Spacecraft Electrical Systems Lead

Job description

At ClearSpace, we believe in reusability, in affordability driving disruption, and that no progress is real unless it is sustainable. Our company was founded in 2018 out of the realization that in-orbit servicing and space debris removal are vital services for the future of space exploration and operations. Today ClearSpace has assembled an expert engineering team and is leading the way toward sustainable space operations. From a garage in Switzerland, we now operate across UK and Europe, and are working with world-leading institutions and companies to bring our dream of a sustainable space ecosystem to life. We are looking for a Spacecraft Electrical Systems Lead to join our Electrical team in Switzerland, working across current missions and future programmes. The Role As a Spacecraft Electrical Systems Lead, you will support the technical development of ClearSpace spacecraft, with a focus on avionics architecture, interfaces, and system‑level integration. You will contribute across the full mission lifecycle - from early concept and requirements definition through design, AIT, launch, and in‑orbit commissioning - working closely with subsystem, software, and systems engineers to ensure a coherent and robust system design. Responsibilities System Engineering & Technical Leadership Own spacecraft and payload electrical architectures throughout the project lifecycle, from concept and requirements definition through integration, launch and operations. Act as the focal point for all spacecraft/payload electrical engineering activities, coordinating technical interfaces between disciplines, suppliers, customers and project stakeholders. Coordinate the spacecraft electrical engineering activities, ensuring coherent development of the electrical architecture, effective prioritisation of activities and successful delivery of project objectives. Define and maintain spacecraft/payload electrical interface definitions and ICDs, ensuring consistency across platform, payload and supplier equipment. Perform requirements engineering related to spacecraft electrical systems and electrical interfaces. Support customer and project reviews, including SRR, PDR, CDR, QR and acceptance reviews. Support procurement activities, including preparation of RFPs, technical evaluation of bids and supplier management. Electrical Architecture & Analysis Work with suppliers to define and maintain spacecraft electrical interfaces, harness architectures, grounding and bonding concepts, and EMC requirements, ensuring compatibility between spacecraft equipment and subsystems. Define electrical integration strategies for spacecraft units and subsystems. Perform electrical analyses including power, voltage drop, grounding, EMC and fault assessments. Support equipment-level electrical design reviews. Review and approve supplier electrical designs, analyses and verification evidence. Verification, Integration & Operations Define electrical verification, validation and test strategies at equipment, subsystem and spacecraft level. Contribute to AIV planning and definition of electrical ground support equipment and test equipment. Support electrical integration, troubleshooting, test execution and anomaly resolution. Support Product Assurance activities including FMEA, design reviews and non-conformance investigations. Generate electrical and project documentation throughout the spacecraft lifecycle. Support launch preparation, LEOP and in-orbit commissioning activities. Must Have BSc or MSc in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline 5+ years Electrical Engineering experience in the space industry in a systems, avionics, data handling or power electronics role Experience working with system‑level requirements, interfaces, ICDs and technical documentation Experience working with suppliers of spacecraft equipment Knowledge of typical program lifecycles, with previous experience as an active contributor to key formal reviews (PDR, CDR, etc) Ability to work in a team and willingness to collaborate outside your immediate expertise Experience leading technical activities across multidisciplinary engineering teams Well‑organised, with the ability to handle multiple technical topics in parallel Nice to Have Detailed understanding of electronics analysis, design, build, and test Hands-on electronics design and test experience, including fault diagnosis Experience with common space standards (ECSS, MIL, etc), and associated tailoring Experience of EMC constraints and related mitigation measures Experience interacting with institutional customers such as ESA or the UK Space Agency