Group Lead Avionics Hardware Design (m/f/d)

About Rocket Factory Augsburg

At Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), we have one clear goal: to create low-cost, flexible, and reliable access to space. We specialize in building small launch vehicles designed to deploy satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and beyond. Together with you, we aim to revolutionize space services and help improve life on Earth. Sounds interesting? Then join our journey and become part of the team driving the New Space movement in Europe.

About the Team

Our international and agile Avionics team designs and owns every avionics device on the vehicle that gets our rocket on the pad and off it - from engine control units and actuators to power distribution and onboard cameras. As Group Lead Avionics Hardware Design, you’ll take on both technical and people leadership: guiding the avionics architecture and design standards behind our hardware while supervising, mentoring, and growing a team of design engineers. You’ll set the bar for how we design, review, and release hardware - and make sure your team has what it needs to do their best work. If you want to combine technical leadership with genuine responsibility for your team, the architecture, and the way we work, send us an application today.

Your Tasks

• Lead a team of avionics design engineers - planning their work, coaching their growth, and keeping them unblocked and motivated.
• Own the avionics architecture and the interoperability between devices, keeping the overall hardware design coherent and cleanly integrated across the system.
• Own the team’s design process, standards, and documentation practices - including configuration control and change management.
• Chair hardware design reviews, holding the line on design quality across schematics, PCB layout, and system-level decisions.
• Act as the bridge to Systems Engineering, turning system-level requirements into hardware direction.
• Drive cross-disciplinary design trade-offs with software, mechanical, and production teams.
• Steer designs to meet the applicable environmental standards (e.g., DO-160, MIL-STD-810) so the hardware performs reliably in extreme conditions.
• Stay technically hands-on - backing your engineers on the toughest design problems and, when needed, opening Altium to pick up or finish a design task yourself.
• Help recruit, onboard, and grow the team as it scales.
• Keep engineering leadership informed on progress, technical risks, and resourcing needs.

Your Qualifications

• A degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years designing complex mixed-signal electronics, with deep command of PCB layout, signal integrity, and power integrity.
• Proficiency with schematic capture and PCB layout tools (Altium preferred) and circuit simulation tools (LTspice, PSpice, etc.).
• A track record of leading, mentoring, or coaching engineers, plus the technical authority to set the bar and run rigorous design reviews.
• The seniority to think at the architecture and process level for a whole hardware group, not just individual designs.
• A background designing for aerospace environments (DO-160, MIL-STD-810); equivalent experience from other high-reliability industries (automotive, medical, defense) is equally welcome.
• Experience with design for manufacturing (DFM), taking hardware cleanly from prototype to production.
• Exposure to mechanical integration, thermal design, and actuators would be a plus.
• A self-driven, accountable working style with high personal standards.
• Fluent English, since all day-to-day work is in English.

We Offer

Atmosphere: Experience life in an international & dynamic New Space start-up 

Flexibility: Fit your working schedule to your needs with flexible working hours 

Home Office: Full-time employees benefit from one day per week home office 

Health: Sweat, stretch or squat it out with EGYM Wellpass 

Paid Time Off: 30 days annual leave and speacial leave days 

Team Culture: Join regular company and team events 

Parking: Free parking for car and bike

Insights

Ready to take the next step?

Join RFA and help build one of Europe’s most efficient launch systems. Work alongside 300+ colleagues from over 40 countries and take ownership from day one.

If you’re looking to grow, take responsibility, and contribute to making space more accessible, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now!  We look forward to receiving your application in German or English.