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Description
The NGGM Payload Manager will work within the NGGM Project, part of the Earth Explorer Mission Programme in the Projects Department of the Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes.
Following the success of the GRACE and GOCE missions, ESA and NASA have established international cooperation to jointly develop an Earth gravity monitoring mission, forming the Mass Change and Geosciences International Constellation (MAGIC). The Next Generation Gravity Mission (NGGM) is ESA’s contribution to the ESA-NASA MAGIC constellation and is currently undergoing the Phase B system design consolidation study as a mission of opportunity within the FutureEO-1 programme.
The objective of MAGIC is to provide long-term, accurate monitoring of the temporal variations of Earth’s gravity field at high resolution in time (down to three days) and in space. MAGIC will observe Earth mass change and reinforce services in hydrology, cryosphere, oceanography, solid Earth, climate change, and geodesy. The observables are the variations of the distance between two satellites, measured by a laser interferometer with sub-nanometre precision, and non-gravitational accelerations, to be separated from the gravity signal in the data processing, measured by accelerometers on each satellite.
MAGIC will be composed of two pairs of satellites. The first pair, P1 (i.e. GRACE-C), is being implemented through a US-German fast-paced cooperation programme, maximising heritage from GRACE-FO to ensure continuity of observations. The second pair of satellites, P2 (i.e. NGGM), is to be implemented by ESA in cooperation with NASA for science, exchange of data between both pairs, and generation of combined MAGIC Level 2 and Level 3 products. P2 will provide strong enhancement of the quality of the observations from both pairs and will be launched in an inclined orbit at an altitude of 400km to form a quasi-Bender constellation, with a target launch date that will enable maintenance of at least four years of combined operations with GRACE-C.
Each satellite will embark:
The NGGM Payload Manager will report to the NGGM Project Manager and will be in charge of functionally leading and coordinating support from other engineers working on the project, as well as specialised technical support from the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality (D/TEC).
Duties
The NGGM Payload Manager will be responsible for the development of the two NGGM payloads: the laser tracking instrument (LTI) for precise interferometric inter-satellite distance measurement and the highly accurate electrostatic MicroSTAR accelerometer (ACC) to measure non-gravitational accelerations. This includes responsibility for the payloads’ design, development, and verification, as well as coordination of all engineering disciplines within the NGGM project.
Your main tasks and responsibilities will include:
You will also be responsible for identifying, assessing, managing, and reporting the health and safety risks in your area of responsibility.
Technical competencies
Behavioural competencies
Education
A master’s degree in a relevant engineering or scientific discipline is required for this post.
Additional requirements
You should have in-depth experience of the management of payload development activities and of industrial contracts. Specific expertise with laser and/or complex AOCS sensing instruments would be an asset.
You should also have:
People management experience is required. International experience is an asset, including outside your home country, as well as experience in diverse functional areas relevant to ESA activities.
Important Information and Disclaimer
In principle, recruitment will be within the advertised grade band (A2-A4). However, if the selected candidate has less than four years of relevant professional experience following the completion of the master’s degree, the position may be filled at A1 level.
Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations.
During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests. Additionally, successful candidates will need to undergo basic screening before appointment, which will be conducted by an external background screening service, in compliance with the European Space Agency's security procedures.
Note that ESA is in the process of transitioning to a Matrix setup, which could lead to organisational changes affecting this position.
The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding working conditions is correct at the time of publication. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have.
Nationality and Languages
Applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.
According to the ESA Convention, the recruitment of staff must take into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the ESA Member States*. When short-listing for an interview, priority will first be given to internal candidates and secondly to external candidates from under-represented Member States*.
The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.
*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
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