Celeste IOP Satellite System Lead

Job

Requisition

Date Posted: 23 June 2026

Closing Date: 14 July 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication:
Internal & External

Type of Appointment: 4 years, extendable to indefinite

Directorate:
Navigation

Workplace:
Noordwijk, NL

Grade Band: A2 - A4

Description
Celeste IOP Satellite System Lead in the Celeste IOP Unit, Celeste Programme, Future Navigation Department, Directorate of Navigation. You will report to the Celeste IOP Implementation Manager. Celeste is the LEO-PNT Component 1 of the FutureNAV programme. It represents ESA’s contribution to the establishment of a European Low Earth Orbit Positioning, Navigation and Timing (LEO-PNT) capability as part of a multilayer system-of-systems PNT architecture.

The component aims to complement existing GNSS services by leveraging a constellation of LEO satellites to deliver enhanced resilience, improved accuracy and innovative features for emerging applications.

The Celeste in-orbit preparatory (IOP) phase aims to prepare for a future LEO-PNT operational system for the European Union and to unlock global commercial opportunities, driving innovation and strengthening European leadership in emerging PNT markets, including the development and qualification of pre-operational products and building blocks, their industrialisation, including mature and qualified technologies, and the creation of the Celeste in-orbit validation end-to-end system.

It also contributes to the PNT pillar of the European Resilience from Space (ERS) initiative.

As Celeste IOP Satellite System Lead, you will be responsible for managing the Celeste IOP phase industrial activities related to satellite system-level aspects, with a particular emphasis on procurement leadership, the coordination of the satellite system engineering team and support for fulfilling programmatic objectives. The role is also intended to ensure overall consistency in the preparation of the follow-on operational phases for EU LEO-PNT and commercial initiatives.

Duties

Coordinating the programmatic, procurement and technical aspects of the satellite system for Celeste IOP across all project phases, ensuring alignment with mission and programme requirements and cost/schedule objectives.

Managing the Celeste IOP industrial activities in the various areas of the satellite system, ensuring compliance with technical, schedule and programmatic constraints, identifying deviations, and driving corrective actions in coordination with industry and matrix support teams.

Managing the consolidation and maintenance of the space segment requirements baseline, including interfaces with ground segment, launcher and operation aspects as well as in-orbit validation needs, with full traceability to mission- and system-level requirements, in coordination with the LEO-PNT System Team, the Celeste IOP Spacecraft and Production Lead, and the LEO-PNT Payload, PA&S and Security Teams.

Leading and coordinating a multidisciplinary team of satellite system engineers and specialists in a matrix environment, including objective setting, supervision and performance assessment.

Ensuring coherence of the satellite system architecture and its alignment with mission objectives, payload needs, platform capabilities and security constraints, in coordination with the Celeste IOP AIV/Industrialisation, LEO-PNT End-to-End System, Payload, PA&S and Security Teams.

Promoting lean, robust and operationally driven system engineering processes aligned with ESA standards and New Space practices, and overseeing their consistent application across the satellite system activities.

Defining, maintaining, and overseeing the system-level verification strategy and plan including security, in-orbit commissioning, in-orbit testing and in-orbit validation aspects, ensuring proper flow-down, and monitoring the implementation and completeness of verification evidence.

Managing as technical authority the system-level risks and anomalies by identifying, assessing, and monitoring system-level risks; defining and tracking mitigation actions; and providing technical assessment for NCRs, RFDs, and RFWs across all phases, including LEOP, commissioning, and in-orbit validation.

Managing satellite system-level budgets and margins (mass, power, thermal, data, performance) and monitoring performance evolution to ensure continued compliance with mission requirements.

Ensuring alignment between satellite system design, ground segment, and operations by contributing to satellite autonomy, operability, FDIR, and operational concepts (including security aspects) and coordinating with the relevant teams.

Leading system-level launch readiness aspects of orbit and mission analysis, launch preparation, LEOP, in-orbit commissioning, and nominal and contingency operations, as well as supporting in-orbit validation activities from the satellite’s point of view, in coordination with the LEO-PNT System Team.

Ensuring coherence and consistency in satellite system, subsystem, equipment, operational, and security-related…