Senior Electrical Engineer - Spacecraft Power Systems & Bus Architecture

Portal Space Systems

$110K — $130K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering or similar field.
  • 5+ years of experience in power systems for aerospace or spacecraft.
  • Proficient in power electronics design including converters and battery management.
  • Skilled in using ECAD tools like Altium Designer for schematics.
  • Experience in testing and debugging flight hardware.

Responsibilities

  • Architect and design spacecraft power systems including solar arrays and PDUs.
  • Lead development of spacecraft power bus focusing on load management and redundancy.
  • Conduct trade studies for battery capacity and bus architecture optimization.
  • Create schematics, PCB layouts, and cable harnessing for power systems.
  • Oversee hardware bring-up, testing, and fault isolation for power boards.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure compliance with mission requirements.
  • Engage with Launch Providers on integration and operational concepts.

Benefits

  • Contribute to cutting-edge space technology and innovation.
  • Collaborative work environment with multidisciplinary teams.
  • Opportunities for professional development and skills enhancement.
  • Participation in exciting projects with real-world applications.
  • Engagement in meaningful missions that have impacts beyond Earth.
Full Job Description
About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer with deep expertise in hardware electrical design for spacecraft, particularly in power systems engineering and bus-level power management.

Responsibilities
  • Architect and design spacecraft power systems including solar array interfaces, battery charge/discharge regulation, power distribution units (PDUs), and system-level grounding schemes.
  • Lead development of the main spacecraft power bus: voltage regulation, load management, protection, and redundancy strategies.
  • Perform trade studies and system sizing for battery capacity, solar array performance, and bus architecture optimization.
  • Develop schematics, PCB layouts, and cable harnessing for power boards and interface hardware.
  • Drive hardware bring-up, functional testing, and fault isolation on power boards and integrated systems.
  • Collaborate with systems, mechanical, and thermal engineers to align EPS design with mission requirements and spacecraft constraints.
  • Contribute to environmental testing for acceptance and qualification and EMI/EMC compliance for power hardware.
  • Coordinate with Launch Providers on interfaces and concept of operations during payload integration, launch pad and waking up in space.


Basic Qualifications
  • B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, related field or equivalent.
  • 5+ years of experience designing power systems for aerospace, spacecraft, or other high-reliability platforms.
  • Experience with power electronics design, including DC-DC converters, battery management systems, and overcurrent/undervoltage protection circuits.
  • Experience using ECAD tools (e.g., Altium Designer) for board design and system schematics.
  • Experience testing and debugging flight or flight-like power hardware in lab and system testbeds.


Preferred Skills & Experience
  • Experience with spacecraft power architectures including unregulated and regulated bus designs.
  • Knowledge of space-grade components, derating guidelines, and radiation effects on power electronics.
  • Familiarity with power system modeling and analysis tools (e.g., PLECS, SPICE).
  • Experience with EPS integration and operations on actual flight programs.
  • Familiarity with standards such as NASA-STD-4005, ECSS-E-ST-20-20, or NASA power interface specs.


ITAR Statement

This position may involve access to technical data and defense-related materials controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Eligibility to access ITAR-controlled items requires that candidates be U.S. persons, which includes U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and other protected individuals as defined by U.S. law. Employment is contingent upon verification of ITAR eligibility and, where applicable, obtaining any required export authorization or license.

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