About this job

Sapienza Consulting, a Serco company, is recruiting an EGSE Software Engineer for Sapienza to work on our Customers Site (ESA-ESTEC).

Sapienza has been a partner of ESA for almost 30 years, and we pride ourselves in supporting a wide range of missions including Galileo, MTG, Copernicus and ExoMars. Our team is international with activities across the U.K., the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

The candidate will provide expert support to ESA project teams in activities related to modernising the existing Galileo ground segment software infrastructure and supporting the enhancement of navigation services through the integration of next-generation Galileo satellites. Using state-of-the-art layered architecture, it is planned to operate software services from a common hardware platform.

This ground segment infrastructure is a very software-intensive system with modern software methodologies, tools and processes being required to master the complexity. The Ground Segment Deployment Platform will use an Agile Release Train (ART) based on the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe).

Responsibilities

• The Ground Systems Software Engineer will act as business owner overseeing the continued specification, design and development of the Platform, including suitable data management functions.

• The software engineer will also contribute to defining the best approach to transition from the currently operational Galileo 1st generation ground segment software architecture to the next generation architecture.
• The software engineer will be assigned to the Ground Software Systems and Functional Verification Section of the Software Systems Division.
• The software engineer will provide integrated support to the function of Galileo 2nd Generation Ground Segment System Software Engineer in the Galileo G2 GS Management Service, Galileo Ground Segment Management Office, Directorate of Navigation.
• The software engineer will be assigned to the Ground Software Systems and Functional Verification Section of the Software Systems Division.

Common services to be provided by the platform are:

IaaS (memory, compute and storage):

• data centre deployment;
• secure network services, including secure WAN;
• high-availability features, including business continuity.

PaaS:

• resource abstraction layers (e.g. hyper-convergence, virtualisation, containerisation).
• scalability; platform management tooling; automated software deployment; software and hardware patching; accredited IT security and protection.

SaaS:

• centralised security management (e.g. security monitoring, access control).
• software service hosting, communication and interfacing (e.g. message queue, service mesh).
• As integrated support, the software engineer will be able to work with a technical team of software specialists who support many ESA missions in the same technical area.

The following duties are foreseen:

• Leading the specification and procurement of the 2nd Generation deployment platform Cargo Reviews.
• Baseline (applicable requirements and standards).
• Supporting definition of the 2nd Generation Galileo Ground Segment Statement of Work according to the applicable ECSS standards and system design objectives.
• Providing support to the 2nd Generation Galileo System design activities as necessary to ensure consistency with the System Operational Concept.
• Reporting regularly to the Head of the Galileo G2 Ground Segment Management Service.
• ESA Point of Contact and Correspondent for all Logistics Codes applicable to System items and Utilization items.
• Supporting Ground Segment reviews according to SoW milestones, applicable ECSS standards and SAFe ART Program Increment lifecycle.

Profile

• Master’s degree or equivalent qualification in Computer Science, Electronic Engineering, Space Systems Engineering, Mathematics or a related discipline.
• At least 4 years of relevant work experience.

Technical Competencies:

• Datacentres & Networking.
• Understanding of IT infrastructure management.
• State-of-the-art knowledge in area of IT Infrastructure and software development and related IT trends in industry.
• Knowledge and understanding of cyber security matters.
• Solid understanding/knowledge of requirements engineering.
• The software engineer must have, or be able to obtain, security clearance to the ESA Secret level.
• Good knowledge of Agile software engineering techniques. Knowledge of a scaled agile methodology would be a further advantage.
• Experience and understanding of the following currently used technologies and engineering practices will be considered an asset: MBSE, PaaS, Virtualisation, Containerisation, IaaS, SOA, micro-services, Kubernetes, Kafka.
• An ability to work independently and to establish good working relations with ESA and industrial counterparts is essential.
• Comfortable with working in a diverse and multinational team environment.
• Fluent in English; knowledge of another ESA member-state language is an asset.
• Candidates must be eligible to work in the EU.