About this job

The Directorate of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications in ECSAT (UK – Harwell, Oxfordshire) is looking for a team of Telecommunications Systems Engineers to support activities of the Future Project department. These projects are at initial phases of the end to end satellite system design and involve studies at the level of (pre) Phase A but does not, in principle, involve the implementation phase.

The team of Telecommunications Systems Engineers will have industrial experience in the design and development of satellite communication systems, specifically in the space segment (payload) and/or ground segment.

The Telecommunications Systems Engineers will be expected to travel regularly to industrial premises and to ESTEC in particular.

Responsibilities

• Assessment of new concepts and techniques to be applied to next generation satellite communication systems for both space and ground segment
• Monitoring and assessing the need and commercial potential for future satellite telecommunication missions and systems
• Support the initiating and managing prospective studies on new mission concepts and architectures
• Analysis, definition, initiation and management of industrial activities associated to new projects in the telecommunication satellite system domain
• Analysing and preparing proposals for new telecommunication satellite telecommunication projects, including the definition of mission requirements
• Definition of all the elements end-to-end associated to the mission/system architecture of new telecommunication satellite projects/systems
• Assessment and analysis of the best concepts and technical solutions to meet the defined mission and system requirements
• Assessment of the potential and benefits at system level of new techniques/technologies
• Perform trade-offs between different concepts/technologies to optimize the end-to-end system
• Support activities related to system studies and Phases A of new telecommunication satellite projects
• Preparation of inputs to status reports
• Acquire and maintain end-to-end system engineering expertise for the development of new telecommunication satellite system concepts and in new ESA Projects/Programmes

Due to the distributed and heterogeneous nature of the preparation of Future Projects, the consultant will also be expected to communicate with the different groups involved in the preparation of new projects. This includes experts throughout ESA sites, manufacturing industry counterparts and satellite operators and service providers. To this extend, the contractor shall participate in working groups and meetings, such as:

• Preparatory working groups to identify/define new opportunities
• Exploratory meetings with potential industrial companies and with prospective partners
• Review meetings (preparatory phases: phase 0 and A)

Profile

• Master’s degree or equivalent qualification in engineering or physics
• Significant demonstrated industrial experience in satellite telecommunication systems design, including substantial experience in satellite payload, platform or telecommunication end-to-end system engineering
• Specific experience in broadband or mobile satellite telecommunication systems is considered a valuable asset
• Excellent organisation and communications skills
• Technical excellence
• Resourcefulness
• Self-motivation
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Ability to document their work and to produce high quality documents
• Willingness to travel, when required
• Excellent knowledge of English, additional knowledge of another ESA member state language is desirable
• Candidates must be eligible to work in the EU

In addition:

• Ability to obtain a personal security clearance will be required
• It is expected that the support will be provided predominantly on-site at ECSAT (Harwell UK), an initial training period in ESTEC, Noordwijk (NL) of maximum 3 months will however be required
• Regular travel for the purpose of supporting meetings and reviews (at Industry premises and to ESTEC in particular) shall be undertaken as required