The posting
Here at The Exploration Company, we are building spacecrafts for humanity.
MISSION
We are developing, manufacturing, and operating Nyx, a modular and reusable spacecraft which will carry cargo to space stations and potentially humans in the longer run.
We are seeking an experienced Certification Engineer to join our Thermal Control System & Environmental Control and Life Support System team. You will be responsible for leading, coordinating, and driving the certification and verification closure activities of the Nyx Thermal Control System (TCS) and Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) in support of vehicle qualification, NASA certification, and flight acceptance.
The role serves as the primary focal point between the TCS & ECLSS teams, System Engineering, Verification & Validation, Chief Engineering Office, AIT, Program, Safety Engineering, and external stakeholders. The Certification Engineer ensures that TCS and ECLSS requirements are properly allocated, verified, traceable, and closed with appropriate evidence, while maintaining alignment with NASA SSP requirements, Data Item Deliverables (DIDs), verification plans, and Safety Review Panel expectations.
The position requires a strong understanding of spacecraft systems engineering, thermal engineering, verification methodologies, qualification logic, and agency review processes to ensure that technical evidence across both subsystems is complete, credible, traceable, and accepted by the certification authorities.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
LEAD THERMAL & ECLSS VERIFICATION CLOSURE ACTIVITIES
- Own the verification closure process for TCS and ECLSS, from subsystem level through spacecraft-level qualification.
- Ensure TCS and ECLSS requirements are allocated to appropriate verification methods.
- Coordinate the preparation, execution, and closure of verification events with analysts, product owners, subsystem engineers, system engineers, and test teams.
- Maintain consistency between the TCS & ECLSS verification strategies and spacecraft-level verification planning.
- Ensure analyses, test reports, inspection records, NCRs, requirement justifications, and review documentation are available to support certification closure.
- Support the preparation of qualification, certification, and flight readiness reviews.
- Ensure consistency of verification logic and evidence across TCS and ECLSS, particularly for requirements, interfaces, functions, or verification activities involving both subsystems.
MANAGE NASA REQUIREMENT COMPLIANCE AND VERIFICATION PRODUCT
- Act as the TCS & ECLSS focal point for NASA certification and verification activities.
- Coordinate the closure of applicable NASA SSP requirements and associated verification products, including the DIDs.
- Ensure consistency between analyses, test results, requirements, qualification rationale, and certification documentation across both subsystems.
- Maintain alignment between NASA verification expectations and TEC verification approaches.
- Coordinate with TCS and ECLSS technical owners to ensure certification evidence is technically robust and delivered according to program and customer milestones.
LEAD THERMAL & ECLSS CONTRIBUTIONS TO SAFETY REVIEWS
- Prepare and coordinate TCS & ECLSS contributions to NASA Safety Reviews.
- Ensure TCS and ECLSS hazards, controls, verification evidence, and closure rationale are fully documented.
- Support and coordinate the development of safety review presentations and supporting technical packages.
- Ensure consistency between hazard reports, verification evidence, and qualification activities.
- Coordinate with Safety Engineering and subsystem technical owners to ensure certification evidence supporting hazard-control verification is identified and available.
SUPPORT QUALIFICATION AND TEST CAMPAIGNS
- Ensure qualification, acceptance, development, and integrated test campaigns provide the evidence required for certification.
- Identify verification gaps early and drive mitigation actions.
- Support preparation of verification plans, qualification matrices, and closure notices.
- Participate in major test reviews and assess certification impacts of anomalies and non-conformances.
- Support requirement closure from TVAC, Thermal Balance, functional testing, and integrated spacecraft verification campaigns.
- Drive the closure of actions and verification-related NCRs
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
TECHNICAL
- MSc or equivalent degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
- Strong understanding of spacecraft thermal control system, ECLSS, and spacecraft development processes.
- Experience with spacecraft verification and qualification methodologies.
- Familiarity with NASA and/or ECSS verification standards, requirements management, verification matrices, and closure processes.
- Understanding of thermal analyses, thermal testing, qualification logic, and evidence generation.
EXPERIENCE
- 8+ years of experience in spacecraft development, system engineering, verification, certification, or thermal engineering.
- Experience supporting spacecraft design reviews and qualification campaigns.
- Experience interfacing with external customers, agencies, or certification authorities.
- Experience managing complex technical documentation and evidence packages.
PERSONAL SKILLS
- Strong organization, coordination, technical writing, and communication skills.
- Ability to drive closure of multidisciplinary actions across engineering teams.
- High level of rigor, traceability, and attention to detail.
- Ability to challenge assumptions and ensure certification readiness.
- Comfort presenting technical material to senior engineering leadership and external review boards.
Why you should join us!
What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:
- We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind
- We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them
- We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?
We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.
The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.
All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible.
If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.
