Electromagnetics Engineer

Electromagnetics Engineer in the Wave Interaction and Propagation Section, RF Payloads & Technology Division, Electrical Department, Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.

The Wave Interaction and Propagation Section provides functional support to ESA projects and carries out technological research (R&D) in:

• Wave propagation relevant to space communications, navigation and remote sensing;
• Wave interaction for active, passive and combined remote sensing of ocean, land and atmosphere of the Earth and other planets.

This includes:

• Modelling and experimental validation;
• Associated mitigation, retrieval, correction and calibration algorithms;
• Related end-to-end performance assessment, including contribution to product quality.

You will report to the Head of Section and, within the technical fields described above, your main tasks and responsibilities will include:

• providing expert technical support and consultancy to ESA projects, programmes and general studies in the area of microwave remote sensing throughout all project phases;
• participating in feasibility studies, project reviews and evaluation of procurement proposals;
• identifying critical development problems and assisting in their resolution;
• contributing to the definition of technology development requirements and work plans for the Agency’s technology programmes;
• defining, initiating and managing R&D activities covering both long- and short-term needs;
• fostering new application areas for multidisciplinary activities, placing emphasis on innovative concepts, cutting-edge technologies and system architectures;
• laboratory activities as required;
• monitoring applicable scientific and technological trends and maintaining state-of-the-art expertise;
• contributing to dissemination of the results of the activities performed and the transfer of knowledge across the Agency.

Your duties may also include supporting other activities within your area of competence.

A Master’s degree in engineering or physics with some emphasis on electromagnetics is required.

Solid expertise and several years’ professional experience in the following:

• microwave interaction with natural surfaces and associated forward models and retrieval algorithms;
• microwave Earth observation instrument concepts (Synthetic Aperture Radar, Microwave Radiometer, etc.) and related end-to-end performance assessment, spurious effects mitigation and vicarious calibration techniques;
• associated Level-1 and Level-2 data products and data processing techniques.

Knowledge and understanding of the Earth science context is considered an asset.