Quick overview
Job description
About Portal
Portal Space Systems is on a mission to expand humanity’s freedom of movement in space. We’re building the spacecraft that makes that mission possible. From our Bothell, WA headquarters, we design vehicles with the maneuverability, resilience, and adaptability needed for the next era of orbital operations. Every system we build is in service of a simple idea: space should be more accessible, responsive, and capable. Joining Portal means stepping into a team that believes in bold engineering, fast iteration, and the power of small groups to change what’s possible. If you want your work to directly shape the future of in-space mobility, join us.
Position Summary
The Staff / Principal Avionics Engineer is the technical lead and responsible engineer for the avionics subsystem across the full product lifecycle, from concept through qualification, integration, launch, and on-orbit operations. The role owns the flight computer, command and data handling, data bus networks, and electrical power system electronics, and implements a modernized, software-defined, Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA)–compliant avionics architecture built on Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) principles. This individual contributor role works closely with flight software, GNC, systems engineering, and mechanical engineering.
Core Responsibilities
- Define and own the avionics architecture as a software-defined Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) platform with MOSA-compliant modular hardware and standardized interfaces.
- Own the flight computer and command and data handling (C&DH) design, including processors, FPGAs, memory, storage, and fault tolerance.
- Define the onboard data network and interfaces, including data bus architecture, time distribution, sensor and actuator I/O, and payload interfaces.
- Own the electrical power system electronics, including solar array regulation, battery management, power distribution and switching, point-of-load regulation, and fault protection.
- Partner with flight software on hardware/software partitioning, hardware abstraction, and resource allocation for the software-defined platform.
- Own avionics reliability and radiation analysis, including part selection, derating, worst-case analysis, FMEA, and COTS radiation mitigation.
- Set electronic design standards and lead schematic and PCB design reviews for reliability, manufacturability, and EMI/EMC.
- Lead avionics design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) and own avionics requirements, specifications, and interface control documents.
- Define and execute avionics verification and qualification, including environmental testing, electrical ground support equipment, FlatSat, and hardware-in-the-loop testbeds.
- Provide hands-on support for integration and test, launch operations, and on-orbit anomaly resolution.
- Manage avionics component and board-level suppliers.
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship to avionics engineers.
What You Bring To Portal
- Demonstrated experience leading the full development lifecycle of an avionics subsystem on at least one flight program.
- Strong technical judgment in electrical design trades, power budgeting, signal and power integrity, grounding and bonding, EMI/EMC, and component selection.
- Ability to architect modular, software-defined avionics with standardized hardware interfaces and partitioned computing resources.
- Demonstrated ability to decompose complex, loosely defined work into clear tasks that can be executed personally or delegated.
- Ability to provide technical direction, resolve technical conflicts, and influence decisions across disciplines without direct authority.
- Clear written and verbal communication for design reviews, anomaly investigations, test readiness reviews, and program-level technical discussions.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in spacecraft or high-reliability aerospace electronics development.
- Experience as technical lead for an avionics subsystem through flight or qualification.
- Experience designing embedded processor boards (microcontrollers, SoCs, or FPGAs) from schematic through bring-up.
- Experience with spacecraft power systems, including DC/DC conversion, point-of-load regulation, and distribution.
- Experience with spacecraft data interfaces such as SpaceWire, Ethernet, CAN, RS-422/485, or I2C/SPI.
- Knowledge of radiation effects (TID, SEE, latch-up) and mitigation for rad-hard, rad-tolerant, and consumer COTS components, including part screening, shielding, current-limiting and latch-up protection, and error detection and correction.
- Experience with environmental qualification and system-level integration and test.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering.
- Experience with IMA architectures, including time and space partitioning (e.g., ARINC 653) and hypervisor-based computing platforms.
- Experience with software-defined hardware, such as reconfigurable FPGAs and in-flight reprogramming.
- Experience applying MOSA, SOSA, SpaceVPX (VITA 78), or OpenVPX (VITA 65) standards.
- Experience planning and conducting radiation testing of COTS components (heavy ion, proton, and TID).
- Experience with fault-tolerant computing, including redundancy, watchdogs, and EDAC.
- Familiarity with NASA-STD-8739, IPC-6012 Class 3/3A, and GSFC-STD-7000 (GEVS).
- Experience with FPGA development (VHDL/Verilog).
- Proficiency with Altium or Cadence and circuit simulation (SPICE).
Pay Range: $165K to $235K
Compensation and Benefits:
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
At Portal, your base salary is just one part of your total rewards package. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company equity at an exciting time of company growth as well as potential bonuses. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k)-retirement plan, paid parental leave, you may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 12 or more paid holidays per year as well as sick time.
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.
Equal Opportunity Statement
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.