Senior MAIT Electrical and Test Engineer

Here at The Exploration Company, we are building spacecraft for humanity.

We are developing, producing, and operating Nyx, a modular and reusable space orbital vehicle that can eventually be refueled in orbit, and which carries cargo - and potentially humans in the longer run.

We want you as a talented Senior MAIT Electrical and Test Engineer to help us in our mission by taking technical ownership of the electrical test equipment and automated functional tests required to verify our spacecraft, engineering models and test beds, to ensure that our mission will succeed and our system will work in space!

Key Responsibilities

In your role as a Senior MAIT Electrical and Test Engineer, your role will include the following responsibilities:

• Take technical ownership of electrical test equipment and functional-test capability for flight hardware, engineering models and test beds, from early definition through delivery, use and maintenance

• Establish and maintain a practical development and readiness plan so that test equipment and software are available for early engineering-model testing and subsequent flight-hardware testing

• Define and assess electrical test-equipment and functional-test needs, making requirements, interfaces, safety constraints, risks and dependencies visible and driving their resolution

• Translate system and subsystem requirements into complete, traceable functional-test strategies, procedures, sequences and objective pass/fail criteria

• Lead the electrical design, integration, build, troubleshooting and maintenance of test equipment and its software, including power, signal, communication and measurement interfaces

• Develop and review automated functional-test software, data acquisition and test sequences in LabVIEW and/or VeriStand, with clear interlocks, limit checks, safe-stop behaviour and maintainable test records

• Define and review test-equipment architecture, instrumentation, cabling, schematics, interface definitions, configuration and verification evidence

• Plan and support test readiness reviews, ensuring that hardware, test equipment, software, procedures, safety controls and acceptance criteria are fit for use before testing begins

• Support and perform unit-, subsystem- and system-level electrical and functional tests on engineering and flight hardware, including hands-on test preparation and execution

• Lead technical investigation of test anomalies, assess test data, distinguish unit-under-test issues from test-system issues, and support non-conformance disposition, retest and closure

• Coordinate electrical test activities and technical interfaces with MAIT, design, systems, software, quality and other relevant teams

• Provide technical guidance and review to other engineers and technicians, sharing good practice in test design, execution, troubleshooting and evidence capture

• Manufacture and assemble test-equipment components where required

• Participate in environmental tests and launch campaigns.

What we would love to see from you

In the role of Senior MAIT Electrical and Test Engineer, ideally you will bring the following skillset, mentality and experience:

• Degree in aerospace engineering, electrical engineering or comparable qualification

• Significant hands-on experience with electrical/electronic components and systems, ideally in spacecraft AIT or functional verification

• Demonstrated ability to independently plan and deliver electrical or functional tests for complex hardware, from requirements and interfaces through test execution and evidence review

• Strong practical experience developing functional tests from requirements, including test strategy, procedures, acceptance criteria, traceability and test-data review

• Theoretical understanding as well as practical experience with electrical test equipment and test interfaces:

  • Electrical design and integration of test equipment, including instrumentation, cabling, connectors, and power and signal interfaces

  • Physical assembly and commissioning of test equipment (building racks, routing cables, etc.)

  • Familiarity with network configuration and network protocols (TCP/IP) used by test systems

• Ability to develop and review software for test equipment and automated functional tests in LabVIEW and/or VeriStand; experience with Python or similar is an asset

• Experience with data acquisition, test automation, measurement-chain verification and systematic troubleshooting on electrical test equipment

• Experience preparing hardware and test systems for controlled testing, including safety controls, configuration management and objective test records

• Ability to lead technical anomaly investigations, communicate uncertainty and risk, and agree evidence-based retest or closure actions

• Experience providing technical guidance, reviewing work or sharing good practice with colleagues

• Exposure to Mission Control Software platforms like CCS5, COSMOS or similar; experience with COSMOS is a plus

• Experience with communication and power test equipment is an asset

• Ability to read, understand and apply technical manuals, data reports, electrical schematics and design specifications

• Willingness to work hands-on with flight hardware

• Joy in embracing technical problems and the process of solving them

• Sense of responsibility and a clean and organized way of working

• Fuent in written and spoken English

• Willingness to travel worldwide for test and launch campaigns.

Why you should join us!

What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:

• We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind 

• We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them

• We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?

We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.


The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.

All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible.

If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.