Description

RF Payloads Principal Engineer for ESA Projects, in the RF Payload Engineering and Digital Equipment Section, RF Payloads and Technology Division, Electrical Department, Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.

The RF Payload Engineering and Digital Equipment Section provides functional support to ESA projects and carries out technological research (R&D) in the fields of telecommunication payloads and subsystems, microwave and millimetre wave remote sensing instruments and navigation payloads exploiting analog, digital and optical on-board technologies. Additionally, the Section covers the research, design, development and testing of radio frequency digital equipment as well as payload signal and data processing techniques for RF payloads and microwave remote sensing instruments.

In your first years in the role, you will be primarily assigned to provide support to the GENESIS mission in the Directorate of Navigation.

GENESIS will be the first-ever satellite with all four space-based geodetic techniques – VLBI, GNSS, DORIS, SLR – on-board. The main objective of the mission, expected to launch in 2027 is to support the improvement of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF). The improvements to the ITRF will have an immediate impact and will improve multiple geodetic and geophysical observables, as well as precise navigation and positioning, and will strengthen the geodetic infrastructure, including the Galileo constellation, by reducing the systematic biases between different techniques.
ESA – GENESIS of a new Earth: join ESA’s Earth measurement mission

If selected for this position, you will report functionally to the Head of the GENESIS Project Office in the Future Navigation Department within the Directorate of Navigation. You will be responsible for the follow up of the developments and qualification of the GENESIS payload and instruments, supporting their accommodation and integration on the satellite platform, as well as the development of the mission and the scientific ground segment for GENESIS operations.

Duties

With a dual reporting line to the Head of Section and the Head of the GENESIS Project Office, your main tasks and responsibilities will include:

• defining and coordinating GENESIS instrument engineering-related activities within the ESA project and industrial consortium and liaising with entities both within and external to the Agency with the objective of ensuring that the instruments fulfil the GENESIS system requirements. The instruments are:
  • the Very Large Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Transmitter;
  • the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) Receiver;
  • the Doppler Orbitography and Radio-positioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS) Receiver;
  • the Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) Corner Cube.
• monitor and controlling payload performance allocation and budgeting;
• continuously assessing and reviewing the instruments’ design, including critical analysis and maintenance of all technical and performance budgets and instrument interfaces, and timely investigation of corrective actions where necessary;
• playing an integral role in the organisation and execution of project reviews such as preliminary design reviews and critical design reviews;
• overseeing the planning, preparation and implementation of a consistent and effective verification programme for the instruments, supervising verification activities at instrument level and non-conformance assessment and follow-up, with participation in satellite level integration and testing as required;
• monitoring the development of performance assessment tools, including instrument simulators and models in industry or internally, and analysing impacts on the mission performance;
• contributing to setting up lean processes and engineering boards, for example required to monitor the developments and ensuring the quality of the engineering activities, in close cooperation with the PA Manager and the GENESIS Project Team;
• supporting the development and implementation of the scientific ground segment, for implementation of ground systems that allow cost-effective achievement of mission requirements in the routine phase;
• reporting regularly on the progress, status, schedule, risks and outcome of managed activities, including realistic forecasting of milestone completion dates and resource usage. Identifying and assessing technical and programmatic risks, as well as proposing mitigations;
• participating in procurement related tasks, proposals, change request evaluations and negotiations;
• providing expert technical support and consultancy to other ESA projects, programmes and general studies in the field of navigation and RF payloads throughout all project phases;
• contributing to the definition of technology development requirements and work plans for the Agency’s technology programmes in the field of navigation and RF payloads, in co-operation with ESA’s specialists in the different domains;
• defining, initiating and managing R&D activities covering both long- and short-term needs;
• fostering new application areas for multidisciplinary activities, placing emphasis on innovative concepts, cutting-edge technologies and system architectures;
• monitoring applicable scientific and technological trends and maintaining a state-of-the-art expertise;
• contributing to the dissemination of the results of the activities performed and the transfer of knowledge across the Agency.

Your duties may also include supporting other activities within your field of competence.

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking

Education

A master’s degree in navigation, telecommunications, physics, electronics or RF/microwave engineering is required for this post.

Additional requirements

Very good understanding of RF payloads for space applications such as navigation, Earth observation, and/or satellite communications, including the functionality, architectures and key performance parameters specification and evaluation is required.

Solid, hands-on experience in the development of RF payloads or a relevant subsystem in a project or procurement environment is required.

Ability to coordinate the activities of support functions and experience in working efficiently with scientific teams.

Demonstrated ability to handle pressure as may typically occur in a project team and to work autonomously, effectively and cooperatively in a diverse, international team environment.

Proven technical, analytical, organisational and reporting skills, with a proactive attitude to solving problems and an interest in innovative technologies and methodologies.