Lead End-to-End Performance 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:

• Define and maintain end-to-end system performance requirements, including allocation to subsystems and performance budgets
• Support the Alpstar Users Forum with mission and instrument performance aspects and mission data product definition
• Establish and maintain end-to-end system architecture and operations concept
• Coordinate end-to-end system performance verification programme including data processing, flight calibration and characterisation
• Review consistency and flowdown of requirements from space segment system level to subsystem and unit level
• Analyse and validate performance of interfaces between space segment and ground segment components
• Support implementation of end-to-end mission simulator and ground prototype processor
• Supervise industrial supplier's progress in developing Alpstar Federated Layer and Generic Node

Are you eligible?

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

• Education: Master's degree in engineering or a related discipline required; alternatively, bachelor's degree complemented by an additional four years of relevant professional experience
• Experience: Four years of relevant professional experience
• Key skills: Space systems engineering principles and lifecycle, Software systems engineering from requirements engineering to design, development and verification and validation, Ground segment architectures, mission operations and data processing chains, Interface engineering and management (ICDs, data flows and operational interfaces), End-to-end system verification and validation involving space and ground elements, ESA system engineering standards, reviews and processes, Knowledge of dual systems, Handling restricted or classified information, Multi-disciplinary and international environment collaboration, Strong communication skills

Contract and working arrangements

Working arrangements: ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands.

Hiring unit: Earth Observation Programmes.

Position details

Reference

1394632233

Last Verified

24 July 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Lead End-to-End Performance Engineer at ESA based in Noordwijk (Other). The vacancy reference is 1394632233.

Job Requisition ID:20588

Date Posted:15 July 2026

Closing Date:4 September 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication:Internal & External

Directorate:Earth Observation Programmes

Location

ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

## Description

Alpstar is an ERS-EO project to develop a federated, resilient Earth observation system combining space and ground assets. It provides secure, timely and sovereign data access for civil, security and defence applications.

Within this context, the Lead End-to-End Performance Engineer will play a central role in ensuring the technical end-to-end coherence and performance of the Alpstar system, with particular emphasis on the definition, verification and validation of interfaces between the space segment, the ground segment and operational elements within the Alpstar Cluster.

In your role as Alpstar Lead End-to-End Performance Engineer, you will report directly to the Alpstar Project Manager. You will collaborate with a range of engineering disciplines, including satellite engineering, security engineering, mission analysis, ground segment engineering and satellite operations. You will also interface directly with the end users to capture needs, discuss performance and address any non-compliance, and to support operational validation and transition to operations.

## Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

* defining and maintaining the end-to-end system performance requirements, including allocation to subsystems, performance budgets, relating for example to latency, availability, throughput and tasking responsiveness, and the performance model, in accordance with mission requirements and the space segment design; * supporting the Alpstar Users Forum with respect to mission and instrument performance aspects and mission data product definition, ensuring that end-to-end performance requirements are consistent with the approved concept of operations; * establishing and maintaining the end-to-end system architecture and operations concept in accordance with mission requirements and the space segment design; * coordinating the end-to-end system performance verification programme, including data processing, flight calibration and characterisation, payload science and ancillary data, in coordination with the respective ground and space segment engineering teams, pre-flight and during in-flight commissioning; * reviewing the consistency and flowdown of the requirements from space segment system level to subsystem and unit level, as well as the internal and external interfaces, while ensuring traceability and coherence with mission requirements and technical and programmatic constraints; reviewing and maintaining the requirements database; and preparing, reviewing, maintaining and supporting the VCD; * analysing and validating the performance of interfaces between space segment and ground segment components (national nodes, national operations centres, the federation layer and processing, archiving and dissemination services) and supporting interface harmonisation with external systems and contributing national or partner infrastructures; * supporting the implementation of the end-to-end mission simulator as applicable, the ground prototype processor, and the verification of the mission products; * supervising the industrial supplier's progress in developing and implementing the Alpstar Federated Layer and Generic Node of the Alpstar Participating States, including their interfaces with space resilience nodes and EOGS, and providing technical support for all industrial activities relating to system and ground segment development; * monitoring the end-to-end data flow, through the instruments/payload and spacecraft subsystems, up to the final data products, ensuring availability of all required models and tools; * coordinating the various project engineering domains in support of the systems engineering function; * providing regular reporting to project management on all aspects of competence, identifying risks and problem areas and proposing mitigation actions, where appropriate; * contributing to the management of the schedule and proposing schedule risk mitigation actions; * potentially assuming responsibility, delegated from the Alpstar Project Manager, for programmatic aspects, and directly interacting with delegations and partners as required.

## Technical competencies

Solid knowledge of space systems engineering principles and lifecycle

Experience in software systems engineering, from requirements engineering to design and development and verification and validation

Experience with ground segment architectures, mission operations and data processing chains

Proven ability in interface engineering and management (ICDs, data flows and operational interfaces)

Familiarity with end-to-end system verification and validation involving space and ground elements

Knowledge of ESA system engineering standards, reviews and processes

Knowledge of dual systems

## Behavioural competencies

## Education and professional experience

A master’s degree in engineering or a related discipline is required for this post, together with 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

* Knowledge of handling restricted or classified information; * Ability to work in multi-disciplinary and international environments; * Strong communication skills, enabling effective interaction with engineering, ground segment and operations teams; * Ability to work in a fast-paced, project-driven environment, set priorities and present solutions clearly; * Strong interpersonal, communication, technical, analytical, organisational and reporting skills; * A proactive attitude, with a problem-solving mindset and an interest in innovative technologies.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 28 May 2026, 59 days ago.

The application deadline is 4 September 2026, 38 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 24 July 2026 (2 days ago).

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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