User terminals - Spectrum and Signals Officer - European Space Agency (Brussels)

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:

• Interface with ESA Secure Connectivity System Office and Ground Segment and Operations Office for supervision of industrial activities relating to user terminals development and validation
• Conduct IPT activities for build-up of EU engineering, manufacturing and supply chain capabilities
• Report to Exploitation Manager of IPT and provide support as required
• Ensure timely availability of specified user terminals supporting governmental service at expected economic conditions
• Manage all aspects relating to access to spectrum for IRIS² governmental infrastructure and signal definition, including 5G standardisation roadmap
• Interface with industry on signal, 5G, spectrum and user terminals matters
• Conduct IPT tasks relating to build-up of EU manufacturing capabilities at user terminal level
• Maintain baseline scenario for incremental development and deployment of user segment including technology and subsystem roadmaps

Are you eligible?

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

• Education: Master's degree in a relevant domain such as physics, satellite communications or aerospace is required; alternatively, a bachelor's degree complemented by an additional four years of relevant professional experience may be considered
• Experience: In principle, six years of relevant professional experience required with master's degree; or four additional years of relevant professional experience with bachelor's degree
• Key skills: Strong technical background in system and/or user terminal design, development and validation, including signal definition, Strong expertise in spectrum regulatory matters and processes, Experience with implementation of large space programmes or projects, ideally in telecommunications domain, Demonstrated experience with set-up and management of a team of technical specialists, Experience in management and monitoring of industrial activities, including technical and contractual negotiations and technical reviews, Multi-disciplinary and comprehensive knowledge of space system architecture and technical requirements definition, Experience in managing industrial activities from cost and schedule perspective, Experience with product assurance and safety standards application in project environment, Experience with complex project risk management processes, Ability to handle pressure and conflict in project team
• Eligibility: Must be eligible for security clearance by national security administration

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: Based in Brussels until Q1 2028, with possibility of extension, within framework of 12-year Contribution Agreement between ESA and Commission.

Working arrangements: Based in ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands with resident assignment to Brussels, Belgium.

Hiring unit: IRIS² Integrated Programme Team, Secure Connectivity Programme Department, Directorate of Resilience, Navigation and Co….

Position details

Reference

1433032933

Last Verified

18 September 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for User terminals - Spectrum and Signals Officer at ESA based in Brussels (Other). The vacancy reference is 1433032933.

Job Requisition ID:20850

Date Posted:3 September 2026

Closing Date:24 September 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication:Internal & External

Directorate:Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity

Location

ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands with a resident assignmentto Brussels, Belgium.

Description

User Terminals – Spectrum and Signals Officer, IRIS² Integrated Programme Team, Secure Connectivity Programme Department, Directorate of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity (D/RNC).

On 15 March 2023, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted Regulation (EU)2023/588 establishing the Union Secure Connectivity Programme for the period 2023–2027. The objective of the EU Secure Connectivity Programme is to deploy an EU satellite constellation, IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite). The Programme will provide an EU satellite-based, multiorbital communication infrastructure for governmental use while integrating and complementing existing and future national and European capacities in the framework of the GOVSATCOM component of the EU Space Programme.

The ESA Programme related to EU Secure Connectivity is intended to support the effective development and validation of the EU Secure Connectivity (IRIS²) governmental infrastructure, which is to be developed, deployed and operated under a concession contract signed by the EU with a private consortium, and the services provided by it, as well as the validation and demonstration of services based on the commercial infrastructure developed by the contractors delivering the EU Secure Connectivity governmental infrastructure. The European Commission and ESA have set up an Integrated Programme Team (IPT) to manage the EU IRIS² Programme and, in particular, the related concession contract, and to ensure close coordination between all activities relating to IRIS².

