System Engineer - Satellite Communications

At S[&]T we contribute to a safer life on Earth by translating space data into valuable and actionable insights. With this, we help organizations, governments and commercial entities to strengthen their information position and thereby improve their decision‑making. We focus on 4 domains:
Space & Science, Defence & Security, Environment & Sustainability and the High-Tech Industry. We control all levels of the data value chain from data source to user applications, and apply our expertise within our innovations, customer projects and talent acquisition services. Our headquarters are in Delft, The Netherlands and we have two satellite offices in Oslo, Norway and Rome, Italy with a total of 125 experts employed at S[&]T.

We are looking for an experienced  System Engineer - Satellite Communications  to join the team in  Leiden .

We are looking for a  System Engineer  to join a high‑tech engineering team working on complex systems for the international space sector.

The systems you will work on support spacecraft development, Assembly, Integration & Test, post‑launch operations, satellite communications, and advanced test and simulation environments.

This is a practical, cross‑disciplinary system engineering role in a compact engineering environment. You will work closely with hardware, firmware, software, FPGA, test, project management, procurement, and business development colleagues to translate customer needs into feasible and integrated technical solutions.

Most systems involve a combination of  embedded systems, electronics, firmware, software, test equipment,  and  customer‑specific technical requirements . Therefore, we are looking for someone who combines system‑level thinking with a hands‑on engineering mindset.

You do not need to be a perfect match from day one. We are open to candidates from aerospace, telecom, RF, optical systems, embedded systems, defence electronics, test & measurement, or other relevant high‑tech engineering environments, provided you have the technical foundation and practical mindset to grow into the role.

Responsibilities
In this role, you will be involved across the project lifecycle, from proposal support and requirements analysis to design coordination, integration, testing, and customer reviews.

Your responsibilities will include

Analysing customer requirement specifications and Statements of Work.

Translating customer needs into feasible system concepts and technical solutions.

Deriving system decomposition and design across hardware, firmware, software, COTS components, and test equipment.

Supporting technical proposal preparation, including feasibility, planning, cost trade‑offs, risks, and development needs.

Coordinating technical discussions with internal engineering teams and external stakeholders.

Producing and coordinating system design documentation, including test plans and test procedures.

Supporting formal technical reviews with customers, such as PDR, CDR, TRR, and related milestones.

Coordinating or supporting system configuration, integration, and testing activities.

Providing technical input for procurement and supplier‑related decisions.

Monitoring technical progress and reporting relevant updates to the Project Manager.

Helping ensure that the overall system meets customer requirements, project goals, budget, planning, and feasibility constraints.

Steering technical alignment across disciplines without micromanaging specialist engineers.

Requirements
We are looking for someone with a practical engineering background and the ability to work across disciplines.

You bring

A  

B.Sc., HBO, or higher degree  in electronics, optical engineering, embedded systems, telecom, aerospace engineering, or a related technical field.

At least 2 years of relevant experience  in system engineering, embedded systems, hardware/software integration, test & integration, electronics, telecom, RF/optical systems, or another relevant high‑tech engineering environment.

A  practical engineering mindset  and the ability to work close to technical teams, products, test setups, and customer deliverables.

Broad technical understanding across  hardware ,  firmware ,  software ,  embedded systems ,…