Solar Panel Engineer

Aerospacelab; Mont-Saint-Guibert; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Aerospacelab in Belgium is seeking a Solar Array Engineer to design photovoltaic systems powering our satellites. You will own the solar array architecture from cell selection to panel layout and define tests for flight qualification.

This is a purely technical role collaborating with system, power, thermal, structures, AIT, and production teams. You will build power budgets, develop energy-balance models, and ensure bus voltage compatibility and electrical interfaces; this role involves working

Qualifications

• Must have experience in designing space-grade solar arrays and understanding IEC/ECSS test standards.
• Strong ability to build power budgets and energy-balance models for space missions.
• Experience with electrical interface definitions between solar arrays and spacecraft power systems.

Responsibilities

• Define qualification and acceptance test philosophy for solar arrays.
• Review campaigns and interpret results against design; perform bench measurements if needed.
• Design space solar array assemblies including cell selection, panel layout, and string configuration.
• Develop power budgets and energy-balance models with system team.
• Define interfaces with spacecraft power system, bus voltage, harness routing, and protections.
• Prepare design specifications, ICDs, and qualification reports for team-wide use.

Skills

Solar array design

Electrical analysis

Power budgets

Test planning

Documentation

Tools

Power supplies

DAQ systems

I-V tracers

Job description

About Aerospacelab

Our mission is supported by an ambitious vertically integrated approach: design & manufacture of small satellites combined with development of earth observation services.

Since its creation in 2018, the company has already grown substantially. Our team gathers more than 25 engineering expertise, from hardware design to software development & data science.

In 2026, Aerospacelab counts offices in Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium), Toulouse (France), Lausanne (Switzerland) and US West Coast with more than 450 full-time employees, with the ambition to position itself as the European leader in small satellites.

Your mission

Aerospacelab is looking for a Solar ArrayEngineer to design the photovoltaic systems that power our satellites, across allour different programs and to define the tests that qualify them for flight.You will own the solar array architecture, from cell selection to stringconfiguration and panel layout, build the power and energy-balance modelsbehind it, and turn that design into a qualification program. This is a purelytechnical role with no people-management responsibilities, working closely withour system, power, thermal, structures, AIT, and production teams.

Key responsibilities

• Define the qualification andacceptance test philosophy, write the test plans and specifications for eachenvironment, and set the pass/fail criteria.
• Follow the campaigns throughwith the team that runs them, then review and interpret the results againstyour design. If bench work appeals to you, there is room to take themeasurements yourself.
• Design space solar arrayassemblies, from cell and CIC selection through panel layout and stringconfiguration and electrical interfaces.
• Build power budgets and orbitalenergy-balance modelstogether with the system team, accounting for the mission profile and fordegradation over life.
• Define how the array interfaceswith the spacecraft power system, covering bus voltage compatibility, stringsizing, bypass and blocking diodes, harness routing, and grounding.
• Run and review the electricalanalyses of the array, from cell and string behaviour to the effects of the space environmenton its performance.
• Write the designspecifications, interface control documents (ICDs), and qualification reports,and share what you learn with the wider engineering team.

Must have

• Define the qualification andacceptance test philosophy, write the test plans and specifications for eachenvironment, and set the pass/fail criteria.
• Follow the campaigns throughwith the team that runs them, then review and interpret the results againstyour design. If bench work appeals to you, there is room to take themeasurements yourself.
• Design space solar arrayassemblies, from cell and CIC selection through panel layout and stringconfiguration and electrical interfaces.
• Build power budgets and orbitalenergy-balance modelstogether with the system team, accounting for the mission profile and fordegradation over life.
• Define how the array interfaceswith the spacecraft power system, covering bus voltage compatibility, stringsizing, bypass and blocking diodes, harness routing, and grounding.
• Run and review the electricalanalyses of the array, from cell and string behaviour to the effects of the space environmenton its performance.
• Write the designspecifications, interface control documents (ICDs), and qualification reports,and share what you learn with the wider engineering team.

Nice to have

• Hands-on with electrical testequipment such as power supplies, data acquisition systems, and I-V curvetracers, and able to troubleshoot from test data.
• Experience in an aerospace,space, or other highly regulated hardware environment.