SAR performance & ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) Engineer

Telespazio; Netherlands; Hybrid; EUR 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work scheme

Relocation package

30 days annual leave

Pension scheme

Training budget

Job summary

Telespazio Belgium seeks a SAR Performance & ELINT Engineer to work at ESTEC in the Netherlands on RF payloads for space missions. The role combines active radar imaging (SAR) with passive ELINT analysis, including modelling, simulation, and signal processing across multiple platforms.

You will collaborate with ESA engineers, define requirements, and support project reviews. A Master’s degree and space hardware experience are expected, with hybrid work and relocation support offered.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Telecommunications, Electronics or RF/Microwave Engineering.
• Strong background in electromagnetic theory, radar signal propagation, Fourier analysis, and SAR/ELINT principles.
• Experience in design, development and verification of SAR/radar instruments.
• Familiarity with RF components, FPGA/ASIC architectures, and high‑reliability PCB design standards.
• Experience in space hardware development and verification.
• Experience in management and monitoring of industrial activities including reviews.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert technical support to ESA projects in RF payloads across project phases.
• Contribute to architectural definition and verification of RF/microwave instruments.
• Assess new concepts and processing techniques for microwave/mmWave payloads.
• Define technical requirements with ESA specialists.
• Participate in feasibility studies, project reviews and procurement evaluations.
• Identify problems and support resolution; plan R&D activities; foster innovation.
• Engage in laboratory tasks and leverage MATLAB/Python for modelling.

Skills

SAR/ELINT

Radar signal processing

Electromagnetic theory

FPGA/ASIC knowledge

Space hardware experience

Education

Master’s degree in Telecommunications, Electronics or RF/Microwave Engineering

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Simulation tools

Job description

Telespazio Belgium can count on more than 45 years of experience in the field of Space Operations Service & Engineering activities.

We provide a significant contribution to the most major Space programs of the European Space Agency, EUSPA and other Telespazio Groups. Our core business is to work on the ground to build bridges into space, contributing to the success of ambitious missions.

The European Space Agency is our biggest client and we provide highly qualified employees to many sites of ESA but mainly for ESTEC in the Netherlands, and we provide a permanent contract with great benefits, a good salary, a relocation package along with genuine support to our employees.

Telespazio Belgium has an on‑site service at ESTEC in the Netherlands, and we are looking for a highly skilled SAR performance & ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) Enginee to work there.

Candidates must be eligible for a security personal clearance from an EU Member State national security administration

What is expected from you:

A SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) Performance & Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) Engineer designs, analyses, and evaluates RF payload systems for defence, aerospace, and remote-sensing applications. This role sits at the intersection of active radar imaging (SAR) and passive signal interception (ELINT/SIGINT). On one side activities will be focussed on modelling of end‑to‑end radar performance, optimization of active SAR imaging algorithms, such as simulation frameworks (MATLAB/Python) to model image resolution, NESZ (Noise Equivalent Sigma Zero), ambiguity ratios (RASR/AASR), dynamic range, and swath width across various operational modes (Spotlight, Stripmap, ScanSAR). On the other side ELINT/SIGINT part will be on digital processing for passive non‑communication electronic signals (ELINT) to characterize radar emissions, emitter locations, and threat environments, fox example algorithms for signal detection, pulse sorting (deinterleaving), parameter estimation (PRI, pulse width, carrier frequency), and Direction of Arrival and/or geolocation estimation for non‑cooperative radar threats.

The candidate will actively perform the following tasks:

• Provide expert technical support and consultancy to ESA projects, programmes and general studies in the field of RF payloads throughout all project phases, specifically for RF, microwave and millimetre-wave remote sensing instruments and payloads;
• Contributing to the overall architectural definition, specification, development and verification of future RF, microwave and millimetre-wave remote sensing instruments/payloads, including the assessment of new concepts, signal processing techniques and applications of new technologies;
• Assessing new concepts, architectures, technologies and processing techniques to be applied to the next generation of microwave and millimetre-wave instruments/payloads;
• Defining the technological requirements of microwave and millimetre-wave remote sensing instruments in cooperation with ESA specialists in the various domains;
• Participating in feasibility studies, project reviews and the evaluation of procurement proposals;
• Identifying critical development problems and assisting in their resolution;
• Contributing to the definition of technology development requirements and work plans for the Agency’s technology programmes in the field of RF, microwave and millimetre-wave remote sensing instruments/payloads;
• Defining, initiating and managing R&D activities covering both long and short-term needs;
• Fostering new application areas for multidisciplinary activities, placing emphasis on innovative concepts, cutting‑edge technologies and system architectures;
• Laboratory activities as required;

What you offer :

• University Master’s degree in Telecommunications, Electronics or RF/Microwave Engineering.
• Strong background in electromagnetic theory, radar signal propagation, Fourier analysis, and SAR/ELINT principles and electronic warfare.
• Experience in the design, development and verification of synthetic aperture radars, radar altimeters, scatterometers, radiometers or real aperture radars (weather radars and ground‑penetrating radars).
• Familiarity with RF components, FPGA/ASIC architectures, and high‑reliability PCB design standards.
• General background and specific experience in the technical domains covered by the position, supporting remote sensing system development, integration and test.
• Experience in the development and verification of space hardware.
• Understanding of related technologies, R&D trends and the industrial landscape.
• Experience in the management and monitoring of industrial activities, including participation in reviews.

The following are considered important assets:

• Some years of professional experience in the technical domains is required for this position.
  
• A good knowledge of modern computer systems, simulation, modelling tools and programming languages.
  

What we offer:

• A competitive salary
• 30 days of paid annual leave, plus the days ESTEC is closed including public holidays (~12 days) based on a 40-hour working week;
• Hybrid working scheme (3 days in the office and 2 days remote in the Netherlands)
• Opportunity to telework from abroad
• Flexible working hours; you are in charge of your own agenda respecting core working hours
• Fully paid collective extensive health insurance scheme;
• A good pension scheme with no personal contribution;
• A career development (Coursera membership + training budget);
• Travel allowance;
• Extensive relocation package

Where:

You will be working within ESTEC, the European Space Agency’s offices in the Netherlands as a contractor for Telespazio Belgium. We don’t expect the employees to be on‑site full time however you will still have to relocate to the Netherlands for this position.

Check out the ESTEC site here: esa.int/About_Us/ESTEC

When

Deadline to apply: ASAP

Please note that interviews will be held via Teams. We look forward to receiving your application for this position!