Hardware-in-the-Loop Engineer - Huracan Rocket Engine

Here at The Exploration Company, we are building spacecraft for humanity.

About the role

The Exploration Company is developing Huracan, a cryogenic rocket engine. The engine integrates e-pumps, power electronics, valves, embedded software, and control systems. We are seeking a Hardware-in-the-Loop Engineer to develop and operate HIL platforms for verifying the ECU, PDU, Valve Controller, inverter, electric pumps, and associated software. You will connect real hardware to real-time simulations, automate testing and data analysis, and develop emulator hardware for sensors, actuators, interfaces, and subsystem behaviour.

You will verify nominal and fault conditions while ensuring test repeatability, traceability, and early fault detection. You will work closely with propulsion, embedded-software, power-electronics, control-systems, and hardware engineers to validate Huracan from simulation through laboratory testing.

Key responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain the HIL test environment for our engine propulsion system, from engine controller board level up to the integrated propulsion subsystem

• Define and implement the hardware and software architecture of the propulsion HIL bench, including signal conditioning, load and fault-insertion hardware, and real-time targets

• Integrate real-time plant models (e.g., feed system, valves, pumps and motors, combustion chamber, thermal behaviour) into NI VeriStand and close the loop with the engine control unit

• Emulate and simulate the sensors the controller depends on (e.g., pressure transducers, thermocouples and RTDs, flow meters, position and speed feedback) with flight-representative electrical characteristics

• Emulate or integrate actuators and power electronics, such as valve drivers, motor inverters, igniters, and their control units, as real hardware, electrical loads, or models

• Develop LabVIEW-based applications for desktop and real-time platforms (e.g., PXI, cRIO), including custom devices and bus interfaces (e.g., CAN, RS-422/485, Ethernet)

• Implement fault injection at the electrical and model level to verify engine start-up, shutdown, and abort sequences as well as FDIR behaviour

• Support test execution, data acquisition, logging, and automated reporting during verification campaigns

• Validate and correlate simulation models against component-level and engine test data together with the propulsion team

• Create and maintain technical documentation, including architecture specifications, interface definitions, model and code documentation, and user guides

• Debug and troubleshoot across the bench, the models, and the unit under test, and continuously improve the test platform

You will be in charge of

• Delivering a robust and scalable HIL platform whose models, I/O configuration, and test sequences can be reused across engine configurations and projects

• Running control loops and plant models deterministically at the rates the engine controller requires, using NI hardware, LabVIEW RT, and FPGA where timing demands it

• Defining test automation workflows using NI TestStand and integrating them into the propulsion and system-level verification process

• Coordinating closely with propulsion, avionics, and flight software engineers to ensure requirements traceability and test coverage

• Keeping models, bench hardware, and test software under configuration control so that every test run is reproducible

• Contributing to the continuous evolution of our HiL infrastructure, with an emphasis on performance, reliability, and maintainability

• Ensuring all solutions meet space-grade quality and safety standards, aligned with project requirements

Must-Have Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Control Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field

• Hands-on experience building and operating HIL test benches for closed-loop control systems (e.g., engine, motor, or actuator controllers)

• Proficiency in LabVIEW, including desktop and real-time application development

• Hands-on experience with NI VeriStand in real-time test environments, including integration of simulation models (e.g., Simulink, FMU, or C/C++)

• Experience emulating sensors and actuators at the electrical level (e.g., analog, thermocouple/RTD, frequency and PWM, discrete I/O) and working with motor drives or inverters

• Familiarity with NI TestStand for test automation and execution management

• Solid understanding of test platform architectures, hardware/software integration, and real-time systems

• Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills, with a structured and methodical approach

• Ability to write and integrate Python scripts to extend test workflows or support automation tasks

Nice-to-Have

• Experience with LabVIEW FPGA, for example for high-speed sensor emulation or motor and inverter simulation

• Background in liquid rocket propulsion or in fluid and thermal system modelling

• Experience with fault-insertion hardware and FDIR verification

• Familiarity with ECSS standards or equivalent aerospace standards such as DO-178C

• Experience supporting engine or integrated system test campaigns

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.