Senior Avionics Systems Engineer

Senior Avionics Systems Engineer

D-Orbit

Lomazzo, Italy

We are looking for a Senior Avionics Systems Engineer to join our Avionic Systems Engineering team. The ideal candidate brings over 10 years of hands-on experience in avionics or complex electronic systems engineering, with a demonstrated ability to lead and mentor engineering teams. This role calls for a technical leader who can own end-to-end avionics system design, driving architectural decisions, coordinating cross-functional activities, and representing the avionics system at program level.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and drive the end-to-end avionics platform architecture (functional, logical, physical), including HW/SW/FW partitioning, resource budgets, and scalability strategy across multiple satellite platforms and mission variants.
• Lead architectural trade studies, evaluate design options, and make authoritative technical decisions balancing performance, reliability, reuse, cost, and schedule.
• Define and enforce the onboard logical architecture: functions, data flows, interfaces, operational modes, and FDIR concepts.
• Maintain radiation-awareness at system level and guide subsystem teams in appropriate design margins and mitigation strategies.
• Lead system-level requirements definition and interface control for power generation, storage, distribution, and protection. Review PCDU/PDU design and manage power budgets and load profiles.
• Lead system-level requirements definition and interface control for Communication and RF domain, including review of Comm architecture and link budgets.
• Drive the internal development of Data Handling equipment, through demonstrated knowledge and several years of experience in such discipline, including definition of the internal electronic design of the related equipment in a space domain
• Own OBC/OBDH architectural definition, data bus topology (SpaceWire, CAN-FD, MIL-STD-1553, etc.), onboard time management, and telemetry/telecommand (TM/TC) design.
• Define harness system requirements, connector and cable specifications, signal integrity constraints, and shielding/grounding philosophy. Support harness design reviews and integration.
• Define and own avionics software requirements and architectural constraints (BSP, RTOS, middleware, application layer). Interface closely with the embedded SW team to ensure compliance with system-level timing, determinism, and FDIR requirements. Familiar with ECSS-E-ST-40 and space SW development standards.
• Capture, decompose, and allocate stakeholder needs into system and subsystem requirements with full end-to-end traceability from mission needs through design to verification evidence.
• Own requirements consistency and change impact assessment across the avionics baseline.
• Lead and coordinate a team of avionics system and subsystem engineers; assign activities, monitor progress, and ensure technical quality of team deliverables.
• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, structured problem-solving, and continuous improvement.
• Participate in design reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR, etc.) both as reviewer and as presenter, ensuring all avionics entry/exit criteria are met.

Required Skills & Knowledge

• Education: MSc (or equivalent) in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related STEM discipline. A PhD in a relevant field is considered a plus.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in systems engineering for avionics or complex electronic systems, with a significant share of that experience in the space sector (small/medium satellites, launchers, or ground systems).
• Demonstrated track record of leading technical teams or acting as system/subsystem lead on flight programs from early phases through AIV/AIT and launch.
• Proven experience covering at least three of the four avionics domains: EPS, CDHS, harness, and avionics SW.
• Familiarity with typical avionics interfaces/protocols (as applicable): CAN/CAN-FD, UART, SPI, I²C, Ethernet; space-oriented protocols such as SpaceWire and MIL-STD-1553 are a plus.
• Working knowledge of structured engineering standards/processes: ECSS engineering and product assurance principles (preferred) and/or transferable safety-critical frameworks such as DO-178C / DO-254 / ARP4754A, IEC 61508, ISO 26262.
• Strong technical documentation skills (requirements, architectures, ICDs, verification artifacts).
• Languages: Fluent English (written and spoken) is mandatory; Italian is a plus.
• Deep knowledge of AI tools.

Preferred Experience

• Hands-on experience with space avionics building blocks (e.g., OBC/OBDH, PCDU/PDU, data handling, IO modules, timing/synchronization distribution).
• Participation in environmental test campaigns (e.g., thermal-vac, vibration/shock, EMC), qualification/acceptance planning, and related documentation.
• Experience supporting system integration campaigns and failure investigations (lab/production), including structured anomaly management.
• Experience contributing to platform/product-line development (reuse strategies, configuration variants, scalable verification/acceptance).

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical thinking, systems mindset, and structured problem solving.
• Ability to thrive in a structured but fast-paced environment - comfortable following established processes/toolchain for quality and repeatability while staying flexible and creative to achieve ambitious goals.
• Clear communicator, able to align multidisciplinary teams and drive decisions with evidence.
• Ownership mindset, strong prioritization, and ability to manage multiple parallel activities.