Senior C&DH Architect – Spacecraft Avionics (Hybrid)

Holt Recruitment; England; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Flexible hours

9/75 working pattern

Private healthcare

Life assurance

Relocation support

Modern facilities

Job summary

Holt Recruitment is seeking an experienced Senior Command & Data Handling Engineer to join a growing spacecraft engineering team developing advanced satellite platforms for complex space missions. You will cover the full lifecycle from concept to mission operations, shaping avionics architecture and ensuring robust C&DH across the platform.

The role requires 5+ years of experience and a degree in electrical/electronic engineering, with familiarity of CCSDS, SpaceWire, CAN, I2C and RS-422

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years' experience developing Command & Data Handling systems for spacecraft.
• Experience with CCSDS, SpaceWire, CAN, I2C and RS-422 interfaces.
• Strong understanding of spacecraft avionics architectures and onboard data handling.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development and delivery of spacecraft Command & Data Handling (C&DH) subsystems.
• Define, review and maintain subsystem requirements, interface definitions and technical documentation.
• Develop verification strategies, test plans and acceptance criteria for subsystem and spacecraft-level validation.
• Define and manage onboard data handling, processing and communications budgets.
• Support Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) and Fault Detection, Isolation and Recovery (FDIR) activities.
• Collaborate with systems engineering and other subsystem teams to develop Concept of Operations (ConOps), Interface Control Documents (ICDs) and verification plans.
• Plan and execute subsystem and system-level verification activities, including electrical and environmental testing.
• Review electronic circuit and PCB designs to ensure suitability for spacecraft applications.
• Support supplier selection, technical trade studies and design reviews throughout the equipment procurement lifecycle.
• Define, implement and validate telemetry and telecommand interfaces between onboard systems and the ground segment.
• Contribute to spacecraft avionics architecture, including processor selection, data bus architecture, redundancy concepts and fault‑tolerant design.
• Work closely with flight software engineers to define onboard software interfaces and data handling functionality.
• Support anomaly investigation, root‑cause analysis and corrective actions during integration, test and mission operations.

Skills

Spacecraft avionics architectures

Systems engineering

Requirements management

Verification & validation

Telemetry interfaces

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering

Tools

CCSDS

SpaceWire

CAN

I2C

RS-422

Job description

Holt Recruitment is seeking an experienced Senior Command & Data Handling Engineer to join a growing spacecraft engineering team developing advanced satellite platforms for complex space missions. You will cover the full lifecycle from concept to mission operations, shaping avionics architecture and ensuring robust C&DH across the platform.

The role requires 5+ years of experience and a degree in electrical/electronic engineering, with familiarity of CCSDS, SpaceWire, CAN, I2C and RS-422