Senior AIT Engineer

Science [&] Technology Corporation; Netherlands; Remote; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

AtS&T in Delft is seeking a Senior AIT Engineer to lead the AI&T activities for a growing satellite programme. You will own the integration and test campaign from planning through delivery, while also shaping the internal AI&T discipline, including strategy, procedures, and test infrastructure.

The role includes EM/FM verification, supplier assessments, and on-site collaboration with international partners. You will travel to partner facilities as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Optomechatronics or precision engineering.
• At least 8 years of experience in assembly, integration and testing of complex hardware systems.
• Experience owning an integration and test campaign from planning to delivery.
• Hands-on experience with environmental or qualification testing (vibration, shock, thermal, TVAC).
• Spacecraft AI&T experience and ability to work with suppliers and partners.
• Proficiency with ECSS standards and test automation (Python or MATLAB/Simulink).
• Willingness to spend extended periods at partner facilities and work on-site in Delft.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the AI&T philosophy and strategy for the campaign.
• Determine use of models and test strategies to reduce programme risk.
• Take ownership of AI&T responsibilities within the ongoing campaign.
• Define verification and validation requirements and support close-out.
• Assess subsystems at EM and FM levels and plan EM/ flatsat activities.
• Develop FM test procedures and participate in flight-model testing.
• Define and procure Ground Support Equipment (GSE).
• Prepare AI&T plans, test specifications and procedures at system and supplier levels.
• Plan environmental and functional qualification campaigns (vibration, shock, thermal).
• Support optical alignment, calibration, and performance verification with payload specialists.
• Lead or participate in Test Readiness Reviews and Test Review Boards.
• Investigate non-conformances and ensure corrective actions.
• Maintain contamination-control, ESD, cleanroom requirements throughout integration.

Skills

Fluent English

Dutch (Working Proficiency)

Python

MATLAB/Simulink

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Optomechatronics or Precision Engineering

Tools

GSE

Job description

We are currently looking for a Senior AIT Engineerto join theteam in Delft.

We are looking for a Senior Assembly, Integration & Test (AI&T) Engineer to take ownership of AI&T activities within a growing space engineering team.

You will play a central role in defining how complex satellite hardware is assembled, integrated, tested, verified, and ultimately accepted for flight. The position combines two main responsibilities: contributing directly to an ongoing satellite integration and test campaign, while simultaneously developing the organisation’s long-term AI&T capability.

The current campaign is being carried out together with an experienced international partner. You will be closely involved in the activities for which the organisation is responsible, working alongside specialists from both organisations. The exact level of campaign responsibility can grow depending on your previous experience.

At the same time, you will establish and further develop the internal AI&T discipline, including the overall test philosophy, integration strategy, procedures, standards, documentation, and test infrastructure. The approaches established now will form the basis for future satellite programmes.

Much of the physical integration and environmental testing is performed at suppliers and partner facilities in the Netherlands, elsewhere in Europe, and the United States. You will define the required verification and testing approach, assess supplier proposals and documentation, participate in critical reviews and test campaigns, and intervene when results do not meet the required standard.

In Delft, activities include software- and hardware-in-the-loop testing, with the potential development of a flatsat environment in the future.

Ultimately, you will be responsible for determining whether hardware is ready to proceed to the next stage of integration or testing. You will work closely with Systems Engineering, which manages requirements and verification, and Programme Management, which oversees schedule and cost.

