About this job

ESA is looking for an Internal Research Fellow (PostDoc) in Radio Navigation.

ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. For this purpose, we welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.
 
Description
The Radio Navigation Systems and Techniques Section provides functional support to ESA projects and carries out technology research (R&D) in radio navigation systems, system performance tools, algorithms (signal and navigation), and techniques and equipment for position-navigation-time (PNT) applications on ground and in space.

The Section also covers radio navigation techniques and technologies, elements and subsystems to generate, receive, exploit and analyse signals from current and upcoming radio navigation systems (GPS, GLONASS, EGNOS, Galileo and BeiDou), including system design tools and navigation equipment. The emphasis is on engineering aspects, GNSS system and sub-system evolution, design and low TRL for technology demonstrator prototyping and, in particular, navigation system design and tools, novel navigation techniques and equipment design/prototyping, on-board receivers and formation-flying RF metrology.

Interested candidates are encouraged to visit the ESA website: www.esa.int

Responsibilities

 
Field(s) of activity/research
The R&D performed by the Section contributes to shaping the role of GNSS and space-based positioning concepts in the evolving positioning landscape. As positioning and navigation have become essential functions in everyday life for professional and mass-market use, there is a growing need for capabilities in terms of resilience, and security of the position-related information, and of the underlying algorithms and technologies.
In this context, the selected research fellow will work on challenging, exciting R&D activities with a dynamic team of experts in positioning technologies, aiming to find innovative solutions for PVT assurance, resilience and privacy.
You will have the opportunity to help shape future PNT algorithms, systems and applications in signal processing and navigation algorithms for enhancement to PVT assurance, resilience and privacy, by combining multiple positioning techniques, such as GNSS, 5G, signal of opportunity incoming from terrestrial networks or LEO satcoms, and dead-reckoning.
There are two possible main areas of activity, for which research project proposals are expected:

• The first has as its focus the development of algorithms, in particular navigation algorithms, to enhance PVT assurance and enable provable user privacy (preservation of user privacy by design, in particular in the context of network-based processing or reporting to third-party applications: road-user charging, contact tracing, etc.).
• The second aims at developing innovative resilient and secure positioning for supporting high-accuracy applications (e.g. for UAV, autonomous vehicles, etc.).

For these activities, development should be understood in the broadest sense, covering both innovative steps to design and implementation (e.g. breadboards) and testing of solutions (e.g. testing through laboratory and field campaigns).

Profile

 
Technical competencies
Ability to conduct research autonomously
Breadth of exposure coming from past and/or current research/activities
Research/publication record
Solid knowledge relevant to the field of research
General interest in space and space research
Ability to gather and share relevant information
Education
You should have recently completed, or be close to completion of a PhD in 2021. Preference will be given to candidates awarded their doctorate within the past five years.

Additional requirements
A PhD in an engineering domain relevant to the proposed area of research (e.g. hybrid positioning and sensor fusion for high-accuracy positioning, positioning with terrestrial systems, GNSS resilience, wireless security).
Previous experience in radio navigation signal processing design would be an asset, as would knowledge of position estimation algorithms, signal processing and radio communications, in particular for hybrid positioning, resilience and security of the positioning solution.
You must be able to work in a team with other international investigators in a spirit of positive co-operation and, at the same time, be capable of working autonomously in your area of research. At the end of the fellowship, you will be required to summarise the work completed so that it can be included in papers to be submitted to relevant specialised conferences/journals.

For a complete job description and to apply, click on “apply”.
The closing date for applications is 05 May 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, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia and Slovenia, as Associate Member States, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Lithuania and Slovakia as European Cooperating States (ECS).
Priority will first be given to candidates from under-represented Member States.

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 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/