Lead Project System Architect (SmallSats)

About Us

Founded in 2006, AVS Added Value Solutions is a leading high-tech engineering company with 20 years of experience delivering complex, pivotal projects across Fusion Energy, Scientific Innovation, Particle Accelerators, and Space.

Our track record includes three proprietary LUR-family satellites currently in orbit, which have successfully demonstrated the maturity of our platform architecture, subsystems, and LEO operations. Building on this flight heritage, we leverage our modular LUR-100 platform to support demanding institutional missions, including the ESA ARRAKIHS project and the development of the Canary Islands Satellite Constellation (Constelación Canaria).

To drive these ambitious initiatives forward, we are currently scaling our Space Division to advance our SmallSat capabilities.

About the Role

As a System Architect, you will serve as the formal Design Authority for the mission-level technical decisions that power our spacecraft missions and ground segment infrastructure. You will bridge mission-level goals and technical execution, leading the end-to-end lifecycle of our SmallSat platforms. Beyond technical leadership, you will play a central role in strategic decisions, acting as the technical conscience of our missions to ensure high-reliability standards while defining the future of our modular satellite platforms and supporting our growth across the space and science sectors.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the technical aspects of proposal generation, contract negotiations, and risk management (FMEA/FDIR), acting as the primary arbiter for mission‑critical trade‑offs.
• Act as the formal Design Authority for all mission‑level technical decisions, maintaining the Verification Control Document (VCD) baseline throughout the mission lifecycle.
• Establish and evolve the system technical baseline from early definition through to launch, managing changes, anomalies, and non‑conformances through formal configuration control.
• Orchestrate technical interdependencies across the entire mission ecosystem (Space, Ground, Launch, and User Segments), ensuring seamless interface compatibility and data flow.
• Own the creation and maintenance of mission‑level technical interface documentation, spacecraft user manuals, and technical specifications, ensuring full alignment with flight procedures.
• Oversee requirement verification and coordinate AIT, AIV, and qualification activities at both system and subsystem levels, including launch campaign support.

What We Are Looking For

We welcome candidates with diverse backgrounds and recognize that great talent comes from various paths. If you meet most of the following criteria, we encourage you to apply:

• Comfortable operating in a lean, fast‑paced SME or compact team environment where resourcefulness, pragmatism, and hands‑on problem‑solving are essential.
• Proven track record of acting as a formal Technical/Design Authority with accountability for high‑stakes mission‑level outcomes.
• Expert‑level configuration management; you are comfortable managing the evolution of the technical baseline and tracking all changes/deviations through formal processes.
• Experience in concurrent engineering methodologies and Model‑Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) to accelerate cross‑disciplinary decision‑making.
• Proficiency in established platforms (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Epsilon 3, Valispace) combined with the ability to develop internal analysis tools and automated scripts.
• Ideally 8+ years of relevant experience, with a proven record of at least 4 years specifically as a System Architect or Lead Systems Engineer in SmallSat or complex space missions.
• In‑depth knowledge or practical experience in two or more of the following: Avionics, FDIR, or Electrical Power Systems (EPS).
• Comfortable interacting directly with customers (institutional and commercial), with advanced communication skills in English; fluency in Spanish is a strong asset.
• University degree in Aerospace Engineering or a related technical discipline.

We Offer

• We can hire talent based in either Spain (our primary location) or the UK.
• You will enjoy a flexible hybrid working setup from your local country, collaborating closely with our international teams across borders.
• We support a healthy lifestyle with flexible working hours and opportunities for temporary mobile work abroad.
• A welcoming onboarding process designed to set you up for success, including the assignment of a dedicated "buddy" during your first few months.

Eligibility & Work Model

• Work Eligibility: Candidates must hold EU/UK citizenship or a valid full work permit for Spain/UK. We are strictly unable to provide visa sponsorship for these positions, and we can currently only consider applicants with an existing right to work in the country.
• Work Model: Some activities must be carried out on‑site at our facilities, while others are location‑independent and can be performed effectively in a hybrid or remote setup.