• Experience with lab equipment including oscilloscopes, logic analysers, multimeters, spectrum analyzers, VNAs, etc.

Preferred Skills:

• Design for IPC‑6012DS Class 3A or ECSS‑Q‑ST‑70‑12C/60C compliance.
• Experience in high power electronic design and thermal management.
• SI tools experience like Hyperlynx or equivalent.
• Experience with environmental and component reliability requirements for space application.
• Design for FPGA programming (Verilog, VHDL).
• Embedded and DSP programming (C/C++, microcontrollers, DSP).
• Design experience for EMI/EMC, along with use of shields and enclosures.

Spire operates a hybrid work model, and this position will require you to work a minimum of three days per week in the office. Access to US export‑controlled software and/or technology may be required for this role. If needed, Spire will arrange the necessary licences; this is not something candidates need to have before applying.

Benefits:

• Name Your Satellite Program (NYSP)
• Launch Attendance
• Generous Time Off Policy
• Education Assistance Program
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Stock Purchase Program
• Family Leave
• Fitness Reimbursement
• Employee Referral Program
• Healthy snacks & beverages in every office

Equal Employment Opportunity: We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status. All candidates who receive a conditional offer will be required to complete a background check. This may include criminal history and employment verification.