Embedded Systems Engineer

Open Cosmos Ltd
Didcot, OX11 0RL, United Kingdom
3 weeks ago
Job Type
Permanent
Work Pattern
Full-time
Work Location
On-site
Seniority
Mid
Education
Degree
Posted
6 May 2026 (3 weeks ago)

Aim high, go beyond!

At Open Cosmos we are solving the world’s biggest challenges from space, providing businesses, governments and researchers access to more readily available information than ever before - ready for the challenge? Then read on…

The Satcom team is responsible for the design, delivery and performance of Open Cosmos’ satellite communications services, spanning the space segment, ground infrastructure and global connectivity.

The team are currently looking for an Embedded Systems Engineer, who’ll design and develop the real-time embedded software and firmware that powers critical hardware across both ground and space systems.

What will you be doing?

Key elements of the role will include:

  • Develop embedded software and firmware for real-time control and telemetry systems

  • Design FPGA and firmware solutions using VHDL/Verilog for high-speed hardware control

  • Build and optimise embedded C/C++ applications within RTOS environments

  • Implement deterministic control loops and low-level hardware interfaces

  • Develop robust communication protocols across digital and RF subsystems

  • Design fault-tolerant and resilient system architectures for high-reliability environments

  • Support hardware-in-the-loop testing, integration, debugging, and verification activities

  • Optimise performance, power consumption, and memory usage in constrained embedded systems

  • Contribute to secure remote management and monitoring capabilities for deployed systems

  • Work closely with systems, hardware, RF, and software teams to deliver integrated solutions

What You’ll bring

  • Strong knowledge of embedded systems operating within real-time or constrained environments

  • Proficiency in embedded C/C++ and RTOS-based development

  • Strong capability in FPGA and firmware development using VHDL, Verilog, or similar HDL technologies

  • Solid understanding of low-level communication interfaces such as SPI, I²C, UART, CAN, or Ethernet

  • Capability in debugging and verification using tools such as JTAG, logic analysers, or HIL environments

  • Strong understanding of fault-tolerant and resilient embedded system design principles

  • Knowledge of high-speed interfaces and integration between FPGA, DSP, and RF systems

  • A methodical approach to problem-solving with strong attention to detail

  • Strong collaboration and communication skills across multidisciplinary engineering teams

  • Awareness of high-reliability engineering practices within aerospace, defence, or similarly demanding environments

This role will be based in any of our locations.

To apply, you must have the legal right to work in your chosen location.

When applying, please submit your CV in English.

Why Open Cosmos?

  • Work at the cutting edge of space technology with customers around the globe

  • A mission-driven company making space accessible to help solve real-world challenges

  • A diverse, ambitious, and supportive team

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Embedded Software & Systems Engineer

Reed Eh89Ru, Alba / Scotland, EH8 9RU, United Kingdom
£45,000 – £75,000 pa Hybrid

Control Systems Engineer

Rolls Royce Bristol, United Kingdom
Hybrid Clearance Required

Senior Systems Engineer

Alexander Associates United Kingdom
On-site

Systems Engineer

DCS Recruitment Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
£45,000 – £50,000 pa Hybrid Clearance Required

Senior AOCS Systems Engineer

Open Cosmos Ltd Didcot, OX11 0RL, United Kingdom
On-site

Avionics Engineer

IT Search & Select Swindon, United Kingdom
£55,000 – £70,000 pa On-site

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Where to Advertise Space Jobs in the UK (2026 Guide)

Where to advertise space jobs UK in 2026: the specialist boards, agency channels and community routes that reach satellite, propulsion and launch talent. The candidate pool spans satellite engineers, propulsion specialists, mission analysts, ground segment software developers, space systems architects and commercial space professionals — a highly specific multidisciplinary community that general job boards are poorly equipped to reach. The strongest space candidates are often embedded in ESA programmes, academic research groups, UK Space Agency-funded projects or established primes, and move between roles through sector-specific networks, industry bodies and conference communities rather than mainstream platforms. This guide, published by UKSpaceJobs.co.uk, covers where to advertise space industry roles in the UK in 2026, how the main platforms compare, what employers should expect to pay, and what the data says about hiring across different role types.

Space Jobs UK 2026: What to Expect Over the Next 3 Years

Space Jobs UK 2026: roles, salaries and the UK space sector hiring trends shaping satellites, launch, Earth observation and space data careers. The UK space sector is in the middle of something that feels genuinely historic. A combination of government commitment, private capital, and technological progress has transformed Britain's position in the global space economy from a capable but secondary player into a nation with serious sovereign ambitions — and a jobs market that is expanding to match them. This is not the space industry of previous generations, defined by a small number of government agencies, a handful of prime contractors, and career pathways accessible only to a narrow band of elite engineers and scientists. The new space economy is broader, faster-moving, and more commercially driven than anything the sector has previously seen. Satellite manufacturing has been democratised by small sat technology. Launch is becoming domestic. Space data is flowing into applications across agriculture, insurance, climate monitoring, maritime, and defence at a scale that is creating entirely new categories of commercial hiring. And the defence and national security dimensions of space have elevated the sector's strategic importance to a degree that is driving sustained public investment in the talent pipeline. For job seekers, the UK space jobs market of 2026 represents an opportunity that is both more accessible and more technically demanding than at any previous point. The candidates who will thrive over the next three years are those who understand where the sector is heading — which programmes are moving from development into operation, which technologies are defining the architecture of modern space systems, and how the definition of a space career is expanding well beyond the spacecraft engineering core toward a much wider ecosystem of roles across the full space value chain. This article breaks down what the UK space jobs market is likely to look like through to 2028 — covering the titles emerging right now, the technologies driving employer demand, the skills that will matter most, and how to position your career at the leading edge of one of the most exciting sectors in the UK economy.