Space Weather System Engineer - European Space Agency (Darmstadt)

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:

• Capture customer, end user and operational needs and translate them into system-level and technical requirements
• Develop overall system architecture, functional breakdown, interfaces and concept of operations
• Assess existing Belgian and ESA capabilities and identify synergies, gaps, dependencies and required developments
• Support technical trade-offs, technology maturity assessments and implementation planning
• Coordinate technical inputs from ESA experts, scientific stakeholders and industrial contractors
• Ensure coherence between sensors, data processing, models, forecasting tools and operational services
• Support preparation of tender actions, contract kick-off, execution, reviews and formal contract closure
• Contribute to risk identification, development planning and preparation of future industrial activities

Are you eligible?

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

• Education: Master's degree in engineering or a scientific discipline
• Experience: 5 years of relevant professional experience
• Key skills: Strong system engineering background, including requirements engineering, functional analysis and system architecture definition, Experience with early project phases, particularly Phase 0/A and concept development, Ability to define system interfaces, operational concepts and end-to-end information flows, Experience in trade-off analysis, risk assessment and technology maturity evaluation, Ability to integrate heterogeneous elements such as ground-based sensors, external data sources, models and service platforms, Familiarity with ECSS engineering processes and technical reviews, Experience working across multidisciplinary scientific, engineering and industrial teams, Knowledge of defence and dual-use systems, Sound knowledge of space weather phenomena and the Sun–Earth interaction chain, Knowledge of space weather impacts on space- and ground-based operational systems

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: 4 years, with possible extension up to a maximum duration of 8 years.

Hiring unit: Space Weather Office (OPS-SW) within the Space Safety Programme Department, Directorate of Operations.

Position details

Reference

1432492733

Last Verified

1 September 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Space Weather System Engineer at ESA based in Darmstadt (Other). The vacancy reference is 1432492733.

Job Requisition ID:20877

Date Posted:1 September 2026

Closing Date:22 September 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication:Internal & External

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This is a fixed-term appointment with an initial duration of 4 years. Depending upon performance and organisational needs, the appointment may be extended up to a possible maximum duration of 8 years.

Location

ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany

Description

Space Weather System Engineer, reporting to the Head of the Space Weather Office (SWO) within the Space Safety Programme Department, Directorate of Operations.

The Space Weather Office (OPS-SW) in Space Safety Programme Department is responsible for the definition, architecture and implementation of the ESA space weather system and for the delivery of the corresponding services. In this role, the SWO maintains space weather user requirements, analyses and evaluates European space weather assets and competencies, designs the architecture and develops the space weather system, including software applications, required ground systems, hosted payloads and small satellite missions. The Office is also responsible for implementing the space weather-related projects outside of the Space Safety Programme, such as tasks entrusted by the European Commission or national space weather projects.

As Space Weather System Engineer, you will work as a member of a multidisciplinary project team, including colleagues across ESA and industrial contractors, which is responsible for the definition and development of an integrated space weather capability for the Belgian defence sector.

You will be responsible for capturing customer needs and operational requirements through close interaction with end users, including the Belgian Ministry of Defence, translating them into technical and system-level requirements and defining the corresponding system architecture.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

- capturing customer, end user and operational needs, building on the roadmap published by the Belgian Royal Higher Institute for Defence (RHID) and translating them into system-level and technical requirements; - developing the overall system architecture, functional breakdown, interfaces and concept of operations; - assessing existing Belgian and ESA capabilities and identifying synergies, gaps, dependencies and required developments; - supporting technical trade-offs, technology maturity assessments and implementation planning; - coordinating technical inputs from ESA experts, scientific stakeholders and industrial contractors; - ensuring coherence between sensors, data processing, models, forecasting tools and operational services; - supporting the preparation of tender actions, contract kick-off, execution, reviews and formal contract closure after approved delivery of results relating to your area of responsibility; - contributing to risk identification, development planning and preparation of future industrial activities; - leading the requirements engineering of the overall ESA space weather system, ensuring reaffirmed user requirements and a proper flow-down to system requirements and space weather mission requirements; - supporting the preparation and maintenance of project documentation, reports and review materials in compliance with ESA standards; - supporting all project and Space Weather Office and Space Safety Programme reviews.

Technical competencies

Strong system engineering background, including requirements engineering, functional analysis and system architecture definition and experience with early project phases, particularly Phase 0/A and concept development

Ability to define system interfaces, operational concepts and end-to-end information flows and experience in trade-off analysis, risk assessment and technology maturity evaluation

Ability to integrate heterogeneous elements such as ground-based sensors, external data sources, models and service platforms into a coherent system and familiarity with ECSS engineering processes and technical reviews

Experience working across multidisciplinary scientific, engineering and industrial teams

Knowledge of the specific features of defence and dual-use systems

Sound knowledge of space weather phenomena and the Sun–Earth interaction chain, including an understanding of space weather impacts on space- and ground-based operational systems; knowledge of impacts on defence-related applications will be an asset

Knowledge of ground- and space-based space Weather observation techniques and associated data products

Understanding of space weather modelling, forecasting and model integration, including knowledge of end-to-end operational space weather services, from observations and modelling to product generation, end user alerting and dissemination of relevant information

Behavioural competencies

Education and professional experience

A master's degree in engineering or a scientific discipline is required for this post together with 5 years of relevant professional experience.

Additional requirements

You should have:

- the ability to summarise complex information in clear and concise reports; - good communication skills, both verbal and written; - the ability to work effectively in an international team environment; - strong problem-solving skills to deal with day-to-day operational challenges, together with demonstrated planning and organisational skills; - a strong result 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.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 1 September 2026, today.

The application deadline is 22 September 2026, 20 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 1 September 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 Darmstadt see our Darmstadt 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.