Your space-enabled career begins here

Space-based technologies are the building blocks of these pillars of innovation:

Search for credible job opportunities with top entrepreneurial space companies.

Embedded Software and FPGA Engineer

Archangel Lightworks

Archangel Lightworks

Oxford, UK
Posted on Oct 25, 2024

Archangel Lightworks is a connectivity company building wireless technology to create the space-enabled networks of the future. We’re passionate about improving humanity’s communications infrastructure and solving some of Earth’s most critical problems from economic inclusion to climate change. Our start-up is a fast-paced and supportive environment, where you can make your mark as part of a growing team and work on the cutting-edge of innovation.

We’re looking for a software engineer to join our experienced engineering team and deliver transformative laser communications technology. You will be responsible for delivering high performance embedded communication and control systems, focused initially on the implementation of optical communications protocols. You will be able to take full responsibility for a design and see that through to integration on the ground station.

Your responsibilities will include:

  • Designing, developing and maintaining embedded software and FPGA designs for optical satellite communications and real-time control of our ground station.
  • Keeping up to date with the latest developments in free-space optical comms protocols, and proposing updates to designs to meet the latest developments.
  • Playing an active role within the software team, assisting in developments and bug fixing in other areas of the system, contributing to reviews, and updating best practices.
  • Supporting assembly, integration and testing and in-field full system tests.

Requirements:

  • Real-Time / Embedded software design and development in C / C++ , with Linux and RTOS (esp FreeRTOS)
  • Experienced in FPGA development of complete systems; full lifecycle, VHDL or Verilog, esp Xilinx devices
  • High speed (1Gbps+) comms protocol implementation experience (forward error correction, clock recovery etc), and performance optimisation
  • Experience working with networking (Ethernet and IP protocols) and optical transceivers
  • At least 2 years commercial experience

Desirable additional skills:

  • Python development, including for test scripts
  • Linux systems development, Yocto Linux / Petalinux build experience
  • Satcom protocol experience, particularly optical free-space comms and standards (CCSDS, SDA etc)
  • Hardware interfacing protocols (I2C, SPI, CAN, and EtherCAT)
  • UML / SysML, especially with Enterprise Architect
  • Matlab / Simulink, including code generation (inc HDL, C)
  • CI/CD pipelines, GIT version control, scripting, automation
  • Experience and interest in space industry

Location: Hybrid with travel when required. Our office is based in Osney Mead, Oxford.

Compensation & Perks:

  • The opportunity to make a difference building cutting edge technology to support a world-changing vision
  • Options for hybrid working and custom arrangements that matter to you
  • 25 days annual leave allowance plus bank holidays
  • Equity options in a growing start-up
  • Investment in you to help you grow, with training resources and budget
  • Supportive team culture with high levels of ownership and responsibility
  • Annual team retreat, regular socials and weekly team lunch
  • Variety of additional perks including learning and wellbeing app subscriptions.