Microwave Instrument System Engineer

Job Title

The postholder will be responsible for the definition, engineering, performance estimate of active and passive microwave instruments for future Earth Observation space missions and the correspondent proposals for implementation. This includes passive microwave radiometers, synthetic aperture radars (SAR), altimeters, scatterometers, reflectometry and any innovative technique related to Earth observation by means of a microwave system. In particular the candidate will be engaged to the one or several of the current running studies in Airbus Defence and Space.

The successful applicant shall have strong technical knowledge and understanding of the end-to-end microwave instrument system. He/she shall be able to demonstrate experience in some or all of the following duties and responsibilities:

• Establishment of requirements, the definition and the assessment of performance of the running programs at Airbus Earth observation microwave instruments, taking into account mission, system and programmatic requirements.
• Provision of expert support for the study of microwave payload aspects of current and future microwave instrument developments at department level.
• Identification of major tradeoff for instrument / model concepts and contribution to the definition of different alternative for an instrument / concept design at system and sub-system level together with the associated instrument budgets.
• System engineering from initial concept studies to development phases, for remote sensing missions based on microwave instruments;
• Analysis of mission requirements and translation into system requirements;
• Allocation of system requirements to the elements of the end-to-end system architecture, derivation of requirements on elements;
• System analysis and design;
• Establishment and closure of system budgets;
• Maintenance of overall system coherence;
• Selection and definition of the key technologies to be used for the proposed solution;
• Identification and application of criteria for trade-off at system level;
• Establishment of system development approach and of associated tools and facilities in coordination with the rest of the department;
• Derivation of requirements on technology development to meet system requirements;
• Definition of the on-board / on-ground data processing needs in order to derive the appropriate products, being compliant with the required quality specifications
• Definition, initiation and management of industrial contracts encompassing instrument concepts or development of sub-system level equipment associated to a selected instrument architecture.
• Analysis of RF design, including array antennas (evaluation of radiation patterns, cross polarization, isolation, etc.) and elaboration of RF budgets.
• Support to the overall end to end instrument performance budgets in coordination with the ground processing development activity.
• Participation in the definition and implementation of validation and verification approach (both, on-ground and in-orbit) for the current / future microwave instruments developments
• Interface with Airbus customers and participation in different review meetings.
• Participation in the elaboration of proposals for future Earth Observation active and passive instruments / missions.
• Technical coordination of an instrument development team including the required program disciplines.
• Proposal preparation including instrument development concept and the required industrialization
• Contribution to Airbus roadmaps in terms of microwave instruments development together with their associated technologies.

We are looking for candidates with the following skills and experience

• Educated to degree level in electric / electronic engineering or physics
• 3 years of experience in remote sensing microwave instruments development - English must be at negotiation level, written and spoken
• Fluent Spanish would be valued as a plus
• Strong knowledge of either active or passive microwave instrument concept (SAR, altimetry and /or radiometry)
• Strong knowledge of signal processing
• Knowledge of ESA program phases and development cycles
• Familiarity with passive / active microwave remote sensing techniques such…