Senior Data Link Communication Research Engineer

CleanTech Talent; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Hybrid working

Next-generation communications system

High ownership and technical influence

Strong collaboration culture

Job summary

CleanTech Talent is seeking a Senior Data Link Communication Research Engineer to shape the L2 stack for a new spaceborne system. You’ll contribute to embedded firmware, protocol development and hardware bring-up on a modern SoC/FPGA platform.

You will own architecture and performance, work with RF, FPGA, software and hardware teams, and help bring up new hardware while validating proprietary comms techniques.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of embedded systems experience in high-reliability or mission-critical domains.
• Strong C/C++ skills for real-time/embedded systems.
• Background in L1/L2 communications, DSP, or protocol stack development.
• Experience with modern communications standards (CCSDS, DVB-S2(X), GSE, TM/TC, AOS).
• Familiarity with MATLAB, Python/Bash and lab equipment such as JTAG, spectrum analysers and VNAs.

Responsibilities

• Develop L2 firmware, protocols and low-level embedded drivers.
• Architect embedded firmware in C/C++ across RTOS, Linux and bare-metal environments.
• Collaborate with RF, FPGA, software and hardware engineering teams.
• Validate, test and improve proprietary communication techniques.
• Support bring-up, integration and system-level verification of new hardware platforms.

Skills

Embedded systems

C/C++

L1/L2 communications

DSP

MATLAB/Python

Rust/Python development

Tools

JTAG

Spectrum analysers

VNAs

Job description

Senior Data Link Communication Research Engineer

Job Openings Senior Data Link Communication Research Engineer

About the job Senior Data Link Communication Research Engineer

Join an innovative engineering organisation developing the next generation of high-performance communication technology for space platforms. The team is scaling rapidly and building new capabilities across software, embedded systems, and advanced radio/networking architectures.

You’ll work alongside specialists in a collaborative, engineering-driven environment focused on solving real-world technical challenges.

The Role

We are seeking a Senior Data Link Communication Research Engineer to help shape and implement the L2 communication stack within a new spaceborne system. You’ll contribute to embedded firmware, protocol development, link-layer optimisation and early hardware bring-up across a modern SoC/FPGA platform.

This is a hands-on position where you’ll have real ownership over architecture, performance, and the evolution of the in-orbit comms stack.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop L2 firmware, protocols and low-level embedded drivers
• Architect embedded firmware in C/C++ across RTOS, Linux and bare-metal environments
• Collaborate with RF, FPGA, software and hardware engineering teams
• Validate, test and improve proprietary communication techniques
• Support bring-up, integration and system-level verification of new hardware platforms

Experience & Skills

We’d particularly like to hear from engineers with:

• 5+ years of embedded systems experience, ideally in high-reliability or mission-critical domains
• Strong C/C++ skills for real-time/embedded systems
• Background in L1/L2 communications, DSP, or protocol stack development
• Experience with modern comms standards (e.g. CCSDS, DVB-S2(X), GSE, TM/TC, AOS, etc.)
• Familiarity with MATLAB, Python/Bash and lab equipment (JTAG, spectrum analysers, VNAs, etc.)
• Bonus points for: FPGA/SoC exposure, Rust/Python development, or a passion for space technology.

What's on Offer

• Competitive salary (£90,000) depending on experience
• Hybrid working (several days per week onsite)
• Work on a next-generation communications system
• High ownership and technical influence
• Strong culture of collaboration, exploration and engineering autonomy