AIT / AIV
AIT/AIV engineers physically build and prove spacecraft – assembly, environmental test, verification. We place the hands-on specialists who make sure hardware survives launch and space.
What AIT / AIV engineers actually do.
Assembly, Integration & Test (AIT) and Assembly, Integration & Verification (AIV) engineers physically build spacecraft – assembling subsystems, running the test campaigns (thermal-vacuum, vibration, EMC) that prove a spacecraft will survive launch and space, and verifying it meets every requirement before shipment.
This is hands-on, physical-hardware work that can’t be learned from a screen – clean-room discipline, test-equipment fluency and an instinct for what “looks wrong” on real hardware take real time in the field to build.
Why this hire is hard.
- Hands-on, physical-hardware experience that can’t be learned from a screen
- Test campaigns are high-stakes and unforgiving of mistakes
- Experienced AIT/AIV engineers are trusted, retained assets on the programmes that trained them
- Clean-room discipline and specific test-equipment fluency take real time in the field to build
- Genuinely combines mechanical, electrical and procedural rigour in one role
Roles, technologies and seniority we cover
Roles we cover
AIT Engineer, AIV Engineer, Test Engineer, Integration Engineer, Environmental Test Engineer, AIT/AIV Lead, Head of AIT.
Technologies & competencies
Thermal-vacuum & vibration testing, EMC/EMI testing, clean-room assembly procedures, test equipment operation, non-conformance & anomaly tracking, mechanical/electrical integration procedures.
Seniority levels
Graduate/Technician through Senior AIT Engineer, AIT/AIV Lead and Head of AIT.
Typical candidate profiles
Mechanical, electrical or aerospace engineering backgrounds, often with hands-on lab or manufacturing experience; technician-route candidates with strong hands-on records are equally valuable at this level.
Relevant industries
Satellite manufacturers, launch vehicle primes, defence & space primes, new-space.
Related disciplines & insights
Systems Engineering
Where verification requirements originate.
Avionics
Hardware AIT/AIV engineers assemble and test.
Why hands-on hardware experience can’t be shortcut
What separates a strong AIT/AIV hire from a design-only engineer.