Senior Electric Propulsion Engineer

About ICEYE

ICEYE is the world leader in sovereign intelligence from space. We deliver persistent monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to changes in any location on Earth.

ICEYE owns the world's largest and most advanced SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellite constellation. To our customers we provide intelligence with unmatched quality, latency and revisit times, in any weather, day or night. To governments who choose to operate their own constellation we provide this proven capability as a sovereign system.

ICEYE-built constellations serve customers in defence and intelligence, environmental monitoring, insurance and emergency management. We enable fast decisions that contribute to a safer future.

Founded and headquartered in Finland, ICEYE operates globally with over 1000 employees across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.

At ICEYE, you’ll join a diverse and highly engaged team united by the ambition to make the impossible possible. As a global scale-up, we combine speed and ambition with the opportunity to take real ownership from day one. Your growth, wellbeing, and success are a priority, with continuous professional development, training opportunities, and a culture where collaboration is how we win.

Make the impossible possible: We set ambitious goals and stay calm under pressure. We bring grit, optimism, and ownership when things get hard, and we keep moving until we find a way.

Be curious: Go deep, ask questions, listen carefully, and think critically. Understand the “why” behind decisions.

Stay close to what’s happening across the company so you can make better decisions. Consider how your work affects others.

We win together. We match tasks to the right owner and stay agile as priorities shift.

Responsibilities

• Department: AOCS Hardware

Reports to: Engineering Manager AOCS Hardware

• ICEYE needs a senior, hands-on Hall Effect Thruster engineer in the AOCS Hardware team to own the maturation and qualification of the propulsion subsystem around the thruster (FCU, feed system, tanks, PPU, valves, harness). The role runs from early trade-offs through ground test facilities, qualification, production handoff and on-orbit anomaly work. Success at 12 months looks like a qualified, production-ready peripheral architecture with a working test flow and suppliers handing over repeatable builds.
• Design and trade-offs: Lead design and performance trade-offs for the propulsion subsystem, and mature the supporting hardware (FCU, feed/tank systems, PPUs, valves, cabling) with clear architectures, requirements and verification paths.
• Modeling and analysis: Run analytical modeling and simulation of propulsion system behavior (thermal, plume, and spacecraft interaction effects) to support design decisions.
• Test and qualification: Set up and operate ground test facilities and testbeds, and plan and run functional, environmental and lifetime test campaigns, including acceptance criteria and procedures.
• Production readiness and suppliers: Work with vendors, research institutions and integrators on co-development and supply chain coordination, and define production-readiness criteria, test/inspection flows and supplier handoffs.
• On-orbit performance and documentation: Monitor in-flight propulsion performance, lead anomaly investigations and corrective actions, and keep test reports, technical rationale and qualification records up to date.

Requirements

• Educational background in Aerospace Engineering, Plasma Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• At least 6 years of experience working with electric propulsion systems, preferably Hall Effect Thrusters, in design, test, or operation.
• Proven background in plasma physics, electric propulsion modeling, or space system engineering.
• Experience with designing or evaluating PPUs and power interfaces for propulsion systems.
• Strong analytical skills and experience using numerical tools for thermal, plasma, or fluid simulations (e.g. COMSOL, ANSYS, SPIS, MATLAB).
• Hands-on experience with laboratory plasma diagnostics, test setup and electrical test equipment (oscilloscopes, power supplies, thrust stands, HV instrumentation).
• Experience designing or commissioning ground test facilities, with good understanding of vacuum systems, contamination control and safe HV testing practices.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work across disciplines (mechanical, avionics, GNC, systems).

Preferred

• Experience with qualification, flight-certification or qualification test campaigns for propulsion subsystems.
• Familiarity with high-voltage system design, thermal vacuum testing, lifetime/erosion testing and spacecraft contamination considerations.
• Proficiency with Python and Git for data analysis, tooling or automation; C/C++ experience to liaise with flight software teams is a plus.
• Experience managing suppliers, procurement and technical deliverables for critical spacecraft subsystems.

Benefits

• Have fun: What we do matters—and it should be enjoyable. Celebrate progress, take pride in results, and share the wins.
• Our benefits are designed to support your health and wellbeing, at work and beyond. We keep improving them based on employee feedback, and offerings vary by location. Talent Acquisition will confirm what applies for this role and location during the process.

Role highlights

• Senior Electric Propulsion Engineer
• Location: Espoo, Finland / Warsaw, Poland

Employment type: Permanent

Workplace model: Hybrid (3 days in the office)

Employment is subject to applicable security screening (incl. SUPO, where required)

Application Process

• Recruiter Interview (30 mins online)
• Hiring Manager Interview (30 mins online)
• Technical Interview (60 mins online)
• Technical Workshop (90 mins onsite)
• Director Interview (60 mins onsite)
• Working at ICEYE

Drive effective teamwork

Create psychological safety, invite different perspectives, and build inclusive teams. There are no bad questions.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We want ICEYE to be a place where people can be themselves and do great work. Different backgrounds and perspectives make us stronger, which is why we work to create an environment where people feel included, respected, and able to speak up. Whatever your background, we want you to bring your authentic self to the table.

We’re committed to fair, inclusive hiring and equal opportunity. Everyone is welcome to apply. If you need any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, tell us—we’ll do our best to help.

Apply now to start your ICEYE journey, and help us continue to make the impossible possible together. Read more about ICEYE and working with us at iceye.com