About this job

ESA is looking for an Optical Communications Engineer.

Responsibilities

Under the direct authority of the Head of the Optical Technologies Section, you will be responsible for the development and engineering activities related to optical ground stations for communication, surveillance and tracking applications, including optical telescope system design and optical subsystems, and for the following specific tasks:

• Supporting the integration of direct to Earth optical communication systems into ground infrastructure for telecommunication and payload data-download applications;
• Supporting Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) optical ground station technology definition and associated pre-development activities;
• Specification, development, procurement and validation of analogue/digital subsystems required, including trade-off analysis, for passive and active optical systems, in particular optical transmitters, optical detectors, quantum technology and adaptive optics systems;
• Supporting study and technology development and standardisation activities;
• Conducting internal/external studies and prototyping in the field of optical subsystems;Managing industrial contracts for the above.

Profile

Technical competencies
Systems engineering
Optical free space and fiber communication
Quantum Key Distribution optical system knowledge
Experience in optical frequency and timing distribution
Education
A Master’s degree in engineering or physics.
For a complete job description and to apply, click on “apply”.
The closing date for applications is 25 February 2021.
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 at 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 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. (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/careers/NationalityTargets.pdf)
We offer
The European Space Agency (ESA) is an equal opportunities employer that offers competitive salaries exempt from national income tax and excellent employment conditions, such as allowances for expatriates and relocation support.For more information: http://www.esa.int/About_Us/Careers_at_ESA
About us
We are the European Space Agency. Our mission is the peaceful exploration and use of space for the benefit of everyone. We watch over the Earth, develop and launch inspiring and unique space projects, train astronauts and push the boundaries of science and technology, seeking answers to the big questions about the Universe. We are a family of scientists, engineers and business professionals from all over Europe working together in a diverse and multinational environment. We are dedicated to united space in Europe and united Europe in space. Learn more: http://www.esa.int/