Copernicus LSTM Lead Space Segment Engineer - European Space Agency (Noordwijk)

About this position

The summary below is published by European Space Agency on the official vacancy notice. Our own analysis — salary realism, comparable openings, career trajectory, language profile — follows further down the page.

Key responsibilities

According to the vacancy notice, the role centres on the following duties:

• Lead specification, design, procurement, development and verification/acceptance of spacecraft, platform and equipment hardware
• Monitor industrial progress and design evolution at spacecraft, platform and equipment levels
• Monitor industrial verification activities and resolve non-conformances
• Coordinate with PA and AIT during integration and testing activities
• Contribute to autonomy and operability concept and support FDIR definition
• Support launch campaign preparation and execution and platform in-orbit operations until end of commissioning
• Contribute to payload specification, design, procurement, development and verification/acceptance when requested
• Provide regular reporting to project management and identify technical risk areas

Are you eligible?

Check these requirements from the notice before investing time in an application:

• Education: Master's degree in a relevant domain required; alternatively, bachelor's degree complemented by an additional four years of relevant professional experience
• Experience: In principle, four years of relevant professional experience; experience in spacecraft design, development, integration, verification and testing during project Phases C/D; experience in spacecraft launch campaign, LEOP and commissioning; experience managing technical interfaces between subsystems in ESA project team environment or industrial consortium; experience with complex project schedule a…
• Key skills: Multidisciplinary knowledge of space segment engineering including PA standards, Spacecraft design, development, integration, verification and testing, Technical interface management between subsystems, Complex project schedule and risk management, Good communication skills, both verbal and written, Ability to work effectively in international team environment, Problem anticipation and complex issue resolution, Solution-oriented, pragmatic and timely decision-making
• Eligibility: International experience, including experience gained outside home country, would be an asset

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: 4 years, extendable to indefinite.

Working arrangements: ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands.

Hiring unit: Earth Observation Projects Department, Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes.

Position details

Reference

1437837833

Last Verified

17 September 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Copernicus LSTM Lead Space Segment Engineer at ESA based in Noordwijk (Other). The vacancy reference is 1437837833.

Job Requisition ID:20896

Date Posted:17 September 2026

Closing Date:8 October 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication:Internal & External

Type of Appointment (learn more):4 years, extendable to indefinite

Directorate:Earth Observation Programmes

Location ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Description

Lead Space Segment Engineer for the Copernicus Land Surface Temperature Monitoring (LSTM) mission in the Earth Observation Projects Department, Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes (D/EOP).

LSTM is one of the Copernicus Expansion missions developed jointly by ESA and the European Commission to provide high-resolution thermal infrared observations for the monitoring of land surface temperature. The mission supports sustainable agriculture and water resource management through the provision of frequent and accurate measurements of evapotranspiration and related land surface parameters.

Both PFM and FM2 satellites are currently in Phase D. Integration, verification and qualification activities are ongoing at platform, instrument and satellite level.

As part of the ESA project team, you will support the execution and monitoring of the LSTM space segment development, with a particular focus on satellite engineering, industrial coordination, verification activities and technical risk management throughout the development, qualification, launch and commissioning phases. You will act as Deputy Spacecraft Manager with related delegated responsibility for relevant project management aspects.

You will report to the LSTM Satellite Engineering and AIV Manager and will work within the LSTM Project Team in close coordination with specialists from the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality (D/TEC), the Directorate of Operations (D/OPS) and industrial partners.

Duties

Your main tasks and responsibilities will include

- contributing to the management of the industrial activities by leading the specification, design, procurement, development and verification/acceptance of spacecraft, platform and equipment hardware throughout the project lifetime, from ITT to flight commissioning; - monitoring the industrial progress and design evolution at spacecraft, platform and equipment levels, ensuring it remains consistent with the technical requirements, including internal and external interfaces, and programmatic requirements; - monitoring industrial verification activities to ensure proper verification, including resolving non-conformances, and supporting the assessment of deviations and waivers; - coordinating with PA and AIT during integration and testing activities for the resolution of activity deviations; - contributing to the autonomy and operability concept and supporting the FDIR definition when requested; - supporting launch campaign preparation and execution and platform in-orbit operations until the end of commissioning; - contributing to the payload specification, design, procurement, development and verification/acceptance when requested; - providing regular reporting to project management and identifying technical risk areas, proposing and monitoring mitigation measures; - monitoring the satellite schedule, ensuring coherence between the overall planning and the platform and instrument development and verification activities, with the objective of continuously minimising technical and schedule risks; - monitoring the industrial preparation for launch and coordinating in-flight spacecraft commissioning and verification activities in collaboration with project and ground teams; - coordinating various project engineering domains to cover the procurement of the hardware under your responsibility; - acting as Deputy LSTM Spacecraft Manager, with delegated responsibility for relevant project management aspects; - potentially supporting interactions with delegations and partners as required; - coordinating specialised engineering support from the Directorate of Technology, Engineering, Quality and the Directorate of Operations; - ensuring coordination between Copernicus missions where applicable.

Your duties may also include supporting other activities within your field of competence in the Earth Observation Projects Department, Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes.

Technical competencies

Multidisciplinary knowledge and experience of your area of responsibility, in particular regarding space segment engineering, including related PA standards

Knowledge and experience in spacecraft design, development, integration, verification and testing, in particular during project Phases C/D

Knowledge and experience in spacecraft launch campaign, LEOP and commissioning definition and execution

Experience of managing technical interfaces between subsystems in an ESA project team environment and/or within an industrial consortium

Knowledge and experience of complex project schedule and risk management processes

Experience working in a project environment on the procurement and monitoring of industrial activities

Behavioural competencies

Education and professional experience

A master’s degree in a relevant domain is required for this post, together with, in principle, four years of relevant professional experience. Alternatively, candidates with a bachelor’s degree, complemented by an additional four years of relevant professional experience, may be considered.

Additional requirements

- Good communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to summarise complex information. - The ability to work effectively in an international team environment; - The ability to anticipate problems, resolve complex issues and relate situations to their context. - The ability to make solution-oriented, pragmatic and timely decisions of a high standard and with integrity, as well as to support others, such as team members, management and other stakeholders, in this process.

International experience, including experience gained outside your home country, would be an asset, as would experience across a range of functional areas relevant to ESA activities.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 17 September 2026, today.

The application deadline is 8 October 2026, 20 days from today. Late applications are not accepted, so submit through the official EU Careers portal well in advance.

Last verified against the EU Careers feed on 17 September 2026.

Where to learn more

For headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at ESA see the ESA institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Noordwijk see our Noordwijk location page.

New to EU careers? Our beginner's guide walks through entry routes, EPSO competitions, and what to prepare. For application logistics see application tips and EPSO competitions.