Microwave Radiometer RF Arhitect

Airbus; Getafe; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation days

Hybrid work model

Life insurance

Health insurance

Employee stock options

Retirement plan

Job summary

Airbus Defence and Space SAU in Getafe (Madrid) seeks a Microwave Radiometer RF Architect to define and drive the RF system architecture for spaceborne radiometers across current and future satellite missions. You will lead end-to-end instrument design from concept through verification, testing, and in-orbit support within the Microwave Instrument Engineering Team.

The role requires strong leadership, extensive microwave engineering expertise, and the ability to interface with customers.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree (MSc) or PhD in Telecommunications Engineering, Electrical Engineering, RF/Microwave Engineering, or Physics.
• 5 to 10 years of professional experience in remote sensing microwave instrument design and payload development for space applications.
• Deep command of passive microwave sensing, brightness/noise temperature theory, calibration topologies, active/passive antenna interfaces, and RF simulation suites (ADS, CST, HFSS).
• Advanced English; Spanish is valuable; French or German desirable.
• Solid understanding of ESA development lifecycles and space engineering standards (ECSS, MIL-STD, CCSDS).

Responsibilities

• Define RF system architectures for spaceborne radiometer payloads (L-band up to sub-THz) and lead technical trade-offs balancing RF performance, mass, DC power, and thermal constraints.
• Design and optimize high-sensitivity low-noise receivers, RF front-ends, and calibration subsystems, maintaining end-to-end budgets.
• Develop high-fidelity electromagnetic and circuit-level simulations to validate architecture concepts under flight conditions.
• Generate and maintain Verification Control Documents (VCD) and lead Technology Readiness Level (TRL) assessments.
• Steer payload Assembly, Integration & Testing (AIT) and define in-orbit commissioning roadmaps in line with ECSS standards.
• Represent RF engineering in ESA/customer milestones and lead the technical baseline for future Earth Observation instruments.

Skills

English proficiency

Spanish language

Leadership

Multitasking

Customer interface

Education

Master’s or PhD in relevant field

Tools

Keysight ADS

CST Studio

ANSYS HFSS

Job description

Job Description

An opportunity for a Microwave Radiometer RF Architect has arisen within Airbus Defence and Space, Getafe (Madrid). The selected candidate will join the Microwave Instrument Engineering Team, a specialized multidisciplinary department at the forefront of spaceborne Earth Observation (EO) payload engineering. In this technical leadership role, you will define and drive the RF system architecture for cutting‑edge microwave and millimetre-wave (mmWave) radiometer payloads across current and next‑generation satellite missions. You will steer end‑to‑end instrument design from early concept, TRL maturation, and customer milestones through to payload verification, ground testing, and in‑orbit commissioning support.

Responsibilities

• RF Architecture Definition & Trade-Offs: Define baseline architectures for spaceborne radiometer payloads (L-band up to sub-THz) and lead technical trade-offs balancing RF performance, mass, DC power, and thermal constraints.


• Front-End & Calibration Engineering: Design and optimize high‑sensitivity low‑noise receivers, RF front‑ends, and internal/external radiometric calibration subsystems, maintaining end‑to‑end budgets (noise figure, noise temperature, dynamic range, and sensitivity).


• System Modeling & Simulation: Develop high‑fidelity electromagnetic and circuit‑level simulations using tools such as Keysight ADS, CST Studio, and ANSYS HFSS to validate architecture concepts under operational flight conditions.


• Verification & Technical Governance: Generate and maintain Verification Control Documents (VCD), lead Technology Readiness Level (TRL) assessments, and establish ground support equipment (EGSE/MGSE) specifications.


• AIT & Test Campaign Leadership: Steer payload Assembly, Integration & Testing (AIT), environmental validation campaigns, and define in‑orbit commissioning roadmaps in alignment with ECSS standards.


• Milestone Leadership & Proposal Elaboration: Represent RF engineering in formal ESA/customer milestones (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, TRB) and lead the technical baseline for future Earth Observation active and passive instrument proposals.

Skills

• Education: Master’s degree (MSc) or PhD in Telecommunications Engineering, Electrical Engineering, RF/Microwave Engineering, or Physics.


• Experience: 5 to 10 years of professional experience in remote sensing microwave instrument design and payload development for space applications.


• Technical Knowledge: Deep command of passive microwave sensing, brightness/noise temperature theory, calibration topologies, active/passive antenna interfaces, and advanced RF simulation suites (ADS, CST, HFSS).


• Soft Skills: Proven technical leadership, strong capacity to interface with external customers, high autonomy in multi-project environments, and cross‑functional collaboration skills.


• Languages: Advanced / Negotiation level in English (mandatory, written and spoken). Fluent Spanish is valuable; French or German is desirable.


• Valuable / Nice to Have: Solid understanding of ESA development lifecycles and space engineering standards (ECSS, MIL-STD, CCSDS). Hands‑on experience with RF flight equipment testing and requirements management tools (IBM DOORS). Direct track record in satellite hardware qualification and international space project consortia. Availability to travel for test campaigns and customer review meetings.

Which Benefits Will You Have as an Airbus Employee

• Vacation days plus additional days‑off along the year.


• Attractive salary.


• Hybrid model of working when possible.


• Collective transport service subject to working calendar/home location.


• Benefits such as life insurance, health insurance, employee stock options, retirement plan, or study grants.


• On‑site facilities (among others): free canteen, kindergarten, medical office.


• Possibility to collaborate in different social and corporate social responsibility initiatives.


• Excellent upskilling opportunities and great development prospects in a multicultural environment.


• Option to access special rates in products & benefits.

#MYCYM

This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.

Company

Airbus Defence and Space SAU

Employment Type

Permanent

Experience Level

Professional

Job Family

Elec.Electron.&Electromag,Optics&Optron.

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