Secure Connectivity System Architecture 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, consolidate and update the overall IRIS² system architecture at system and segment levels
• Follow up definition, analyses and consolidation of end-to-end system architecture, system behaviour, concept of operations, and system scenarios and use cases
• Establish and maintain the Secure Connectivity architecture roadmap describing incremental implementation through successive system releases
• Ensure derivation and traceability of system and segment requirements including functional, performance, operational, service and security requirements
• Monitor and ensure compliance of IRIS² system with mission's technical and performance requirements, maintaining system-level technical budgets
• Propose corrective measures to respond to deviations from mission requirements
• Establish and apply state-of-the-art system architecting methodologies and tools
• Ensure technical end-to-end consistency of the Satellite Transport Network

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 required with master's degree, or 8 years total with bachelor's degree
• Key skills: System architecting in large, complex projects and teams, including security aspects, Implementation of large space programmes or projects, ideally in telecommunications satellite constellations, Design and implementation of large 5G systems, System of system architecture knowledge, Definition of technical requirements, On-ground and in-orbit validation activities, Product assurance and safety standards application in project environment, preferably with space constellations, Strong problem-solving skills, Planning and organisational skills, Results orientation with ability to set priorities
• Eligibility: Direct experience with commercial telecommunications company and operator is a distinct advantage. Experience in public-private partnership projects would be an asset. Experience working on projects with a security dimension would be beneficial.

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: 4 years, extendable to indefinite.

Hiring unit: System Architecture Section in the Secure Connectivity System Office within the Secure Connectivity Department in the D….

Position details

Reference

1221489701

Last Verified

28 October 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Secure Connectivity System Architecture Engineer at ESA based in Noordwijk (Other). The vacancy reference is 1221489701.

Job Requisition ID:19698

Date Posted:28 October 2026

Closing Date:11 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

Secure Connectivity System Architecture Engineer in the System Architecture Section in the Secure Connectivity System Office within the Secure Connectivity Department in the Directorate of Connectivity and Secure Communications.

The ESA Programme Related to EU Secure Connectivity, hereinafter referred to as “Secure Connectivity”, is intended to support the effective development and validation of the EU Secure Connectivity governmental infrastructure and the services provided by it, as well as the validation and demonstration of services based on the commercial infrastructure developed by the contractor(s) delivering the EU Secure Connectivity governmental infrastructure.

The System Architecture Section in the Secure Connectivity System Office is responsible for all systems engineering tasks to support the effective design and development of the overall Secure Connectivity system of systems.

Duties

Reporting to the Head of the Secure Connectivity System Architecture Section, you will be responsible for the definition, consolidation and update of the overall IRIS² system architecture. You will work at various levels: the system level to define the functional and logical architecture, and the segment level to ensure consistency in the architecture flow-down and the physical architecture.

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

- following up the definition, analyses and consolidation of the end-to-end system architecture, system behaviour, concept of operations, and system scenarios and use cases. This will include unclassified and classified aspects, for which close coordination with the Secure Connectivity security team will be required - establishing and maintaining the Secure Connectivity architecture roadmap, describing the incremental implementation of the system capabilities through successive system releases - ensuring the derivation and traceability of system and segment requirements including functional, performance, operational, service and security requirements from the applicable mission baseline - monitoring and ensuring the compliance of the IRIS² system with the mission’s technical and performance requirements, including maintaining all system-level technical budgets - proposing corrective measures to respond to deviations from mission requirements established at programme level - establishing and applying state-of-the-art system architecting methodologies and tools - ensuring technical end-to-end consistency of the Satellite Transport Network, notably considering the resource management and 5G end-to-end implementation - liaising with the Ground Segment Office, the Security Office, the Space Segment Office, the PA and Safety Office, and the relevant industrial actors in order to ensure the proper - understanding and implementation of the system architecture - supporting the preparation of and participation in reviews relating to Secure Connectivity at system and segment level - supporting all engineering and R&D activities directly relating to the development and implementation of the system - supporting the preparation of future generations of the Secure Connectivity system of systems - monitoring relevant schedules in a proactive manner, identifying risk and problem areas in the System Office, providing assessments and proposing mitigation actions from industry and on the ESA side - providing regular reporting to project management on all aspects of your area of competence - may have he delegation responsibiity from project management on programmatic aspects - supporting technical interaction with national delegations, the IRIS² programme (the European Commission), the European Union Agency for the Space Programme and the GOVSATCOM operator.

Technical competencies

Knowledge of and experience in system architecting in large, complex projects and teams, including security aspects

Experience with the implementation of large space programmes or projects, ideally in the area of telecommunications satellite constellations

Experience in the design and implementation of large 5G systems

Multidisciplinary and comprehensive knowledge of system of system architecture, the definition of related technical requirements, and on-ground and in-orbit validation activities

Experience with product assurance and safety standards and their application in a project environment, preferably with space constellations

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

- Strong problem-solving skills to deal with day-to-day operational challenges, together with demonstrated planning and organisational skills. - A strong results orientation with the ability to set priorities and present practical solutions both orally and in writing. - The ability to manage challenging situations proactively and constructively and to be customer-focused. - Direct experience of working with a commercial telecommunications company and operator will be a distinct advantage. - Experience in public-private partnership projects would be an asset. - Public speaking experience and the ability to conceptualise complex ideas would be beneficial. - Experience working on projects with a security dimension would be beneficial.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 28 October 2026, today.

The application deadline is 11 November 2026, 13 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 28 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.

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.