Digital Equipment Engineer for RF Payloads

Are you looking for a new opportunity to take your career to a higher orbit? To join an international group with a successful track record in Space Engineering? A job adapted to your career ambitions and in which you could have an impact for the years to come?

We are looking for a Digital Equipment Engineer for RF Payloads to work at ESTEC’s premises in Noordwijk, Netherlands.

The role is part of the Radio Frequency Payloads and Technology Division, which offers an exciting opportunity to work at the forefront of RF and optical communication systems for space applications. As part of this team, you could contribute to the design, testing, and performance analysis of advanced payloads, instruments, antennas, and telemetry systems. You’ll play a key role in cutting-edge projects, tackling challenges like wave propagation, high-speed data transmission, and signal processing. With expertise across antennas, RF equipment, payload architecture, and wave interaction, the division supports ground-breaking ESA missions, and you could be a vital part of this innovation.

About the client and location

The European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) is the European Space Agency’s (ESA) base in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. As ESA’s largest test centre, it is responsible for the majority of space technology and spacecraft development through varying phases of production.

Tasks and activities

The scope of work will include:

• Architectural definition, design, development, characterisation and performance evaluation of RF Payloads/Instruments Control, Data and (Digital) Signal Processing Units (e.g. telecom digital transparent and regenerative processors, digital signal generation and signal processing units, etc.).
• Design, development and performance evaluation and characterisation of RF Payload Data and Signal Processing techniques, including:
  • Payload Signal and Data Processing, including advanced techniques (e.g. digital beamforming, Machine Learning/Al techniques, etc.) supporting instrument operation and operative modes;
  • Payload Data Compression and Encryption;
  • RF Payloads/Instruments related ASICs and Devices (e.g. FPGA, DSP) specification/ validation, in close cooperation with other divisions/sections of the Agency.

Skills and experience

The following skills and experience are mandatory:

• University Master’s degree in Telecommunications, Electronics or Computer Science Engineering.
• Minimum 4 years of experience in the design and development of Digital Equipment for Radio Frequency Payloads, including usage of engineering tools.
• Very good knowledge of Digital Processing Systems, including Digital processing architectures for RF systems (including “Software Defined Radio”), main functional blocks and internal/external interfaces (including RF), together with associated technologies and components.
• Very good knowledge of Digital Processing Technologies and Input/Output Interfaces, including High-speed data conversion (A/D and D/A) techniques and technology; digital processing devices such as DSPs, FPGAs, CPUs, Digital input/output interfaces and technologies, networks and protocols.
• Very good knowledge of Signal and Data Processing Algorithms and Techniques, including high-speed digital signal processing.
• Very good knowledge of Digital System Modelling, Simulation and Programming, software development languages.
• 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.

The following skills and experience would be highly desirable:

• Experience on Design and development of digital processing architectures for RF systems, and definition of key parameters and budgets in the context of different RF system application domains (e.g. RF payloads for Earth Observation, Telecom, Navigation or other relevant ones).
• Experience on Design and validation of algorithms and techniques such as modulation, digital beamforming, machine learning/artificial intelligence, forward error correction, filters, data compression and cryptography, etc.
• Experience on evaluation of algorithms and techniques figures of merit, such as implementation complexity and performance, and optimizations to fit the system constraints, such as power, latency, etc.
• Experience on Digital System Design, including ASIC/FPGA/IP Core usage and development & verification processes and languages (such as VHDL, Verilog).

Why should you apply?

• You will have the opportunity to work within leading space organisations across Europe.
• We encourage everyone to think outside the box and to push the boundaries of traditional knowledge. This role is an opportunity to join a forward-thinking company and allows for a deeper understanding of the industry.
• To be part of a company that values integrity, inspiration, care and collaboration.
• Benefits include: competitive remuneration packages; unique career opportunities, including working in other countries; access to training and development programmes; flexible relocation support.

We welcome applications from people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, all genders, LGBTQ+ individuals and ex-service personnel.