Description

Mission End-to-End Performance Principal Engineer in the System Support Division, Earth Observation Projects Department, Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes.

If selected for this position, you will be responsible for the end-to-end system performance definition, monitoring, verification and validation of one or more Earth Observation missions. Your responsibilities will include the development of end-to-end performance software models and budgets for optical missions and proactive monitoring of instrument and ground processing design compliance with the performances allocation in close cooperation with the Instrument, Satellite and Ground Segment Team. 

You will represent ESA for decisions regarding the end-to-end performance aspects of the various mission elements and will be responsible, by delegation or as Technical Officer, for the End to End Performance Simulator simulator and ground prototype processor developments.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• maintenance of mission- and system-level requirements, monitoring and critically analysing the requirement allocation, flow-down to the relevant contributors, the associated margins and their evolution and verification in the following areas for Earth Observation missions:
  • observation requirements and mission data product requirements;
  • End-to-End Simulator (E2ES) software products, including Ground Processor Prototype (GPP) for Level-1 and Level-2;
  • on-ground and in-flight characterisation and calibration of the instrument.
• maintaining mission-level performance and error budgets and analysing their compliance with the end-to-end mission performance requirements, proposing corrective actions in the event of deviations;
• coordinating, following up and supporting the E2ES development and procurement: 
  • defining and maintaining the specifications and reviewing the design and interfaces, in particular for Level 1 and Level 2 products;
  • monitoring of developments by industry, including scientific institutes;
  • monitoring the acceptance and integration of software components furnished through ESA as CFI or IMA;
  • ensuring that proper verification/validation and acceptance methods are proposed and implemented for the various software components, for algorithmic as well as software aspects;
  • defining the test data scenarios to be used for software acceptance;
  • installing, maintaining and operating, under strict configuration control, the E2ES on an ESA computing infrastructure;
  • administering the internal ESA software problems list and ensuring correct iteration with the algorithm developers and software implementors;
  • providing the first line of support to E2ES users by investigating and providing quick fixes to the E2ES or associated data, when possible;
  • ensuring the suitability of the E2ES software components for reuse in or in support of the corresponding operational Ground Segment.
• supporting Payload Data Ground Segment (PDGS) development concerning the Ground operational processor aspects and cross-verification activities of the PDGS operational ground processor against the GPP, including test data production and verification;
• developing and maintaining additional mission performance mathematical models and tools to support the assessment of the relevant industrial development activities;
• in coordination with the Instrument Development Team, monitoring and reviewing the definition and implementation of the instrument characterisation, calibration and validation plans and the specification, procurement and verification/validation of the relevant equipment and activities;
• supporting the preparation, execution and analysis of the relevant in-flight calibration and validation operations during the commissioning phase;
• supporting the running of the relevant Mission Advisory Groups (MAG) in respect of mission and instrument performance aspects, including end-to-end mission performance verification and compliance status;
• interacting with the mission user community and the scientific community concerning product definition and mission and instrument performance aspects;
• supporting the System, Engineering and Instrument teams as well as the mission scientists, in all aspects related to mission performance as necessary for the effective execution of the Earth Observation project.

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking

Education

A master’s degree in an engineering field or a related subject is required for this post.

Additional requirements

• Experience in negotiating specific study requirements and expected outputs with partners
• Strong coordination skills
• Good communication skills with the ability to work both autonomously and as part of a team within the boundaries of assigned tasks and a stringent schedule and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with industry, scientific institutes and the user community
• Ability to develop and apply pragmatic solutions in a highly complex environment at system and team level