Mission Performance Engineer -Temporary [26111]

Sopra Steria; Zuid-Holland; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

HE Space in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, seeks a Mission Performance Engineer to support instrument performance verification for space missions. You will work on requirements flow, model development, and collaboration with instrument and Earth observation teams.

This fixed-term role focuses on mission performance during commissioning, CAL/VAL activities, and cross-team coordination across Europe. Fluency in English is essential.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant physical science or engineering subject.
• Experience in performance assessment of optical instrumentation for atmospheric observation.
• Experience with Earth observation systems; aerosols and ozone data are assets.
• Proficiency with MATLAB and Python for system performance models.
• Fluency in English is mandatory; knowledge of another European language is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to mission performance analysis up to Level 2.
• Maintain requirements, margins, and verification for instrument systems.
• Support End-to-End Simulator and Ground Processor Prototype procurement and validation.
• Develop mission performance models and tools to support industrial development activities.
• Coordinate with Mission Users and Scientists for mission and product definitions.
• Assist in in-flight CAL/VAL operations during commissioning.
• Collaborate with PDGS and MAG on performance verification tasks.

Skills

MATLAB

Python

Optical instrumentation

Earth observation systems

Analytical thinking

English fluency

Education

Master’s degree in a relevant physical science or engineering subject

Job description

HE Space is a successful international space company, specialised in providing managed services and human resources to the international space sector for over 40 years.
We hire space experts all over Europe across the whole spectrum of space-related activities, from engineering to science, software development, operations, marketing, finance and administration. Our employees contribute towards a wide range of groundbreaking space programmes including Galileo and Copernicus, ExoMars, Iris2, ESA BASS, ESA GSPT, LISA Pathfinder, Euclid, the Ariane and Vega launchers as well as the International Space Station.
HE Space has joined forces with CS Group and Sopra Steria to lead the engineering and digital space market in Europe and to provide highly skilled consulting.
We are passionate about people and invest in you to support the development of the European space industry.

As part of the team you will have the following responsibilities:

• Contribute to all aspects (project internal activities, monitoring/review of the relevant industrial activities, interaction with Mission Users and Scientists) relevant to the mission performance of the mission up to Level 2.
• Maintenance of mission and system level requirements, monitoring and critically analysing the requirement allocation, their flow down to the relevant contributors, the associated margins, their evolution and their verification, in the following areas:
• Observation requirements and mission data products requirements;
• End-to-End simulator and Ground Processor Prototype (GPP);
• Internal and External characterisation and calibration of the instrument;
• Support the payload team for aspects relevant to instrument performance requirements flow-down and instrument performance verification, including relevant models and tools;
• Follow up the End to End Simulator and GPP procurement, verification/validation and acceptance activities;
• Acquire working knowledge of the tools for test data generation purposes and internal mission level verification activities;
• Develop and maintain additional mission performance mathematical models and tools to support the assessment of the relevant industrial development activities;
• Maintain mission level performance and error budgets, and analyse their compliance with the end-to-end mission performance requirements and propose corrective actions in case of deviation;
• Monitor and review the definition and implementation of the characterisation, calibration and validation plans and follow up the specification, procurement and verification/validation of the relevant equipment and activities;
• Support the preparation, execution and analysis of the relevant in-flight CAL/VAL operations during the commissioning phase;
• Support Payload Data Ground Segment (PDGS) development for what concern the Ground processor aspects and cross-verification activities of the PDGS operational ground processor against the GPP;
• Support the running of the Mission Advisory Group (MAG) for what concerns mission & instrument performance aspects, including end-to-end mission performance verification and compliance status;
• Interact with the Mission Users Community and Scientific Community for what concerns Mission definition, Products definition and mission & instrument performance aspects.
• Support the System and Engineering Manager and the other project team members in all aspects related to mission performance, asnecessary for the effective execution of the project.
• The Mission Performance Engineer will cooperate closely with the Instrument team in the execution of the relevant tasks. Furthermore she/he will be supported by and is expected to closely cooperate with specialist engineers from the team, from the Earth Observation Projects Department and from the Directorate of Technical and Quality Management (D/TEC) as appropriate

You will have the following qualifications and relevant experience:

• Master’s degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant physical science orengineering subject;
• The applicants shall have demonstrated experience in performance assessment of optical instrumentation for atmospheric observation including image processing;
• Experience working with Earthobservation systems as well as knowledge of aerosols and ozone observational data are assets;
• The candidate shall demonstrate to be proficient with programming languages relevant to the implementation and maintenance of the system performance models(e.g. MATLAB and python);
• The candidate shall possess solid analytical skills together with broad, system-oriented thinking, and the ability and motivation to rapidly learn and switch withina wide range of application domains;
• The candidate shall have the capability to critically analyse the work performed by industry in the relevant areas, identify problems and propose corrective actions;
• Fluency in English is mandatory; knowledge of another European language is anadvantage.

This job is located in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

Please have in mind this position is temporary parental cover for 7 months.

An exciting and dynamic international working environment awaits you!
Inclusive and committed employer, our company works every day to combat all forms of discrimination and promote a respectful working environment. That's why, committed to gender diversity and overall inclusivity, we encourage all applications and profiles.

Last apply date: 15/08/2026!