Senior On-board Hardware Architect and Designer

About the Company

Vimotek is a SpaceTech company in Luleå that develops technical solutions which are key components to enable the emerging industrialization of space. The company's first product is targeted at companies that are constructing new satellites to perform various types of advanced missions. The product—the Vimotek NavCam 1 Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) Kit—is a sensor package that gives satellites the ability to see and understand different objects in space, allowing them to approach and interact with them. Vimotek was founded in 2022 and today the company’s team consists of 17 individuals, 14 of whom are based in Luleå.

Vimotek’s solution

The Vimotek NavCam-1 RPO Kit is a subsystem for satellites—a plug-and-play product that will offer spacecraft manufacturers a scalable full solution for spacecraft vision and relative navigation, for use cases in the domains of Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO), On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM), In Space Operations and Services (ISOS), Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Asset Protection (SAP). The product combines three complementary vision sensors (visual camera, thermal camera, and LiDAR) with edge computing power and image processing software to provide actionable navigation data in real-time and ensure successful missions. All sensor systems and associated software are developed in-house by Vimotek.

Our unique approach to sensing and perception in space

The current way for spacecraft manufacturers and operators to gain RPO capability is to build a new technical solution for each satellite and mission, something that is both extremely expensive and does not work for all use cases due to the existing sensor technology not having the right performance. Vimotek’s solution is to develop new high-performance sensors and package them together with intelligent software into a plug-and-play product that can be used by many different customers for many different satellites and cutting-edge use cases. This approach is not the usual way of doing things; Vimotek’s solution is unique in the world.

What have we achieved so far?

Vimotek’s first solution is still under development, but the company has already started to make its mark on the space industry. Most notably, in competition with some of the large market-leading companies, Vimotek’s consortium won the call from the European Defence Fund (EDF) to create a concept for how European satellites can defend themselves against man-made threats in space.

• Bodyguard aims to develop building blocks for autonomous space situational awareness capabilities onboard satellites to increase Europe's independence and superiority in space. The project emerges as a ground-breaking collaborative initiative aimed at elevating the on-board threat detection, assessment and monitoring, as well as protection and resilience capabilities of space assets against a diverse range of threats. In close proximity, it can detect weak points of the threat satellite and counteract with a robot or laser. – The European Commission

What’s the challenge?

This role will be a key person in developing the Vimotek products and will initially be responsible for the electronics architecture, design, prototyping and testing. Key technical contact in discussion with strategic suppliers regarding robust electronical components. Will also take part in interaction with international space customers to understand their requirements and collaborate on prototypes and demonstrators.

Skills & Requirements

• At least 5 years’ experience of design of high reliability electronics (schematic and layout) in OrCad including SOCs, FPGAs, MCUs, power supplies, optoelectronics, TECs, analogue and digital signal processing, communication interfaces, etc.
• Experience from electronics development for robust safety critical applications, preferably for space but otherwise for industry, automotive, aerospace or defence.
• Need to have the ability to work in a startup environment balancing high demands from customers with restricted budget and a small growing team.
• A driven developer that gets things done
• Team player and technical leader that together with customer and a team of young engineers can quickly develop a product from concept, reviews to qualification and manufacturing
• Good to have would also be experience in FPGA FW development

The company’s primary language is English, proficiency in additional languages is a plus.

Location: Primarily on site in Luleå, but Stockholm or hybrid can be discussed

Join Vimotek and be part of an exciting journey as we develop cutting-edge products and contribute to industrialization of space.