Payload System Engineer

constellr; Germany (OH); On-site; USD 102,762 - 137,017; Full time

Job summary

constellr in Munich is seeking a Payload System Engineer to join the Mission and Space Systems team. You’ll derive requirements, perform trade-offs, and co-design the payload with partners to enhance the thermal infrared constellation.

You will collaborate with suppliers and internal teams, maintain documentation, and contribute to the qualification and testing of flight systems while supporting system-level performance assessments.

Qualifications

• Degree in engineering, physics, or a related scientific discipline.
• 5+ years in optical payload design for space; infrared ideal.
• Proficient in Python; strong English skills.

Responsibilities

• Derivation of payload requirements from top-level specifications.
• Design trade-offs considering tech and programmatic constraints.
• Co-design and co-development of the payload with partners.
• Support, implementation, and management of supplier reviews.
• Write and maintain requirement specifications, coordinating with procurement and AIT teams to ensure supplier performance.
• Define and maintain payload budgets (radiometry, image quality, data rate, etc.).
• Perform payload functional and performance analysis and testing.
• Support operational concept definition, mission analysis, and system-level performance assessments with payload-related inputs.
• Support the completion of all necessary payload documentation for the qualification and certification of flight systems, as well as associated verification requirements and test result evaluations.
• Collaborate with the other teams to define necessary requirements and interfaces.
• Participate in the payload and satellite-level Assembly, Integration, and Testing (AIT) activities, and support their planning and definition.
• Participate in the development of our internal test and system engineering software.

Skills

Python programming

Interpersonal skills

English proficiency

Project execution

Education

Degree in engineering/physics

Tools

Zemax

Job description

Location: Onsite, Munich

Team & Reporting line: Ignacio, Jean-Baptiste, Javier

Our Mission

At constellr, we're harnessing the power of space to solve one of Earth’s greatest challenges: climate resilience & security in a changing world. Our thermal satellite constellation delivers the most accurate land surface temperature data on the market, equipping commercial players, governments, defence agencies, and global institutions with the thermal intelligence they need to make strategic decisions— from national security and infrastructure to agriculture and climate resilience.

As a fast-scaling company with offices in Brussels, Freiburg, Munich, Washington and Toulouse, our multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, and strategists is building the future of space-based Earth observation.

Your Role

As a Payload System Engineer, you’ll be part of the Mission and Space Systems team. You’ll collaborate daily with the other engineers of the team as well as the operations teams and external partners. Your role will be instrumental in both supporting the performance of our orbiting satellites by developing deep technical knowledge of our current payload, and shaping the future of our constellation by contributing to the design and development of our next-generation payload.

Key Responsibilities

• Derivation of technical payload requirements from top-level specifications.
• Perform design trade-offs targeting the most efficient solutions with respect to technological and programmatic constraints.
• Co-design and co-development of the payload together with partners.
• Support, implementation, and management of supplier reviews.
• Write and maintain requirement specifications, coordinating with procurement and AIT teams to ensure supplier performance.
• Define and maintain payload budgets (radiometry, image quality, data rate, etc.).
• Perform payload functional and performance analysis and testing.
• Support operational concept definition, mission analysis, and system-level performance assessments with payload-related inputs.
• Support the completion of all necessary payload documentation for the qualification and certification of flight systems, as well as associated verification requirements and test result evaluations.
• Collaborate with the other teams to define necessary requirements and interfaces.
• Participate in the payload and satellite-level Assembly, Integration, and Testing (AIT) activities, and support their planning and definition.
• Participate in the development of our internal test and system engineering software.

About you

Required

• Degree in engineering, physics, or a related scientific discipline.
• Proven experience (5+ years) in optical payload design for space applications, ideally with infrared instruments.
• Proven ability to commit to project plans and deliver expected results on time, or report proactively if deviations are foreseen.
• Ability to rapidly expand application-specific knowledge sets and quickly familiarize with new areas of responsibility.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build constructive, collaborative relationships with suppliers and other internal teams.
• Familiarity with Python (or another programming language alongside a willingness to learn Python).
• Strong written and spoken English skills.

Nice to Have

• Optical design experience using Zemax (or experience with alternative software alongside a willingness to learn Zemax).
• Optical Assembly, Integration, and Testing (AIT) experience.
• Opto-mechanical design experience.

Why join constellr?

• High-Impact National Security Mission: Be part of an ambitious mission to launch the world’s first commercial thermal infrared constellation, delivering sovereign-grade "behavioural" intelligence from space to close critical blind spots for defence, intelligence, and maritime surveillance agencies.
• Fast-Paced "New Space" Innovation: Work at the leading edge of a rapidly evolving defence sector. By leveraging modern, agile New Space methodologies, you will help design, build, and deploy dual-use thermal payloads into operational orbit at a speed and scale that traditional aerospace models simply cannot match.
• Broad Interdisciplinary Exposure: Accelerate your professional growth by collaborating daily with a diverse, international cohort of astrophysicists, software developers, and defence-system engineers.
• Inclusive & Scientific Culture: Join a high-trust team deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and scientific excellence, where academic curiosity is paired with high autonomy and a flat hierarchy.
• Financial Upside & Well-being: Benefit from a Virtual Share Option Plan (VSOP) for permanent employees, giving you a true stake in the company's growth, alongside highly flexible hybrid working models.