Satcom Systems and Payload Lead - 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 end-to-end development, validation and performance of telecommunications payload and ground segment for Novacom I / OneSat project
• Define and maintain payload and system requirements, specifications, technical budgets, design drivers, interfaces and operational concepts
• Act as technical point of contact and day-to-day interface with industrial prime contractor, satellite operator and partners
• Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary engineering team
• Lead preparation and conduct of payload, ground-segment and end-to-end reviews
• Manage industrial activities including contract negotiations, change requests, deviations, waivers and non-conformances
• Monitor industrial progress, schedules, costs, risks and critical areas
• Monitor end-to-end system performance and identify optimisation opportunities

Are you eligible?

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

• Education: Master's degree in relevant engineering discipline required; alternatively, bachelor's degree with additional four years of relevant professional experience
• Experience: Four years of relevant professional experience required; experience in telecom satellite advanced conventional and digital payload design, development, verification and in-orbit validation; experience with end-to-end SatCom mission development
• Key skills: Telecom satellite advanced conventional and digital payload design, development, verification and in-orbit validation, Digital payload architectures, End-to-end SatCom mission development, ESA and industrial space development, verification and quality assurance processes, ESA partnership projects governance and procurement processes, Complex technical communication, Project risk management, Industrial costs and schedule control, Team coordination and cross-disciplinary collaboration
• Eligibility: Direct experience with prime contractor and/or operator in commercial telecommunications is a distinct advantage; ESA partnership projects experience would be an asset

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: 4 years, extendable to indefinite.

Hiring unit: Commercial Services and Platforms Partnership Division, Commercial Partnerships Department, Directorate of Commercialis….

Position details

Reference

1448610333

Last Verified

18 October 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Satcom Systems and Payload Lead at ESA based in Noordwijk (Other). The vacancy reference is 1448610333.

Job Requisition ID:21065

Date Posted:16 October 2026

Closing Date:6 November 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication Method:Internal & External

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

Directorate:Commercialisation and Industry Partnership

Location ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Description

SatCom Systems and Payload Lead within the Novacom I / OneSat Project, Commercial Services and Platforms Partnership Division, Commercial Partnerships Department, Directorate of Commercialisation and Industry Partnerships.

Reporting to the Novacom I / OneSat Project Manager (CIP-PSO), you will be responsible for the end-to-end development, validation and performance of the telecommunications payload and associated ground segment for the Novacom I / OneSat partnership project. You will also support other system and payload activities within the division as required.

You will be the main point of contact and the day-to-day interface with the industrial prime contractor and satellite operators. Under the leadership and authority of the Project Manager, you will also be responsible for decision-making, on behalf of the ESA partnership project, for the design, development, qualification, on-ground verification and in-orbit validation of the satellite advanced digital payload and the relevant ground segment software components, ensuring overall consistency with the mission requirements and end-to-end performances within the defined schedule and budget.

Duties

Reporting to the Project Manager, you will be responsible for the end-to-end leadership of the satellite telecommunications payload and associated ground segment, ensuring full alignment with mission objectives, industrial partnerships and commercial operators. Your main responsibilities will include:

- leading the design, development, qualification, on-ground verification and in-orbit validation of the advanced conventional and digital telecommunications payloads and the associated ground-segment software tools required for payload operations, ensuring end-to-end consistency, performance and operational readiness in accordance with mission requirements; - defining and maintaining the payload and end-to-end system requirements, specifications, technical budgets, design drivers, interfaces and operational concepts, and ensuring their traceability and consistency throughout the project lifecycle; - acting as the technical point of contact and day-to-day interface with the industrial prime contractor, satellite operator and other partners and, within the authority delegated by the Project Manager, taking decisions on payload and associated ground-segment matters; - leading and coordinating the work of a multidisciplinary engineering team, including specialised engineering support from relevant ESA directorates, and fostering effective cooperation with project teams, industry, operators and collaborating space agencies; - leading the preparation and conduct of payload, lower-level, ground-segment and end-to-end reviews, co-chairing joint reviews with the satellite operator and industrial prime contractor, and representing the payload domain at spacecraft- and programme-level reviews; - managing and monitoring the industrial activities within your area of responsibility, including supporting contract negotiations, assessing change requests, deviations, waivers and non-conformances, and ensuring the appropriate tailoring and implementation of applicable ECSS, international and industry standards; - monitoring industrial progress, schedules, costs, risks and critical areas, assessing their technical and programmatic impact, defining and following up mitigation measures, and ensuring delivery within the agreed technical, schedule and cost constraints; - monitoring end-to-end system performance and competitiveness and identifying and driving optimisation opportunities; - providing regular technical, programmatic and financial reporting to the Project Manager and supporting reporting to ESA management and Participating States; - supporting interactions with delegations, institutional and industrial partners and other stakeholders, as well as communication, outreach and visibility activities; - contributing to future mission concepts and commercial opportunities within the Department in your area of expertise.

Your duties may also include supporting other activities within your field of competence and contributing to knowledge-sharing and transfer across the Agency.

Technical competencies

Experience in telecom satellite advanced conventional and digital payload design, development, verification and in-orbit validation, including digital payload architectures

Experience with end-to-end SatCom mission development

Knowledge of ESA and industrial space development, verification and quality assurance processes

Knowledge of ESA partnership projects, their governance and associated procurement 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.

Additional requirements

- Direct experience of working with a prime contractor and/or operator in commercial telecommunications would be a distinct advantage.Experience with ESA’s partnership projects would be an asset. - A proactive, solution-focused to day-to-day operational challenges, together with demonstrated planning and organisational skills. - Ability to understand and clearly and concisely communicate complex technical issues to the team and external parties. - Experience of working in a team within a project and experience of coordinating cross-disciplinary topics. - Experience with complex project risk management processes, industrial costs and schedule control.

Application timeline

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

The application deadline is 6 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 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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