AIT Engineering Team Lead

About the company

ICEYE is a Finnish spacetech company that builds and operates the world's largest SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellite constellation for persistent Earth observation and intelligence.

About this role

Role Highlights: - Title: AIT Engineering Team Lead - Department: Global Manufacturing Organization - Reports to: Head of MAITE, Optics - Location: Lisbon, Portugal - Type of Contract: Permanent - Working model: On-site - Employment is subject to applicable security screening (incl. SUPO, where required) Why this role matters: ICEYE is seeking a Team Lead, AIT Engineering to lead the AIT Engineering function responsible for the assembly, integration, and testing of satellite systems and optical payloads. This is a technical leadership and people management role in an early-stage production environment, where products, processes, and manufacturing capabilities are continuously evolving. You will lead and develop the AIT Engineering team while acting as the technical focal point for AIT activities during spacecraft builds and integration campaigns. The role sits at the interface between Engineering and Production. You will work closely with optical, mechanical, electrical, systems, quality, and production teams to translate design intent into robust, manufacturable, integrable, and testable processes, while ensuring that feedback and issues identified during production are effectively driven back into Engineering. You will also support the integration and validation of externally supplied optical payloads, working with internal engineering teams and external suppliers to ensure successful integration into the satellite platform. The role requires a strong background in spacecraft AIT, system integration, or complex hardware integration, combined with the ability to lead people, coordinate technical activities, develop robust processes, and drive execution in a fast-paced production environment. This is a talent pool posting. We are building our Lisbon manufacturing organisation ahead of site ramp-up. We expect this role to open formally in Q4 2026. Applying now registers your interest early and puts you at the front of the process when the req goes live. Who We Are 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. What you will do - Lead and develop the AIT Engineering team, providing technical direction, mentoring, and clear priorities. - Lead the assembly, integration, and testing of spacecraft systems, acting as the technical focal point during spacecraft builds. - Support the integration and validation of externally supplied optical payloads into the spacecraft platform. - Combine technical leadership with hands-on involvement in spacecraft integration, testing, troubleshooting, and verification. - Ensure AIT readiness before builds, including tools, GSE, procedures, documentation, hardware, and engineering support. - Drive structured problem-solving and root cause analysis of integration and test issues, ensuring lessons learned are fed back into Engineering and production. - Act as the bridge between Production and Engineering, translating design requirements into practical, manufacturable, and testable integration processes. - Work closely with Systems, Mechanical, Electrical, Optical, Quality, Manufacturing, and external suppliers to resolve integration challenges. - Define and continuously improve AIT processes, procedures, test methods, tooling, fixtures, and technical documentation. - Support production ramp-up by improving integration efficiency, repeatability, reliability, and scalability. - Mentor engineers and build strong technical capabilities within the AIT organization. What we’re looking for Must haves: - 5+ years of hands-on experience in spacecraft AIT, system integration, testing, or production of complex hardware systems. - Strong experience with spacecraft integration and system-level testing across multiple engineering disciplines. - Experience with optical systems, optomechanics, optical payloads, or Earth Observation systems. - Experience working with complex precision hardware in cleanroom or controlled environments. - Strong system-level understanding across mechanical, electrical, optical, and systems engineering. - Experience with DFM / DFT principles and translating design requirements into manufacturable and testable solutions. - Experience with AIT processes, test procedures, verification, and technical documentation. - Experience with GSE, tooling, fixtures, or test setups used for integration and testing. - Strong troubleshooting skills, including structured root cause analysis and corrective actions. - Experience working with MES, ERP, test data management, or similar production systems. - Experience with Lean manufacturing or continuous improvement methodologies. - Strong understanding of configuration-controlled production and engineering environments. - Strong communication and stakeholder management skills. - Strong written and spoken English. Nice-to-haves: - Experience with optical alignment and metrology, including focus, tilt, centering, boresight, interferometry, collimators, or MTF. - Experience supporting environmental testing, such as thermal vacuum, vibration, or EMC. - Experience working with external suppliers or partners, particularly payload su