Avionics Test Hardware Engineer

About PLD Space

PLD Space is an international company on a mission to transport satellites into space, vertically integrating the engineering, testing, manufacturing, and operations of its reusable and sustainable rockets. Headquartered in Elche (Spain) and founded in 2011 by Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú, PLD Space has established itself as a global benchmark in the small satellite launch sector. Its family of MIURA launchers and LINCE crewed capsule position the company as a leader in European technological sovereignty for space transportation, covering the full spectrum of space missions.

PLD Space operates over 188,000 m² of facilities in Elche, Teruel (Spain), Kourou (French Guiana), and Duqm (Oman), enabling the company to provide comprehensive satellite and payload launch services into space.

Teamwork, courage, determination and ambition enable PLD Space to guarantee an autonomous, independent satellite space access capability, based on reliability at a globally competitive price. The company is able to offer best-in-class launch services to commercial satellite operators, institutions, space agencies and national and international governmental entities

Mission

The Avionics Test Hardware Engineer is responsible for the design, development, integration, validation and maintenance of the electrical and electronic hardware required to test avionics products across different levels of integration, from PCBAs and units to subsystems and system-level test platforms.

This role transforms verification needs and operational test requirements into robust, safe and maintainable test hardware solutions, including EGSE, SCOEs, test benches, harnesses, breakout boxes, load simulators, signal conditioning, switching and instrumentation systems.

The position requires a strong technical background in electronics and electrical design, together with practical experience in laboratory test environments.

Responsibilities

• Review verification needs, test specifications, AIT plans, procedures and operational requirements to understand the hardware capabilities required for test execution.
• Translate verification and execution needs into electrical and electronic test hardware requirements.
• Design and develop avionics test hardware such as EGSE, SCOEs, functional test benches, breakout boxes, harnesses, adapters, load emulators, sensor/actuator simulators, or interface panels.
• Define technical documentation such as electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, bills of materials, user manuals and assembly documentation required for test hardware manufacturing and maintenance.
• Select and define the required electrical and electronic elements of the test setup according to technical, operational, safety and maintainability needs.
• Coordinate with manufacturing or external suppliers for the fabrication, assembly and modification of test hardware.
• Ensure that the test hardware is correctly connected, configured and ready to operate within the intended test environment.
• Perform bring-up, commissioning and validation of test hardware before operational use.
• Support test readiness activities, ensuring that benches, harnesses, interfaces, instrumentation and configuration baselines are ready before execution.
• Maintain configuration control of test hardware, including design files, drawings, schematics, wiring documentation, hardware revisions, as-built configuration and released versions.
• Support AIT and test execution teams during first use, recurrent use or troubleshooting of test hardware.
• Define and execute preventive checks, calibration needs, maintenance activities, upgrades and obsolescence mitigation for avionics test hardware.
• Capture lessons learned from test execution and recurrent campaigns to improve test hardware robustness, usability, maintainability, safety and standardization.
• Contribute to the standardization of test hardware architectures, reusable modules, common interfaces, design guidelines and documentation practices for avionics testing.

Necessary Requirements

• Degree in Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications, Aerospace Engineering or a related technical field.
• Solid knowledge of analogue and digital electronics, electrical interfaces and instrumentation.
• Experience with electrical design and the interpretation and preparation of schematics, wiring diagrams, ICDs and other technical documentation.
• Knowledge of common avionics interfaces, power interfaces, signal conditioning and electrical measurement techniques.
• Experience using laboratory instrumentation such as oscilloscopes, DMMs, power supplies, electronic loads and data acquisition equipment.
• Good understanding of grounding, shielding, isolation, protection and electrical safety principles.
• Practical experience in hardware integration and troubleshooting, with the ability to systematically identify faults across complex electrical test setups.
• Ability to work in multidisciplinary environments and coordinate effectively with V&V, AIT, Test Automation and avionics design teams.

Desired Competencies

• Experience in the design or development of EGSE, automated test equipment or aerospace test benches.
• Knowledge of avionics communication interfaces such as CAN, Ethernet, serial buses and discrete interfaces.
• Experience with power electronics testing, simulated loads, sensor simulation or interface emulation.
• Knowledge of DAQ systems, signal conditioning and measurement chains.
• Experience with configuration management, manufacturing datapacks and hardware validation.
• Knowledge of EMC, grounding/bonding and electrical interface integrity applied to test systems.
• Experience supporting qualification, acceptance, functional or system-level test campaigns.
• Familiarity with ECSS verification and testing practices.
• Strong hands-on and troubleshooting mindset, with a focus on developing safe, robust, maintainable and reusable test solutions.

Benefits

Health & Wellness

• Physiotherapy within our facilities
• 50% discount on your health insurance
• You can sign-up your family members with health insurance at a competitive price.
• Healthy snacks and lots of fruit

Find balance

• 23 days of paid vacation plus December 24th and 31st
• Flexible work schedule

Never stop learning

• We encourage practical learning
• We promote professional development through internal mobility and teamwork

Focus on your financial future

• Childcare flexible contributions
• Restaurant tickets
• Transport flexible contributions
• Training support

Values

We have five critical beliefs that guide the way PLD Space is shaping the future of space launch technologies.

• Teamwork.
• Hard work.
• Dynamism.
• Commitment.
• Keep it simple.

Join us to reinvent how rockets are built!