Post Launch Engineer

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

Job summary

ESA ESTEC in Noordwijk, Netherlands seeks a Post Launch Engineer to manage end-to-end Post Launch Support for satellites. You will coordinate across ESA teams, industry partners and experts, driving issue resolution and performance monitoring, while providing feedback to development teams.

The role requires a university engineering degree with 10+ years in satellite operations or spacecraft development and strong systems coordination skills in an international setting.

Qualifications

• University degree in a relevant engineering discipline.
• At least 10 years of professional experience in Satellite Operations and/or Spacecraft Development.
• At least 3 years in Systems Engineering or system coordination within the satellite domain.
• Strong understanding of Satellite Phase E2 Routine Operations and satellite performance factors.
• Multidisciplinary, system-level experience coordinating across external interfaces.
• Ability to work autonomously and in international teams.
• Customer-focused communication skills and fluent English.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate end-to-end Post Launch Support across ESA teams, technical experts and partners.
• Drive technical coordination on flying and non-flying satellites and track issues to resolution.
• Support FOS and PDGS Operations teams with timely responses to technical requests.
• Lead satellite performance monitoring, optimisation and anomaly investigations.
• Provide in-flight feedback to development teams on issues affecting satellites.
• Review industry reports and extract key information for PLS metrics and analyses.
• Coordinate key technical activities including SIOP meetings and configuration control boards.
• Monitor contractor activities across technical, commercial and schedule aspects, and assist decommissioning when needed.

Skills

Satellite operations

Systems engineering

Project engineering

Coordination across interfaces

English fluency

Education

University degree in Engineering

Job description

Post Launch Engineer

Location: Noordwijk, Netherlands

Location:

Application deadline: 6 November 2026

Reference number: 0590

Your Mission

Join us in shaping the future of secure and innovative technologies across space and cybersecurity.

We are looking for a Post Launch Engineer to join our team at ESA’s ESTEC site in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, supporting exciting activities within the European space sector.

Tasks and Activities

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Coordinate end-to-end Post Launch Support (PLS) across ESA teams, technical experts, Mission Analysis & System Support and industrial partners.
• Drive technical coordination on flying and non-flying satellites, exchanging status information, identifying key issues and following them through to resolution.
• Support FOS and PDGS Operations teams, facilitating timely responses to technical requests and maintaining and distributing PLS On-Call lists.
• Lead and support satellite performance monitoring, optimisation and complex anomaly investigations, coordinating technical expertise and follow-up actions to enhance mission quality and lifetime.
• Provide valuable in-flight feedback to Space Segment Development teams on issues that could impact satellites still under development.
• Review and synthesise industry technical reports, extracting key information for PLS performance metrics, reporting and technical analyses.
• Coordinate key technical activities, including SIOP meetings, engineering requests to industrial contractors, satellite configuration control and Configuration Control Boards (CCBs).
• Monitor and report industrial contractor activities across technical, commercial and schedule aspects, while supporting satellite decommissioning and disposal activities when required.

What We’re Looking For

Ideally, you will have:

• A university degree in a relevant Engineering discipline.
• At least 10 years of professional experience with a strong background in Satellite Operations and/or Spacecraft Development, including Project Engineering, equipment/subsystem procurement and Assembly, Integration & Test (AIT).
• At least 3 years of experience in Systems Engineering or a System Coordination role within the satellite domain.
• Strong understanding of Satellite Phase E2 Routine Operations and the factors influencing the short- and long-term performance of satellites, subsystems and payloads.
• Proven multidisciplinary and system-level satellite engineering experience, with the ability to coordinate effectively across multiple external interfaces.
• Desire to work both autonomously and as part of a team, in an international multicultural environment.
• Solution oriented mindset, with a customer focused communication skill.
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken.

Why Make the Move?

• Make an impact where it matters. Contribute to high profile projects supporting organisations such as ESA, EUMETSAT, the European Commission, NATO and national defence programmes.
• Work alongside some of Europe’s brightest minds. Join an international team of experts who thrive on collaboration, innovation and solving complex challenges that deliver real-world results.
• Grow beyond a single project. Join a growing international organisation and broaden your experience across a variety of projects and technical disciplines.
• Invest in your future. Benefit from ongoing training, mentoring and professional development opportunities designed to support both your personal and professional growth.
• Join a company that puts people first. Guided by our values of Integrity, Inspiration, Care and Collaboration, we offer a supportive culture, flexible working arrangements.

Equal Opportunities

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all candidates, irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics.

As part of our commitment to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process, we will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability or long-term condition can be their best during the recruitment process.

Important Eligibility Requirements

Due to the nature of the projects, this position is currently open to EU nationals.

That said, we encourage suitably qualified professionals to apply even if you do not meet this requirement. Should a similar opportunity arise without this nationality restriction, we would be pleased to consider your application for future roles.