• Define and maintain the overall AI&T philosophy and strategy, including engineering, qualification, and acceptance testing.
• Determine the appropriate use of engineering models, structural/thermal models, and other test models to reduce programme risk.
• Take ownership of the organisation’s responsibilities within an ongoing satellite AI&T campaign.
• Define verification and validation requirements and support verification close-out.
• Assess and accept subsystems prior to integration at both Engineering Model (EM) and Flight Model (FM) level.
• Plan and execute EM and potential flatsat activities, including procedure development, test execution, result collection, and generation of compliance evidence.
• Develop satellite-level FM test procedures and participate in flight-model integration and environmental testing.
• Define and procure mechanical and electrical Ground Support Equipment (GSE).
• Prepare AI&T plans, test specifications, and test procedures at both system and supplier level.
• Plan, oversee, and evaluate environmental and functional qualification campaigns, including vibration, shock, thermal, thermal-vacuum (TVAC), and EMC testing.
• Support optical alignment, calibration, and performance verification in cooperation with payload specialists.
• Review supplier AI&T plans, procedures, reports, and other documentation and ensure suppliers meet agreed requirements.
• Lead or participate in Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs) and Test Review Boards.
• Investigate and support the disposition of non-conformances, anomalies, and test failures.
• Define and maintain contamination-control, ESD, cleanroom, and hardware-handling requirements throughout the integration flow.
• Provide realistic integration and test durations for programme planning and substantiate the assumptions behind them.
• Be present at supplier and partner facilities during critical integration and test activities.
• Further develop the AI&T discipline as the organisation grows, including its standards, processes, documentation, tools, and future team capability.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Optomechatronics, Precision Engineering, or a comparable technical discipline.
• At least 8 years of experience in assembly, integration, and testing of complex hardware systems, including experience at system level.
• Demonstrated experience taking ownership of an integration and test campaign from planning and logistics through execution and delivery.
• Hands‑on experience with environmental or qualification testing such as vibration, shock, thermal, TVAC, or comparable test activities.
• Professional experience with spacecraft AI&T, whether at platform, payload, subsystem, or complete mission level.
• Experience defining, specifying, and procuring mechanical and/or electrical GSE.
• Ability to critically assess supplier work and make firm technical acceptance or rejection decisions when required.
• Working knowledge of cleanroom practices, contamination control, ESD, and sensitive hardware handling.
• Good understanding of electrical test equipment, instrumentation, test procedures, data acquisition, and test‑result interpretation.
• Fluent English and comfortable working within multidisciplinary and international teams.
• Willingness to work primarily on site in Delft, with limited hybrid working possibilities.
• Willingness and ability to spend extended periods at partner and supplier facilities during integration and test campaigns.
• Experience with optical instruments, optical payloads, or opto‑mechatronic systems.
• Familiarity with ECSS standards, particularly those relating to verification, integration, and testing.
• Experience with scripting or test automation using tools such as Python or MATLAB/Simulink.
• Previous experience establishing or developing an AI&T capability, processes, or standards within a growing organisation.
• Experience within the defence or security sector.
• Working proficiency in Dutch.

Please note that if you do not hear back from us within 10 days of your application, you may assume that we have selected another candidate we would like to interview for this position. We do our best to get back to you individually; however, due to a high volume of responses, it can be that we have not been able to reject your application in person.

We kindly request that recruitment agencies do not contact us regarding this vacancy. We are not seeking assistance and will not be liable for any fees or charges associated with unsolicited CVs or candidate introductions. Any candidates submitted by agencies without prior written agreement will be considered our direct applicants and may be employed without obligation or fee.

Are you enthusiastic about becoming our new Senior AIT Engineer?

AtS[&]T we contribute to a safer life on earth by translating space data intovaluable and actionable insights. We oversee data from instruments to application,and apply our expertise within our softwareframeworks, information products and consultancy.

Our society relies on space and scientific instruments forclimatechange monitoring, navigation, defence and national security, and other crucialservices we all use in our daily lives. These instruments produce an enormousquantity of complex data, and our goal is to unlock its value.

We have more than 20 years of experience working oninstrumentcalibration, the creation of data quality monitoring tools, the development of real‑timedata processing frameworks, and the development of application‑specificalgorithms. With this, we help organisations, governments and industries tostrengthen their information position and thereby improve their decision making.We focus on the following domains: Space & Science, Defence & Security,Environment & Sustainability, and High-Tech Consulting.