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:

• Manage overall end-to-end system performance of the SAGA mission in close cooperation with industry
• Lead definition of all mission and system requirements, including external and internal interface requirements, and allocate segment requirements
• Monitor traceability of requirements from user/service to mission to system to segment to equipment/payload level
• Manage performance models to estimate system-level performances of SAGA mission (space, ground and user segments)
• Monitor and maintain system level and segment performance budgets in line with SAGA mission requirements and space segment design during all mission phases
• Monitor industrial development and verification activities to ensure proper verification including resolving non-conformances and supporting assessment of deviations and waivers
• Coordinate with PA, Space Segment, Payload & User segment and Security leads during development, integration and testing activities
• Provide regular reporting to project management on all aspects of competence, identifying risks and problem areas and proposing mitigation actions

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 complemented by an additional four years of relevant professional experience
• Experience: 4 years of relevant professional experience
• Key skills: Multi-disciplinary and comprehensive knowledge of equipment, subsystem, satellite and overall mission requirements definition, design and development, Experience with system level Assembly Integration & Test, Knowledge of ESA procurement processes, Understanding of industrial costs, schedule and project risk management processes, Strong result orientation with ability to set priorities and present practical solutions orally and in writing, Strong problem-solving skills, Ability to anticipate risks and identify need for additional expert support in timely manner, Understanding of and experience in tailoring space standards, Ability to manage challenging situations proactively and constructively and be customer-focused, Ability to adapt to new working methods and environments

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: 4 years, extendable to indefinite.

Working arrangements: ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands.

Hiring unit: Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity Directorate, RNC Projects Department.

Position details

Reference

1448559633

Last Verified

18 October 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 1448559633.

Job Requisition ID:21070

Date Posted:17 October 2026

Closing Date:7 November 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication Method:Internal & External

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

Directorate:Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity

Location ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Description

Lead End-to-End Performance Engineer, reporting to SAGA Project Manager within the RNC Projects Department in the Directorate of Resiliance, Navigation and Connectivity.

The SAGA Project aims to develop and deploy an end-to-end space mission for Quantum Key Distribution. The project focuses on the development of critical QKD technologies by European industry up to preliminary service validation, which will become the EuroQCI 1st Generation component (space and related ground/user segment) and shall help to prepare for a EuroQCI operational system definition.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

- manage the overall end-to-end system performance of the SAGA mission in close co-operation with industry; - lead the definition of all mission and system requirements, including external and internal (between segments) interface requirements, and allocating segment requirements; - monitor the traceability of requirements from user/service, to mission, to system, to segment and down to equipment/payload level; - manage performance models to estimate system-level performances of the SAGA mission (space, ground and user segments); - monitor and maintain the system level and segment performance budgets in line with SAGA mission requirements and space segment design during all mission phases; - monitor industrial development and verification activities to ensure proper verification including resolving non-conformances; supporting the assessment of deviations, waivers; - moordinate with PA, Space Segment, Payload & User segment and Security leads during development, integration and testing activities for the resolution of activity deviations; - provide regular reporting to project management on all aspects of competence, identifying risks and problem areas and proposing mitigation actions, where appropriate; - contribute to the management of the schedule and propose schedule risk mitigation actions within the area of responsibility; - monitor the industrial preparation for in-orbit spacecraft commissioning and service provision in collaboration with project teams and ground teams, as necessary; - potentially assuming responsibility, delegated from the SAGA Project Manager, for programmatic aspects, and directly interacting with delegations and partners as required; - lead a team of engineers and specialised engineering support from the ESA Technology, Engineering, Quality and Operations Directorates.

Technical competencies

Multi-disciplinary and comprehensive knowledge of equipment, subsystem, satellite and overall mission requirments definiton, design and development

Experience with system level Assembly Integration & Test

Knowledge of ESA procurement processes

Understanding of industrial costs, schedule and project 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 4 years of relevant professional experience. Alternatively, candidates with a bachelor’s degree,complemented by an additional four (4) years of relevant professional experience can be considered.

Additional requirements

Relevant previous project experience and, in particular, technical competence in Optical and/or QKD technology is a distinctive asset

You should have the ability to adapt to new working methods and environments. You must be able to build efficient working relationships, communicate effectively and contribute to fostering positive attitudes to change and, thus, to the success of an innovative programme.

In addition, you should have:

- strong result orientation with the ability to set priorities and present practical solutions both orally and in writing; - strong problem-solving skills to deal with day-to-day challenges proactively and constructively; - the ability to anticipate risks and identify the need for additional expert support in a timely manner; - understanding of and experience in tailoring space standards; - the ability to manage challenging situations proactively and constructively and to be customer-focused.

An experience in diverse functional areas relevant to ESA activities is an asset.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 18 October 2026, today.

The application deadline is 7 November 2026, 18 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 18 October 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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