Electronics/Hardware Engineer

Foundational; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

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Annual leave

Cycle to work

Central London offices

Parental leave

Job summary

Foundational in London is seeking an Electronics/Hardware Engineer to design the electronics that run our satellite laser ranging stations, covering control, power and sensing.

You will work on interfaces that tie lasers, detectors, telescopes and computers together, with hands-on lab work and field support.

Qualifications

• A degree in electronic engineering or similar, plus several years of design experience.
• Proficiency in schematic capture and PCB layout.
• Experience with mixed-signal design, power electronics and embedded interfaces (SPI, I2C, Ethernet).
• Lab skills with oscilloscopes and logic analyzers, plus thermal and EMC debugging.

Responsibilities

• Design, lay out and bring up PCBs for station control and instrumentation.
• Design power distribution, protection and backup for remote sites.
• Integrate sensors, interlocks and environmental monitoring.
• Choose components, and manage suppliers and contract manufacturers.
• Debug hardware in the lab and support fixes in the field.
• Write test procedures and documentation.

Skills

Schematic capture

PCB layout

Mixed-signal design

Power electronics

Embedded interfaces (SPI/I2C/Ethernet)

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

EMC debugging

Thermal management

Education

Electronic engineering degree

Tools

KiCad

Altium

Job description

Electronics/Hardware Engineer

This is a future role. We're building a shortlist now and will contact you when it opens.

About us

Foundational is building the most precise picture of Earth and orbit, using lasers fired from the ground. We call it ground truth for orbit.

We design and run low-cost, autonomous satellite laser ranging stations. They measure the distance to satellites with extreme precision, day and night. Our data platform turns those measurements into tracking data and orbit products for satellite operators, space agencies and governments. We also build our own flight-proven laser retroreflector arrays, so any satellite can be tracked.

Our station network is expanding across Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. The data supports resilient navigation, Earth observation and the safe, sustainable use of space.

We're a small, fast-moving team of engineers, scientists and operators in London. We're backed by venture investors and supported by ESA, the UK Space Agency, Innovate UK and the European Innovation Council.

Position Overview

London · Full time · On-site

You’ll design the electronics that run our stations. That covers control, power and sensing, plus the interfaces that tie lasers, detectors, telescopes and computers together.

What you’ll do

• Design, lay out and bring up PCBs for station control and instrumentation
• Design power distribution, protection and backup for remote sites
• Integrate sensors, interlocks and environmental monitoring
• Choose components, and manage suppliers and contract manufacturers
• Debug hardware in the lab and support fixes in the field
• Write test procedures and documentation

What you’ll bring

• A degree in electronic engineering or similar, plus several years of design experience
• Schematic capture and PCB layout skills (KiCad, Altium or similar)
• Experience with mixed-signal design, power electronics and embedded interfaces (SPI, I2C, Ethernet)
• Lab skills with oscilloscopes and logic analysers, plus thermal and EMC debugging

Nice to have

• Fast timing electronics or photon counting
• Firmware in C/C++, or FPGA work
• EMC compliance testing
• Hardware that runs unattended outdoors

What We Offer

• A high-impact role with real ownership at an early-stage, venture-backed spacetech company
• EMI share options (UK employees)
• 25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays
• Enhanced Parental Leave
• Cycle to work schemes
• Work alongside engineers and scientists across optics, lasers, software and astrodynamics
• Offices in central London, with snacks, tea, coffee and regular socials

We actively champion underrepresented groups and seek to bridge gaps in our workforce. If you're excited by the role but don't match every point, or you’re seeking a part time role, please apply anyway and add a note into your application. Building the best team is our priority.