Earth Observation Missions Optical Payload Engineer - Emerging Sensing Technologies

Position: Earth Observation Future Missions Optical Payload Engineer - Emerging Sensing Technologies
Location: Noordwijk

Earth Observation Future Missions Optical Payload Engineer - Emerging Sensing Technologies
Job

Requisition :  20355

Date Posted:  2 March 2026

Closing Date:  23 March 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication:  Internal & External

Type of Appointment:  4 years, extendable to indefinite

Directorate:  Earth Observation Programmes

Workplace:  Noordwijk, NL

Grade Band:  A2 - A4

Location:

ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Description
Earth Observation (EO) Future Missions Optical Payload Engineer – Emerging Sensing Technologies in the Optical Instruments Section, Future Missions and Instruments Division, Future Missions and Architecture Department, Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes.

Reporting to the Head of the Optical Instruments Section, you will be responsible for the end-to-end definition, engineering, technology bread boarding and pre-development of innovative optical payload systems for EO future missions. These systems will leverage emerging sensing technologies, such as quantum sensors (Rydberg receivers, NV diamond sensors, etc.) and photonic sensors. You will also work on optical payloads based on more classical optical systems, including imagers and spectrometers.

Your role will involve collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to ensure the successful integration of innovative technologies into future payload concepts.

You will be responsible for identifying and investigating new observation principles and technologies, maintaining awareness of relevant R&D activities, and coordinating with both internal and external partners. You will contribute to defining the roadmap for these technologies and will be actively involved in the pre-development of one or more of them. You will be appointed as the instrument officer for a future mission during Phase 0 or Phase

A.

Duties

identifying and investigating new observation principles, techniques and technologies related to emerging sensing technologies for Earth observation (EO) future missions in coordination with staff in this Department, the Science, Applications and Climate Department and the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality, including interfacing with research and technical groups;

maintaining knowledge of relevant emerging sensing technology and sensor development programmes inside and outside ESA, including developments undertaken by other space agencies in Europe and worldwide, as well as commercial initiatives in close collaboration with the Division’s Technology Coordination and Frequency Management Section;

maintaining awareness of relevant emerging sensing technology R&D and coordinating with other ESA directorates;

defining and assessing the performance and technological readiness of new emerging sensing payloads and systems in close collaboration with the EO system engineers of the Division’s Mission and System Studies Section, taking into account mission, system and programmatic objectives and requirements;

defining, negotiating, initiating, and managing industrial contracts for the study and risk retirement of new emerging sensing payload systems, according to the agreed Future

EO activity plan;

performing risk retirement activities through the technology bread boarding and pre-development of emerging sensors for EO future missions up to their completion, coordinating instrument pre-development activities with project teams when required;

developing ground-based or airborne instrument models, according to the concepts’ maturity and performance-demonstration needs;

serving as the optical instrument officer for EO future missions in Phase 0 or Phase A;

acting as the focal point in the Division for all quantum and photonics sensing aspects of missions undergoing evaluation or preparation, including for the evaluation of mission proposals, providing payload system support to Phase 0/A and mission architecture studies, and contributing to the preparation of technical and scientific dossiers on new EO research and operational missions;

contributing to the implementation of the EO Quantum Sensing Strategy and roadmap within the Future

EO programme as well as preparing work/action plans for the development of the strategy;

contributing to the…