Validation & Verification Engineer
Oxfordshire, UK | Hybrid (2 days onsite)
Industry: Space Systems, Embedded Software, Test Engineering

A UK-based space company is hiring a Validation & Verification Engineer to join their Flight Software team. You’ll be working on critical real-time embedded systems that control satellites in orbit, helping make sure the software behaves exactly as intended before it flies.

This role is focused on testing and verifying low-level flight software. If you enjoy writing test scripts, building test environments, and digging into system behaviour at a detailed level, this one’s for you.

What You’ll Do

• Design and run test cases for embedded flight software

• Review and validate technical specs, ICDs, and requirements

• Write automated test scripts using Python

• Help set up simulation environments to support software testing

• Work closely with system and subsystem teams to understand software needs

• Support mission-level simulations and validation campaigns

• Be part of a team ensuring reliability for hardware that’s heading into space

✅ What You’ll Need

• Solid experience writing and automating software tests

• Strong Python skills (especially for testing workflows and scripting)

• Familiarity with real-time embedded systems (C/C++)

• Understanding of the software lifecycle in critical environments

• Hands-on with Git and managing software in a test or CI/CD context

• Background in aerospace, space, or similar high-reliability domains

• Experience with test setups for hardware or hybrid systems

⭐ Nice to Have

• Experience with real-time OS like VxWorks or RTEMS

• Knowledge of protocols like CCSDS, CAN, or SpaceWire

• Familiarity with ECSS standards, especially ECSS-E-ST-40C

• Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and versioned test environments

• Any background with NASA cFS or SPARC/PowerPC architectures

• Experience building test environments or test interfaces

• Linux admin or scripting skills (Bash, Make, etc.)

Why This Role?

• You’ll test software that controls real spacecraft

• Your work will directly impact flight safety and mission success

• You’ll be part of a close-knit team where quality really matters

• It’s a technical, hands-on job, not just compliance or checklists

• The company is building real flight hardware, and you’ll help make it fly

If you enjoy turning complex requirements into reliable, well-tested software that ends up in orbit, this is a great opportunity to put those skills to use. Get in touch.

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Adam Slade