Avionics and Data Handling Engineer- Vigil Project

EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY

 

Vacancy in the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.

 

ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.

 

Post

Avionics and Data Handling Engineer- Vigil Project

 

This post is classified A2-A4 on the Coordinated Organisations’ salary scale. 

 

Location
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands  

 

Description

Avionics and Data Handling Engineer in the   Data Handling Section, Avionics and EEE Division, Electrical Department, Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality (D/TEC). 

 

You will report hierarchically to the Head of the Data Handling Section and functionally to the Vigil Programme Manager in the Vigil Project, Earth Explorer Missions Programme within the Earth Observation Projects Department of the Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes (D/EOP).   

 

Vigil is a cornerstone mission of the Space Safety Programme (S2P) and will be the main element of the ESA Space Weather Service Network monitoring system. The Vigil satellite has several remote sensing and in situ instruments, providing observational data and contributing to the delivery of high-availability/low-latency space weather services. Within the Vigil Project, you will be responsible for all aspects of the satellite avionics engineering and verification. 

 

The Data Handling Section provides functional support to ESA projects and carries out technological research (R&D) in the fields of avionics, on-board data handling and data processing solutions, with emphasis on: 

 

• platform and payload data handling architectures and their building blocks (equipment/units, modules and key components); 
• avionics units such as on-board computers and remote terminals, as well as mass memories and instrument control units; 
• digital and analogue signal processing electronics for payload and avionics functions; 
• front-end acquisition and processing chain electronics*; 
• on-board data transfer interfaces, buses and associated protocols (high and low speed); 
• platform data handling functions relating to security, data authentication, encryption and compression; 
• the use of microelectronics devices; 
• implementation, inference, verification and validation of algorithms** on processing hardware platforms for space applications* in close collaboration with other discipline experts, such as software, microelectronics and applications engineers.

 

 * except for RF payloads. 
** including artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. 

 

For your first assignment as Avionics and Data Handling Engineer, you will support the Vigil Project, Earth Explorer Missions Programme within the Earth Observation Projects Department of the Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes. During this assignment you will report functionally to the Vigil Spacecraft Engineering and AIT/V Manager.  
 

Duties

Reporting to the Head of Section and within the technical fields described above, your main tasks and responsibilities will include:

 

• the specification, development, procurement and verification of Vigil   platform electronic units, including the on-board computer, data handling subsystem and instrument control units (ICU/DPU);
• ensuring the consistency and correctness of functional and electrical interfaces between the Vigil platform electronic units, such as ADCS and power units, and the Vigil payload suite instruments, including the Agency-procured and -furnished instruments;
• ensuring consistency between the on-board computer, the data handling subsystem, other electronic unit specifications and the on-board software and spacecraft reference database;
• monitoring the avionics schedule and risks of the relevant procurements, providing early warning of potential problem areas and ensuring that appropriate mitigation actions are identified and implemented;
• supporting the preparation and execution of the system validation tests (SVT) executed by the Vigil Mission Operation Centre (MOC) in ESOC;
• supporting the launch campaign at the MOC and at the launch site