Space System Engineer (Roster recruitment)

This job opportunity is for the purposes of roster recruitment.

ESA is initiating a roster recruitment process to meet the consistently high demand for Space System Engineers in support of the Agency’s cutting-edge space projects and programmes. This roster will comprise of pre-assessed, pre-approved candidates who have already undergone basic screening conducted by an external background screening service. If selected, you will remain on the roster for a period of 24 months, during which you will be fast-tracked for potential positions in upcoming projects. While inclusion in the roster does not guarantee recruitment, it positions you as a valuable resource to fill ESA's future vacancies. When a relevant position arises, your candidacy will be reviewed. You will be invited to a brief follow-up interview and, if successful, an offer will be made. No action is required on your part if you are placed on a roster; ESA will contact you directly about relevant opportunities.

ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.

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Post
Space System Engineer (Roster recruitment)

This post is classified A2-A4 on the Coordinated Organisations’ salary scale.

Workplace
Noordwijk, Cologne, Darmstadt, Frascati, Harwell, Paris, Redu, Villanueva de la Cañada (Madrid)

Description of Space Engineering at ESA

Space System Engineering is the process of designing, developing and verifying a space system as a single, integrated system that can deliver a mission on time and in line with mission requirements and constraints.

Many separate elements go into making a space system, with individual subsystems developed by specialist teams. Space System Engineers, however, focus on the space system as a whole. They translate the needs from the users, design the system architecture, define its build strategy and oversee the integration of subsystems to form the final result.
Following an initial phase of mission requirements definition and feasibility design, the ESA System Engineers supervise, manage and monitor the implementation made by industrial contractors, interact with launcher services and manage the activities until the end of the mission.

Duties of the Space System Engineer

The elements below highlight the types of responsibilities and tasks that a Space System Engineer can carry out when supporting space projects and programmes at ESA. Your specific duties will be further defined depending on the final appointment.

• System Architecture and Operations: Establishing and consolidating the end-to-end system architecture and operations concept in line with mission requirements and needs;
• System Design and Evaluation: Performing and evaluating system design trade-off studies where required to ensure the consistency of the requirements, design and performances with system-level needs;
• Requirements Management: Defining, allocating, consolidating, maintaining and verifying system and interface requirements, both internal and external, while ensuring traceability and coherence with mission and user requirements and technical and programmatic constraints, and maintaining the requirements database;
• Budget Management: Establishing, consolidating, maintaining and analysing all system technical budgets throughout the project development life cycle to ensure compliance with mission requirements;
• Verification: Defining, preparing and coordinating verification activities together with industry to ensure proper verification at mission, spacecraft or ground level, including resolving non-conformances, and supporting the assessment of deviations and waivers;
• Reporting and Risks: Providing regular reporting to system and project managers and identifying technological performance and programmatic risk areas, proposing and implementing agreed improvements and mitigation measures;
• Coordination: Coordinating various project engineering disciplines in support of the system engineering function and, when required, implementing model-based system engineering (MBSE); interfacing with system stakeholders, such as subsystem expert engineers, launchers, operations and the ground segment; supporting the management of the industrial activities relevant to system engineering and procurement.
• Performances: Supporting the implementation of the end-to-end mission simulators and the mission performance model and the verification of the mission products.
• Autonomy: Establishing the autonomy and operability concept when requested and supporting the FDIR (fault detection, isolation and recovery) definition;
• Launch and Commissioning: Supporting the launch preparation activities and coordinating in-flight satellite commissioning and verification activities in collaboration with project and ground teams;
• Environmental Considerations: Monitoring the implementation of life cycle analysis and the zero-debris policy;
• Knowledge Transfer: Regularly liaising with relevant departments or sections to capture and transfer knowledge and lessons learned across the organisation and contributing to the evolution of system engineering standards;
• Technology: Contributing to R&D and technology development by defining, initiating and managing R&D activities.

Technical competencies Experience in space system engineering and architecture and multidisciplinary knowledge of your area of responsibilityExperience in establishing system requirement specifications and their verificationExperience in the preparation and maintenance of spacecraft system budgets and performance analysesExperience in satellite development, verification and validation, operational concepts and in-orbit and commissioning verificationExperience in the procurement and monitoring of industrial activities

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master’s degree in engineering or physics is required.

Technical competencies - assets

Additional competencies representing an asset for these positions:
• Experience in the mission design of complex space missions relating to the applications covered by ESA, such as Earth observation, exploration, planetary science, science or telecommunications missions and launchers.
• Solid knowledge of space system engineering and development from the early phase to later phases.
• Experience of working with space agencies, international organisations, commercial and governmental satellite organisations or space industry.
• Experience with systems engineering tools, for example requirements tools and MBSE.
• Proficiency in identifying and managing risks associated with space system engineering and development.
• Cost and schedule knowledge relating to complex space missions.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to solve complex problems.
• A strong inclination toward analysing and synthesising data and information from various engineering disciplines.

Other information

For behavioural competencies expected from ESA staff in general, please refer to the ESA Competency Framework.

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.

The Agency may require applicants to undergo selection tests.

At the Agency we value diversity and we welcome people with disabilities. Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further please contact us email contact.human.resources@esa.int.

Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

According to the ESA Convention, the recruitment of staff must take into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the ESA Member States*. When short-listing for an interview, priority will first be given to internal candidates and secondly to external candidates from under-represented Member States*.

In accordance with the European Space Agency’s security procedures and as part of the selection process, successful candidates will be required to undergo basic screening before appointment conducted by an external background screening service.

In principle, recruitment will be within the advertised grade band (A2-A4). However, if the selected candidate has less than four years of relevant professional experience following the completion of the master’s degree, the position may be filled at A1 level.

*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.