Reporting functionally to the Engineering/R&D Manager of the Integrated Programme Team and hierarchically to the head of the ESA Secure Connectivity System Office, you will be responsible for the timely delivery of user terminals required to provide governmental service for all aspects relating to access to spectrum for the IRIS² governmental infrastructure, and for signal definition and the implementation of the 5G standardisation roadmap. You will conduct and oversee activities aimed at building up the EU’s industrial capability in this domain. You will liaise with ESA for joint efforts in the domain and will rely on the Agency for the supervision of industrial activities relating to the development and validation of user terminals, aiming to ensure coordination in accordance with the agreements between ESA and the Commission.

You will be based in Brussels until Q1 2028, with the possibility of extension, within the framework of the 12-year Contribution Agreement between ESA and the Commission. At the end of the assignment, you will be reassigned to a position within D/RNC.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

- interfacing with the ESA Secure Connectivity System Office and the ESA Ground Segment and Operations Office and relying on the Agency for the supervision of industrial activities relating to the development and validation of user terminals, aiming to ensure coordination in accordance with the Contribution Agreement and the Programme Management Plan; - conducting all relevant IPT activities, including for the build-up of EU engineering, manufacturing and supply chain capabilities; - reporting to the Exploitation Manager of the IPT and supporting them as required.

Under the authority of the IPT Engineering/R&D Manager, you will:

- be responsible for and conduct all IPT tasks aimed at ensuring the timely availability of the specified user terminals supporting governmental service, at the expected economic conditions, with overall responsibility for all aspects relating to access to spectrum for the IRIS² governmental infrastructure and for signal definition, including the 5G standardisation roadmap; - interface with industry on matters relating to signal, including 5G, spectrum and the user terminals of the IRIS² concession; - conduct all IPT tasks relating to the build-up of EU manufacturing capabilities at user terminal level; - maintain a baseline scenario for incremental development and deployment of the user segment, including the related technology and subsystem roadmaps at user segment level; - contribute to the maintenance of programme-level schedule management, risk management and configuration control; - contribute to the maintenance of the programme-level cost plan and key performance indicators and propose corrective measures to respond to deviations from performance, schedule and cost targets established at programme level; - ensure consistency of all requirements with the MRD; - analyse user segment-related requests for changes, waivers and deviations and non-conformances, anomalies and alerts, supporting the relevant analyses at system level as and when required; - maintain the Secure Connectivity user segment development and deployment plan, schedule, risk register and relevant parts of the cost plan, with the required key performance indicators, for consolidation and approval at project level; - oversee the implementation and enforcement of risk and security management processes at user segment level; - participate in system and ground segment reviews relating to user terminals, spectrum matters and signal definition aspects; - work in close coordination with other IPT officers, including the Satellites and Production Officer, the Development and Validation Officer and the Concession Contract Officer, as well as the Security Team.

Technical competencies

Strong technical background in system and/or user terminal design, development and validation, including signal definition

Strong expertise in spectrum regulatory matters and processes

Experience with the implementation of large space programmes or projects, ideally in the telecommunications domain

Demonstrated experience with the set-up and management of a team of technical specialists working towards a common goal

Experience in the management and monitoring of industrial activities, including technical and contractual negotiations, and management of technical reviews

Multi-disciplinary and comprehensive knowledge of space system architecture and the definition of related technical requirements, as well as on-ground and in-orbit validation activities

Experience in managing industrial activities from a cost and schedule point of view.

Experience with product assurance and safety standards and their application in a project environment

Experience with complex project risk management processes

Behavioural competencies

Education and professional experience

A master’s degree in a relevant domain, such as physics, satellite communications or aerospace, is required for this post, together with, in principle, six 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

- You should be able to demonstrate that you can handle pressure and conflict as may typically occur in a project team. - You should be result-oriented, able to set priorities, and capable of presenting practical solutions both verbally and in writing. - You should have the ability to manage challenging situations proactively and constructively and to be customer-focused. - You should have ambassadorship and excellent stakeholder management skills, including relationships with Member States or national delegations. - You must be eligible for security clearance by your national security administration.

Experience working with a commercial telecommunications company and/or operator is desirable.

Experience working in secure environments or on secure projects is desirable.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 3 September 2026, 17 days ago.

The application deadline is 24 September 2026, 3 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 September 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 Brussels see our Brussels location page.

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