Systems Engineer for the development of the PhotSat mission payload

The purpose of this call is the selection process of a candidate to occupy a job position as a Systems Engineer in the PhotSat mission of the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC).

The IEEC was established in February 1996 as a private non-profit foundation (NPO) to promote R&D in space in Catalonia. IEEC is a research institute that studies all areas of knowledge and technologies applied to the space sector and space sciences, including astrophysics, cosmology, planetary science, Earth observation, navigation and space engineering. Its mission is to push the frontiers of space research from the scientific and technological fields for the benefit of society. Likewise, it should be noted that the Foundation is attached to the Generalitat de Catalunya and is part of its institutional public sector due to the fact that the Generalitat has a majority stake in the entity.

The New Space represents a new use of space, new technology, a new set of services, and therefore a new economy based on the democratization of space and a more dynamic and agile space industry and innovation processes. New Space offers opportunities for the use and exploitation of space platforms for a wide variety of applications, such as scientific research, the development and qualification of space technology, Earth observation, and telecommunications (such as machine-to-machine, 5G, and the Internet of Things), and GNSS positioning systems.

The IEEC promotes the New Space through the development of nanosatellites missions, research and innovation programs and high value-added services based on space technologies.

One of these nanosatellite missions is PhotSat, a 12U CubeSat that will scan the sky and extract photometry of the brightest stars. With two small telescopes developed at the IEEC, PhotSat will be able to observe stars in visible light and also in ultraviolet, while detecting and warning of possible supernovas. With agile development, the satellite is planned to be launched by the end of 2025.

• Position: Systems Engineer for the development of the PhotSat mission payload
• Professional Group: Group II Engineering staff
• Professional Category: Research Engineer / Research Manager
• Workday: 37’5 h/week
• Workplace: Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), Campus UPC-PMT, RDIT building, Office 212, C/Esteve Terradas, 1, 08860 Castelldefels

The IEEC wants to hire a person to contribute to the development of the payload as a Systems Engineer within the framework of the PhotSat project, from the development of subsystems and monitoring of requirements compliance to the implementation and validation of the payload and its integration into the satellite.

The selected candidate will have the following duties and responsibilities:­

• Participate in monitoring the compliance of requirements for the various subsystems of the PhotSat payload (siderostat, detectors, FrontEnd Electronics, Instrument Control Unit, Thermal Control System, etc.), as well as the high-level requirements of the platform.
• Manage and prepare the necessary technical documentation to justify the successful achievement of all project milestones.
• Interact with engineers and the various mission consortium teams in order to define the interfaces between payload subsystems, both at the hardware and software level.
• Interact with the platform provider to define the interfaces between the payload and the satellite platform, both at the hardware and software level.
• Participate in consortium meetings and interact with the various engineering teams and suppliers to ensure smooth information sharing.
• Design high-level solutions to ensure that the payload subsystems meet the stipulated requirements.
• Interact with distributors, manufacturers, and assemblers to ensure the necessary elements for developing the prototypes and flight model of the payload subsystems are secured.
• Participate in the integration, programming, and execution of functional tests of the payload subsystems in the IEEC laboratories.
• Participate in the preparation of the tests and AIV procedures for the subsystems and for the complete payload.
• Participate in the integration of the payload into the platform, as well as in the execution of the functional and environmental tests of the complete satellite, especially in areas involving the payload.
• Lead and coordinate an engineering team and foresee and plan the tasks to be executed.

The following criteria will be assessed during the selection process:

• Education: degree in Aerospace Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Mechatronics.
• Experience: Three or more years of experience working in the sector.

The following aspects will be considered desirable merits:

• Knowledge and/or experience in the development of space technologies, especially in New Space and ECSS standards.
• Knowledge and/or experience in the development of electronics, mechanical elements, optics, embedded firmware and software, etc.
• Engineering team management and task planning.
• Projects and missions involved in.
• Fluent in English, spoken and written.
• Fluent in Catalan and/or Spanish, spoken and written.
• Motivation and will to participate

When evaluating the candidate's experience, the following will be considered: the role or position held, the project budget, the degree of complexity of the work conducted and the consortia involved. Likewise, experience in the space sector and the level of internationalization will also be taken into account.

Interested who meet the established requirements may submit a motivation letter, along with their personal CV in PDF format, signed as a certification, including a brief description of the tasks performed in previously held positions, to the following email address: RecursosHumans@ieec.cat indicating the reference "Surnames and Name – OF_IEEC_170_2024" in the subject line of the email.