Satellite Communications Engineer

Dawn Aerospace; Delft; On-site; EUR 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A cutting-edge aerospace company in Delft is seeking a hands-on engineer responsible for satellite communications and integrating various system components to ensure reliability. You will own the communications system from operator terminals through external interfaces to the satellite. Qualifications include a degree in Electrical Engineering or related field, practical RF experience, and strong troubleshooting skills. The position offers a permanent role starting with a 12-month contract in a diverse and inclusive work environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a technical field or equivalent practical experience.
• Familiarity with verification and troubleshooting across subsystems.
• Practical experience in RF communication chains and system integration.

Responsibilities

• Own the communications chain from terminal to spacecraft interfaces.
• Integrate and validate communications hardware and software.
• Plan and run communications testing for operations.

Skills

RF communication chains

System integration

Technical documentation

Troubleshooting

Electromagnetic compatibility

Interference testing

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, Aerospace Engineering or related field

Tools

Test equipment

Radios

Antennas

Cabling

Job description

We are hiring a hands‑on engineer to own satellite communications as an end‑to‑end mission system. You will be responsible for making sure commands, telemetry, and mission data move reliably through the full communications chain: from operator interfaces, through ground infrastructure and external providers, to the spacecraft and back. You should be comfortable working across hardware, software, testing, operations, and external interfaces to make a practical system work reliably under mission conditions. The core responsibility is integration, validation, readiness, and execution of the RF signal chain.

Responsibilities

• Own the communications chain as a working system, from operator terminal through ground segment and spacecraft interfaces.
• Integrate and validate communications hardware, software, configurations, and external services so the overall system performs reliably in operations.
• Work with external partners and service providers to bring communications capabilities online, verify compatibility, and resolve issues quickly.
• Plan and run communications testing, including system bring‑up, operational validation, and interference / self‑compatibility testing at spacecraft level.
• Support regulatory and spectrum work by owning the in‑house technical inputs for licensing and coordination activities.
• Help define operational procedures, contingencies, and tooling needed to use the communications system during flight operations.
• Collaborate closely with spacecraft, avionics, software, GNC, and mission operations engineers to solve cross‑functional problems rather than staying inside a narrow RF silo.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Familiarity with verification, troubleshooting, EMI / EMC or interference testing, and debugging issues across subsystem boundaries.
• Practical experience with real RF communication chains, communications system integration, or ground/space communications operations.
• Experience coordinating with external vendors, service providers, or partners on technical integration work.
• Familiarity with radios, antennas, cabling, link configurations, and test equipment, with the ability to bring a communications system up and make it work reliably.

Desired Experience

• Experience planning and executing operational RF tests, including interference characterization and end‑to‑end signal‑chain validation.
• Experience working with or managing third‑party ground station networks.
• Experience working in a fast‑moving, multidisciplinary engineering team where individuals are expected to own outcomes rather than stay in a narrow specialty.
• Experience with satellite communications, spacecraft operations, or other mission‑critical communications environments.

Key Skills

• Good engineering judgment around system behavior, interfaces, failure modes, and test strategy.
• Ability to write clear technical documentation and communicate crisply across engineering and operations teams.
• A hands‑on, high‑agency mindset: you do not wait for a perfect spec, you close gaps, run things down, and make progress.

Note that the role is a permanent position that will start with a fixed‑term contract of 12 months.

At Dawn Aerospace, we believe that diverse teams build better solutions. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences are valued and supported to do their best work.