Avionics Systems Engineer – Avionics

Overview

Operating in the Technology Unit, reporting to the Head of Systems Engineering Group (with project-level reporting to the Avionics Project Lead Engineers), the Avionics Systems Engineer will be responsible for systems engineering activities supporting the development, integration, verification, and lifecycle evolution of D-Orbit’s avionics suites for New Space missions.

In particular, you will work on D-Orbit’s Avionics platforms—modular, product-oriented avionics building blocks engineered to ensure repeatability and scalability. This platform approach enables reuse across multiple missions and satellite configurations, supporting D-Orbit’s New Space satellite platforms with consistent performance, quality, and manufacturability.

This role requires a balance of structured execution (processes, traceability, toolchain) and fast‑paced, creative problem solving to achieve project and company goals.

Responsibilities

System Definition, Requirements & Architecture

• Capture stakeholder needs and translate them into system/subsystem requirements, including derived requirements and clear acceptance criteria.
• Define and maintain the avionics platform architecture (functional, logical, physical), including HW/SW/FW partitioning and resource budgets (power, data, timing, memory, CPU/FPGA utilization).
• Drive architectural choices that maximize platform repeatability and scalability (e.g., modularity, interface standardization, product configurations/variants, reuse patterns).
• Manage requirements allocation, consistency, and end‑to‑end traceability from needs → requirements → design → verification evidence.

Interfaces, ICDs & Integration

• Define, document, and control interfaces across the avionics platform and with satellite subsystems (e.g., power, OBDH, AOCS, communications, payloads, GSE/EGSE).
• Produce and maintain Interface Control Documents (ICDs) to support scalable integration across multiple satellite platforms and mission variants.
• Support integration planning and execution, ensuring coherent behavior across electronics HW, embedded SW, and FPGA firmware.

Analyses, Trade‑offs, Robustness & Risk

• Execute and document trade studies (performance, reliability, complexity, cost/schedule, manufacturability, testability), explicitly considering platform reuse and scalability constraints.
• Support system robustness activities such as FMEA/FMECA, hazard/fault analysis, and FDIR concept definition.
• Contribute to reliability thinking (derating approach, fault containment, safe modes, redundancy where applicable) and support EMC/EMI considerations at system level.
• Maintain radiation awareness at system level (mission‑dependent): TID/SEE mitigation concepts, watchdogs, EDAC, scrubbing (as applicable).
• Identify, assess, and manage technical risks; propose mitigation plans and drive closure.

Verification, Validation & Test (IVVQ)

• Define the verification strategy and maintain the verification matrix (inspection, analysis, test, demonstration).
• Contribute to authoring test plans, procedures, and test reports; support execution at unit/subsystem/system level.
• Promote verification approaches that enable repeatable test campaigns and scalable production/AIT flows (e.g., reusable test assets, test automation, standardized acceptance criteria).
• Support lab and AIV/AIT activities: test readiness, anomaly triage, root‑cause analysis, and corrective/preventive actions.

Process, Toolchain & Continuous Improvement

• Operate within established engineering and systems engineering processes to ensure quality and repeatability, while contributing to continuous improvement of methods, templates, and workflows.
• Help evolve the platform development approach to better support reuse, configuration management, and scalability across multiple satellite platforms.
• Collaborate effectively in a multidisciplinary environment, balancing structured execution with rapid iteration.

Qualifications and Knowledge

• Education: MSc (or equivalent) in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related STEM discipline.
• Professional experience: Minimum 3–5 years in systems engineering for avionics systems (Old Space and/or New Space) OR complex electronic systems in other industries operating in safety‑critical and/or harsh environments.
• Proven ability to work across HW/SW/FPGA FW boundaries, understanding constraints such as timing, throughput, determinism, resource budgets, and verification implications.
• 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.

Systems Engineering Tools & Processes (Examples)

• Requirements & Traceability: IBM DOORS/DOORS Next, Polarion, Jama (or similar).
• MBSE / Architecture & Modeling: SysML/UML tools such as Cameo Systems Modeler (MagicDraw), Capella, Enterprise Architect; modeling/simulation with MATLAB/Simulink (or equivalent).
• Configuration, Change & Collaboration: Git‑based workflows; issue/change tracking with Jira or Azure DevOps; documentation collaboration with Confluence/SharePoint (or similar).
• Test & Integration: Python for test automation/scripting; lab debug tooling (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, bus analyzers) and protocol analysis tools such as Wireshark.

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

• 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.

Extra‑UE Applicants

This is NOT a full‑remote job, so you need a VISA to work in Italy.

At this time, we can only consider applicants who already have the legal right to work in the country where the role is advertised.

Some activities must be carried out in our facilities, many others are location‑independent, and they can be performed effectively even remotely. This is why we don't measure the performance of people by how many hours they spend at the office: we only measure the outcome.

At D-Orbit, diversity and inclusivity are not just values, they are integral to our mission and the way we operate. We are committed to fostering an environment where all individuals are respected, valued, and celebrated for their unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace is not only the right thing to do, but it also leads to better decision making, innovation, and overall success. We actively strive to build a culture where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work, and where all voices are heard and valued. We are dedicated to creating a workplace where everyone feels safe, supported, and empowered to share their ideas, and where everyone is given equal opportunities to grow and excel. We believe that our differences make us stronger, and we will continue to work diligently to create an inclusive culture at D-Orbit that reflects this belief.