On-Site Systems Engineer

Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory(CTAO); Islas Canarias; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits up to €600/year

Job summary

CTAO-North Site in La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain seeks an On-Site Systems Engineer to lead the commissioning and operation of the LST telescopes, collaborating with the LST Collaboration and Central Organisation teams.

You will manage configuration, documentation, maintenance planning, and safety procedures, with a focus on rapid acceptance tests and robust long-term operations, reporting to the CTAO-North Station Manager.

Qualifications

• University degree in Engineering, Physics, or other relevant fields, or equivalent experience.
• More than three years of experience in systems engineering of complex systems, ideally astronomical telescopes.
• Knowledge of configuration control, configuration management, change management.
• Basic knowledge of the maintenance of complex technical systems.
• Valid driver's license and the ability to drive manual transmission AWD vehicles on mountain roads.
• Ability to work effectively alone and as part of a team.
• Excellent communication skills in English, and ability to read Spanish technical documents.

Responsibilities

• Collect all relevant information and complete the LST-1/2/3/4 as-built configuration.
• Collect and help completing the documentation of the design and drawings for commissioning of LST telescopes.
• Setup and maintain hardware configuration database for the LSTs.
• Collaborate with LST Collaboration and Central Organisation on AIV of LSTN-2/3/4 towards acceptance.
• Prepare documentation (protocols, checklists) for acceptance tests of LSTs.
• Contribute to maintenance processes and procedures for telescope operation.

Skills

Systems engineering

English communication

Spanish reading

Driver's license

Education

University degree in Engineering/Physics

Tools

Configuration management

Job description

The CTAO (Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory) will be the world’s largest and most powerful ground-based observatory for gamma-ray astronomy at very-high energies. The Observatory is in its most exciting phase of development: the construction phase. Teams around the world are working together to make the CTAO reality. And with sites and staff located in Italy, Germany, Spain, and Chile, the CTAO Central Organisation, which manages the construction and operation of the Observatory, is at the very centre of these activities.

To strengthen its CTAO-North array site team in La Palma, Spain, the CTAO is seeking an On-Site Systems Engineer to work on the commissioning and acceptance of the Large-Sized Telescopes (LSTs), in particular during the first two years, and then on the technical operation of the observatory’s telescopes. The On-Site Systems Engineer will collaborate closely with the LST Collaboration, and both the Central Organisation Telescopes and Systems Engineering groups.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collect all relevant information and complete the LST-1/2/3/4 as-built configuration, adhering to the CTAO Configuration Management Plan.
• Collect and help completing the documentation of the design, as-built drawings, and other documents to coordinate the commissioning of the LST-1/2/3/4 telescopes.
• Setup and maintain hardware configuration database for the LSTs.
• Work closely with the LST Collaboration and Central Organisation staff on the assembly, integration and verification (AIV) of LSTN-2/3/4 towards acceptance by the Central Organisation.
• Assist to prepare the required documentation (protocols, checklists, etc.) for the acceptance tests and processes of the provisional acceptance of the LSTs.
• Contribute to the definition of the processes and procedures for the technical operation and maintenance of the telescopes.
• Contribute to the definition and planning of the maintenance procedures for the telescope array’s operations phase and organise the maintenance before the handover of the telescopes to the Observatory.
• After the first two years, as the Medium-Sized Telescopes (MST) and other auxiliary instrumentation are added to the Observatory, participate in their provisional acceptance and support the issuance of the relevant operations and maintenance documentation.
• After the first two years, under guidance of the Configuration Manager, support the collection of all configuration management information for the MST telescopes.
• After provisional acceptance of the telescopes, plan and perform the maintenance of the systems.
• Participate in the definition of maintenance strategies to increase the efficiency and the availability of the technical systems of the Observatory.
• Strictly adhere to safety protocols and procedures to ensure the well-being of personnel and equipment.

Qualifications and Experience

• University degree in Engineering, Physics, or other relevant fields, or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrable experience of more than three years in systems engineering of complex systems, ideally astronomical telescopes and/or large-scale scientific instrumentation.
• Knowledge of configuration control, configuration management, change management.
• Basic knowledge of the maintenance of complex technical systems.
• Valid driver’s license and the ability to drive manual transmission AWD vehicles on mountain roads.
• Ability to work effectively alone and as part of a team.
• Excellent communication skills in English, both oral and written. Strong capability to read and thoroughly understand Spanish technical documents is necessary.

Reporting to:

CTAO-North Station Manager

Workplace:

CTAO-North Site including the Observatorio Roque de los Muchachos (ORM) at 2,200 m a.s.l. and in the CTAO office at sea level on the island of La Palma, located in the Canary Islands, Spain. Occasional travels may be required.

Contract:

Open-term, full-time, NCBA Convenio Colectivo del sector de empresas de ingeniería y oficinas de estudios técnicos. Gross salary 55,000 to 63,000 EUR depending on experience and qualifications. Benefits of up to 600 EUR per year (Plan De Beneficios Sociales).

Deadline for Applications:

22 November 2026.

Applications are accepted and evaluated without distinction on any grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, gender identity, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.