The Exploration Company

FPGA Engineer at The Exploration Company (Munich, Germany)

The Exploration Company· Munich, Germany· €65k–€83k·

Role details

Salary
€65k–€83k
Employment
Full-Time
Skills
VHDLVerilogFPGA designSoC designMicrochip LiberoXilinx VivadoMCUsSoft-coresPythonCANRS422UART
Benefits

Relocation Assistance · Visa Sponsorship Where Applicable · Agile Work Environment · Collaborative Culture

The Exploration Company at a glance

European space-transport startup building Nyx, a reusable cargo capsule, and Storm, a high-thrust rocket engine.

The Exploration Company is building a full-stack space transportation platform out of Europe: Nyx, a reusable cargo capsule that docks with space stations in low-Earth orbit and returns cargo to Earth, and Storm, a high-thrust staged-combustion rocket engine. It designs its own thrusters, avionics, flight software, and heat shield in-house.

$230M raised · latest: Series B · $160M · 2024 · backed by Balderton Capital, Plural, Bessemer Venture Partners, NGP Capital

Summary

Develop and validate electronic systems for space orbital vehicles, including FPGA design, digital circuit board inputs, and test automation. The role involves ensuring radiation tolerance and working closely with systems engineers to define digital functionality requirements.

Job description

Here at The Exploration Company, we are building innovative aerospace technologies that advance the future of space transportation.

We want you as a talented FPGA engineer to help us in our mission by developing the electronic systems we need for our capsule to fly.

You will be successful in this role if you are able to help us:

  • Write VHDL code to validate all needed functions in the FPGAs
  • Provide inputs to team in charge designing digital circuit boards with FPGAs and Microcontrollers for space environment
  • Design and validation of digital interfaces circuitry (CAN, RS422 UART, I2C, SPI, Spacewire, etc.)
  • Write first test software for the system to validate interfaces and hardware functions
  • Validating the design and ensuring failure tolerance and radiation tolerance of the functions

Key Responsibilities

In your capacity as a Digital Electronics Engineer, your role will be continuously evolving, but day to day your duties will include:

  • Digital electronics architecture design
  • FPGA design and verification
  • Close working together with Systems Engineers to define capabilities and requirements of the digital functionality
  • Writing first test software for the system to validate interfaces and hardware functions
  • Full test cycle from first power up of prototypes to serial test concept of flight hardware
  • Creation and adaptation of test scripts in Python for test automation

What we would love to see from you

In the role of Digital Electronics Engineer ideally, you will have the following:

  • Finished bachelor's or master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Embedded Systems or similar (can be substituted with several years of relevant work experience)
  • Relevant work experience in FPGA / SoC design and / or verification
  • Experience using Microchip Libero or Xilinx Vivado
  • Solid VHDL / Verilog knowledge
  • Embedded software knowledge (MCUs, soft-cores)
  • Knowledge of VUnit/UVVM is a plus
  • Hands-on mentality working in the laboratory (Soldering, prototype board debugging, etc.)
  • Knowledge of radiation effects and radiation related failure mechanisms in electronic circuits is a plus (Single Event Upsets, Single Event Transients, etc.)
  • Knowledge of environmental qualification and relevant standards ECSS / NASA-HBK / NASA -CBCS / MIL-STD for programming, Interfaces, etc. is a plus.

Why you should join us! What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:

  • We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind
  • We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them
  • We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?

We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.

The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.

All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible.

If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.

Why work at The Exploration Company

  • Culture: Emphasizes speed, execution, and ownership. Values include Excellence, Teamwork, Integrity, and "Space for everyone." The company prides itself on gathering diverse, international talent from both space and non-space backgrounds.
  • Remote/Hybrid Policy: Offers flexibility and remote work opportunities depending on the role, but encourages a hybrid approach where possible. exploration.space
  • Relocation Support: Yes, the company provides relocation assistance and work permit/visa support for new hires.
  • Notable Perks: Opportunity to work on cutting-edge space vehicles from day one; internal mobility encouraged; background check required for all offers.
  • Engineering Culture: Leadership includes aerospace veterans who have worked on major global space programs. The team is 450+ strong, representing 35 nationalities, with a flat, fast-moving structure.

Application questions