Copernicus Sentinel-3 Next Generation Topography 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 throughout project lifetime
• Monitor industrial progress and design evolution at spacecraft, platform and equipment level
• Consolidate and maintain internal/external satellite interfaces and technical engineering budgets
• Monitor industrial verification activities, including development AIV and AIT processes
• 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 implementation and platform in-orbit operations
• 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 engineering discipline required, or bachelor's degree with additional four years of relevant professional experience
• Experience: Four years of relevant professional experience required; experience with spacecraft design, development, integration and verification; experience with spacecraft launch campaigns, LEOP and commissioning; experience managing technical interfaces in ESA project team environment or industrial consortium; experience in project environment on procurement and monitoring of industrial activities; knowle…
• Key skills: Multidisciplinary technical knowledge of space segment engineering and PA standards, Spacecraft design, development, integration and verification, Spacecraft launch campaigns, LEOP and commissioning definition and execution, Managing technical interfaces between subsystems, Project environment procurement and industrial activity monitoring, Complex project schedule and risk management

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: 4 years, extendable to indefinite.

Working arrangements: ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands.

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

Position details

Reference

1454760633

Last Verified

6 November 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Copernicus Sentinel-3 Next Generation Topography Lead Space Segment Engineer at ESA based in Noordwijk (Other). The vacancy reference is 1454760633.

Job Requisition ID:21071

Date Posted:5 November 2026

Closing Date:26 November 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication Method: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 Sentinel-3 Next Generation Topography (S3 NGT) mission.

You will work on activities related to Phases B2/C/D/E1 of the Sentinel-3 Next Generation Topography satellites.

You will report to the corresponding Satellite Engineering and AIV Manager regarding all technical and programmatic matters and will work within the corresponding Project Team.

In particular, you will be technically responsible for the development of the space segment engineering and related subsystems, as well as the space segment assembly, integration and testing. Your responsibilities will include proactively monitoring the industrial procurement of the platform.

You will interface with other engineers working on the Project and receive specialised technical support from the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality (D/TEC).

Duties

Your main tasks and responsibilities will include the following:

- contributing to the management of industrial activities by leading the specification, design, procurement, development and verification/acceptance of spacecraft, platform and equipment hardware (including ground support equipment) throughout the Project lifetime, from ITT to in-flight commissioning (Phase E1); - monitoring industrial progress and design evolution at spacecraft, platform and equipment level, ensuring consistency with the technical and programmatic requirements; - consolidating and maintaining the internal/external satellite interfaces and technical engineering budgets, including the definition of the interfaces with the launcher; - monitoring industrial verification activities, including the definition and implementation of the development AIV and AIT processes, to ensure proper verification, while 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 deviations; - contributing to the autonomy and operability concept and supporting the FDIR definition; - supporting the launch campaign preparation and implementation and the platform in-orbit operations until the end of commissioning; - providing regular reporting to project management, identifying technical risk areas, and proposing and monitoring mitigation measures; - contributing to the management of the schedule and proposing schedule risk mitigation actions; - monitoring the industrial preparation for launch and coordinating in-flight spacecraft commissioning and verification activities in collaboration with project and ground teams; - coordinating with a range of project engineering domains to cover the procurement of hardware under your responsibility; - acting as deputy to the Spacecraft Engineering Manager as required, taking responsibility for relevant tasks (technical and programmatic) and acting on their behalf when interacting with industry, and external and internal entities; - coordinating specialised engineering support from the ESA Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality in the areas under your responsibility.

Your duties may also include supporting other activities within the Earth Observation Projects Department of the Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes.

Technical competencies

Multidisciplinary technical knowledge and experience of your area of responsibility, particularly regarding space segment engineering and the related PA standards

Knowledge and experience of spacecraft design, development, integration and verification

Knowledge and experience of spacecraft launch campaigns, LEOP and commissioning definition and execution

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

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

Knowledge and experience of complex project schedule and risk management processes

Behavioural competencies

Education and professional experience

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

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 5 November 2026, 2 days ago.

The application deadline is 26 November 2026, 17 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 6 November 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.

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