RF Systems Engineer / EMC Specialist

EPFL; Vaud; On-site; CHF 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

International environment

ESA project involvement

Access to RF/EMC labs

Job summary

EPFL Space Center in Lausanne seeks an RF systems engineer / EMC specialist to drive RF emission mitigation work for the HALO ESA-funded project. You will perform and validate EMC tests, analyze results, and contribute to technical notes and reports.

The role involves coordinating with industrial partners, EPFL laboratories and ESA reviews, with hands-on lab work and test planning throughout the project lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Master of Science or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, Physics, Aerospace or related field.
• Hands-on experience in EMC testing, ideally conducted and radiated emission measurements.
• Familiarity with RF and microwave measurement equipment and software.
• Experience with RF/EMC design (filtering, shielding, grounding, harness).
• Experience with electromagnetic simulation tools (CST, HFSS, FEKO).
• Proficiency in Python or Matlab for data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Identify main contributors to RF payload interference and define mitigation proofs of concept.
• Write investigation and validation test plans with procedures and performance criteria.
• Prepare and run EMC measurements on power and data lines to DC/DC converters and data processing units.
• Investigate unintended electromagnetic radiation from spacecraft electronics.
• Coordinate tests with partner facilities and EPFL EMC Laboratory; compare with models.
• Derive recommendations for measurement and validation techniques for space systems.
• Write technical notes and test reports and present results to ESA.
• Coordinate day-to-day with industrial and academic partners.

Skills

RF engineering

EMC testing

Python/Matlab

RF/microwave measurement

Project coordination

English proficiency

Education

M.S. in Electrical Engineering/ Telecommunications/ Physics/ Aerospace

PhD (advantage)

Tools

Spectrum Analyzer

Network Analyser

EMI receivers

LISNs

Current probes

CST/HFSS/FEKO

Job description

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EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,500 people supporting the three main missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working environment at the heart of a community of more than 18,500 people, including over 14,000 students and 4,000 researchers from more than 120 different countries.

Mission

The EPFL Space Center is dedicated to promoting excellence in space research, education and innovation. Our young and dynamic team combines deep technical expertise in system engineering, mission design, multidisciplinary project management, astrophysics and space situational awareness.

The Space Center leads the work on emission mitigation in HALO (Harmonizing Astronomy and Low-orbit Operations), an ESA-funded project carried out with industrial and academic partners. HALO aims to protect radio astronomy and preserve dark and quiet skies while allowing a sustainable future in space. It develops methods to predict the electromagnetic impact of unintended satellite emissions on astronomical observatories, and studies concepts to reduce unwanted emissions from on-board electronics and RF transmissions.

We are looking for an RF systems engineer / EMC specialist to prepare, carry out and validate the project's proof-of-concept experiments on RF emission mitigation.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Identify the main contributors to RF payload interference and define a proof of concept for their mitigation, using existing hardware or designing dedicated breadboards
• Write the investigation and validation test plan, including test setup, procedures and performance criteria
• Prepare and run conducted EMC measurements on power and control lines to DC/DC converters and data processing units, with and without dedicated filtering
• Investigate unintended electromagnetic radiation (UEMR) from spacecraft electronics via structure, harnesses and unintended antennas
• Carry out tests at partner facilities and in the EPFL EMC Laboratory, and analyse the results against the defined performance criteria
• Compare measurements with predictions from the project's computational models and simulations
• Derive recommendations for measurement and validation techniques for serially produced satellites and constellations
• Write technical notes and test reports, and present results at project reviews with ESA
• Coordinate day to day with industrial and academic partners

The engineer will also have the opportunity to support other Space Center activities, including proposal writing and student space projects.

Profile

• You have a Master of Science or a PhD in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, Physics, Aerospace or a related field
• You have hands-on experience in EMC testing, ideally conducted and radiated emission measurements (e.g. to ECSS-E-ST-20-07, MIL-STD-461 or CISPR)
• You are familiar with RF and microwave measurement equipment: spectrum and network analysers, EMI receivers, LISNs, current probes and antennas
• You have experience in RF/EMC design, such as filtering, shielding, grounding and harness design
• You have experience with electromagnetic simulation tools (e.g. CST, HFSS, FEKO or equivalent)
• You can write in Python or Matlab for data acquisition and analysis
• Experience with space hardware, satellite subsystems or ESA projects is a strong asset
• Interest in radio astronomy or dark and quiet skies is an asset
• You have a good knowledge of English; French and/or German is an asset

The engineer will work with industry partners, EPFL laboratories, ESA and students. They should be curious about space activities, take initiative, work autonomously and enjoy hands-on laboratory work.

We offer

• A young, dynamic, interdisciplinary and international working environment
• A vibrant, internationally visible and rising academic institution in space research, education and innovation
• A privileged contact with state-of-the-art technological developments
• Access to many continuing education courses
• Salary: based on the official Swiss Confederation grids
• Direct involvement in an ESA project at the interface of satellite engineering and astronomy
• Access to EMC and RF laboratory facilities at EPFL and partner sites

At EPFL, we believe that people achieve great results when they feel supported, respected and enabled to succeed. By joining our community, you will help shape the future of society through education, research and innovation.

We offer an inspiring, international and collaborative environment where your work has real impact and your ideas are valued. Combined with flexible ways of working and attractive employment conditions, we aim to create an environment where everyone can contribute, grow and make a difference.

Beyond work, ourcampuses host a vibrantcommunity and unique environment, enriched by initiatives promoting equality, inclusion, diversity, well-being and sustainability as well as an engaging program of cultural, sports and community activities throughout the year.