Earth Observation Future Missions Optical Payload Engineer - Emerging Sensing Technologies

ESA; Noordwijk; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

ESA is seeking an Optical Payload Engineer for Earth Observation Future Missions at ESTEC in Noordwijk, NL. The role covers end-to-end definition, engineering, breadboarding, and pre-development of innovative optical payloads for future EO missions.

You will lead instrument development efforts and coordinate with multiple ESA directorates and external partners. The candidate should hold a Master’s degree in engineering or physics with about 5 years of relevant experience and demonstrate

Qualifications

• Master's degree in engineering or physics and 5 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience with optical sensing technologies such as quantum sensors, photonic sensors, freeform optics, miniaturised cameras or spectrometers.
• Ability to work in a team or project environment and coordinate with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong motivation to explore new sensing concepts involving emerging technologies.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work autonomously and coordinate with scientists and users.

Responsibilities

• Identify and investigate new observation principles and techniques related to emerging sensing technologies for EO future missions.
• Maintain knowledge of relevant sensing technology developments inside/outside ESA and in collaboration with partners.
• Define and assess performance and readiness of new sensing payloads with EO system engineers.
• Define, negotiate and manage industrial contracts for study and risk retirement of new sensing payloads.
• Develop ground-based or airborne instrument models and lead instrument pre-development activities.

Skills

Optical payload eng

Emerging sensing tech

Quantum sensors

Photonic sensors

Freeform optics

Miniaturised cameras/spectrometers

Education

Master's degree in engineering or physics

Job description

Earth Observation (EO) Future Missions Optical Payload Engineer – Emerging Sensing Technologies in the Optical Instruments Section, Future Missions and Architecture Department, Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes. Reporting to the Head of the Optical Instruments Section, you will be responsible for the end-to-end definition, engineering, technology breadboarding and pre-development of innovative optical payload systems for EO future missions.

These systems will leverage emerging sensing technologies, such as quantum sensors, photonic sensors, freeform optics and miniaturised cameras or spectrometers. You will also work on optical payloads based on more classical optical systems, including imagers and spectrometers. Your role will involve collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to ensure the successful integration of innovative technologies into future payload concepts.

You will be responsible for identifying and investigating new observation principles and technologies, maintaining awareness of relevant R&D activities, and coordinating with both internal and external partners. You will contribute to defining the roadmap for these technologies and will be actively involved in the pre-development of one or more of them. You will be appointed as the instrument lead for a future mission during Phase 0 or Phase A.

Location
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Type of Appointment: 4 years, extendable to indefinite

Grade Band: A2 - A4

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include the following:

• identifying and investigating new observation principles and techniques related to emerging sensing technologies for Earth observation (EO) future missions in coordination with staff from your Department, the Science, Applications and Climate Department and the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality, including contact with research and technical groups;
• maintaining knowledge of relevant emerging sensing technology and sensor development programmes inside and outside ESA, including developments undertaken by other space agencies in Europe and worldwide, as well as commercial initiatives in close collaboration with the Division’s Technology Coordination and Frequency Management Section;
• maintaining awareness of relevant emerging sensing technology R&D and coordinating with other ESA directorates;
• defining and assessing the performance and technological readiness of new emerging sensing payloads and systems in close collaboration with the EO system engineers of the Division’s Mission and System Studies Section, taking into account mission, system and programmatic objectives and requirements;
• defining, negotiating, initiating and managing industrial contracts for the study and risk retirement of new emerging sensing payload systems, according to the agreed FutureEO activity plan;
• performing risk-retirement activities through technology breadboarding and pre-development of emerging sensors for EO future missions up to their completion, coordinating instrument pre-development activities with project teams when required;
• developing ground-based or airborne instrument models, according to the concept’s maturity and performance-demonstration needs;
• being the optical instrument lead for EO future missions in Phase 0 or Phase A;
• acting as the focal point in the Division for all aspects relating to emerging sensing technologies of missions undergoing evaluation or preparation, including the evaluation of mission proposals, payload system support for Phase 0/A and mission architecture studies, and contributing to the preparation of technical and scientific dossiers on new EO research and operational missions;
• contributing to the implementation of the EO Quantum Sensing Strategy and roadmap within the FutureEO programme, as well as preparing work/action plans for the development of the strategy;
• contributing to the development and maintenance of technology roadmaps for other emerging sensors as well as preparing work/action plans for their development;
• working closely with other staff from the Future Missions and Instruments Division and your Directorate. You will also liaise with the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality and other Directorates involved in future emerging sensor activities. In this context, you will also be expected to help the team through collaboration, knowledge sharing and domain-specific training.

Technical competencies

• Knowledge of spaceborne optical instruments for Earth observation missions
• Experience in optical instrument developments and performance calculations
• Knowledge of optical remote sensing techniques and understanding of Earth observation user needs
• Knowledge and experience of the domain of emerging sensing technologies
• Knowledge of innovation-related processes

Behavioural competencies

• Result Orientation
• Operational Efficiency
• Fostering Cooperation
• Relationship Management
• Continuous Improvement
• Forward Thinking

Education and professional experience

A master's degree in engineering or physics is required for this post together with 5 years of relevant professional experience.

Additional requirements

• Experience in innovative optical sensing technologies such as quantum sensors, photonic sensors, freeform optics, miniaturised cameras or spectrometers.
• Experience of working in team or project environment is required.
• Strong motivation for investigating new sensing concepts involving emerging technologies is required.
• You should have good interpersonal skills and be able to work, coordinate and interact within small teams as well as autonomously.
• You should be able to coordinate and iterate with Earth observation scientists and users for the definition of mission needs and requirements.
• You will be expected to contribute to a dynamic and creative environment in preparatory phases of EO missions.
• Experience in the development of mission and instrument performance analysis models/tools for EO optical instruments would be an asset.

Nationality and Languages

Applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.

Additionally, successful candidates will need to undergo basic screening before appointment, which will be conducted by an external background screening service, in compliance with the European Space Agency's security procedures.