System Engineer - Satellite Communications

About this job

We are currently looking for a System Engineer - Satellite Communications to join the team in the Leiden Area.

We are looking for a System Engineer to join a high-tech engineering team working on complex systems for the international space sector.

The systems you will work on support spacecraft development, Assembly, Integration & Test, post-launch operations, satellite communications, and advanced test and simulation environments.

This is a practical, cross-disciplinary system engineering role in a compact engineering environment. You will work closely with hardware, firmware, software, FPGA, test, project management, procurement, and business development colleagues to translate customer needs into feasible and integrated technical solutions.

Most systems involve a combination of embedded systems, electronics, firmware, software, test equipment, and customer-specific technical requirements. Therefore, we are looking for someone who combines system-level thinking with a hands-on engineering mindset.

You do not need to be a perfect match from day one. We are open to candidates from aerospace, telecom, RF, optical systems, embedded systems, defence electronics, test & measurement, or other relevant high-tech engineering environments, provided you have the technical foundation and practical mindset to grow into the role.

Main responsibilities

In this role, you will be involved across the project lifecycle, from proposal support and requirements analysis to design coordination, integration, testing, and customer reviews.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Analysing customer requirement specifications and Statements of Work.
• Translating customer needs into feasible system concepts and technical solutions.
• Deriving system decomposition and design across hardware, firmware, software, COTS components, and test equipment.
• Supporting technical proposal preparation, including feasibility, planning, cost trade-offs, risks, and development needs.
• Coordinating technical discussions with internal engineering teams and external stakeholders.
• Producing and coordinating system design documentation, including test plans and test procedures.
• Supporting formal technical reviews with customers, such as PDR, CDR, TRR, and related milestones.
• Coordinating or supporting system configuration, integration, and testing activities.
• Providing technical input for procurement and supplier-related decisions.
• Monitoring technical progress and reporting relevant updates to the Project Manager.
• Helping ensure that the overall system meets customer requirements, project goals, budget, planning, and feasibility constraints.
• Steering technical alignment across disciplines without micromanaging specialist engineers.

Requirements

We are looking for someone with a practical engineering background and the ability to work across disciplines.

You bring:

• A B.Sc., HBO, or higher degree in electronics, optical engineering, embedded systems, telecom, aerospace engineering, or a related technical field.
• At least 2 years of relevant experience in system engineering, embedded systems, hardware/software integration, test & integration, electronics, telecom, RF/optical systems, or another relevant high-tech engineering environment.
• A practical engineering mindset and the ability to work close to technical teams, products, test setups, and customer deliverables.
• Broad technical understanding across hardware, firmware, software, embedded systems, and system integration.
• The ability to analyse customer requirements and translate them into feasible technical solutions.
• Strong communication and documentation skills in English.
• The ability to work independently, take ownership, and coordinate across multidisciplinary teams in a flat organisation.
• A proactive and hands-on way of working.

Experience with any of the following is considered an advantage:

• Space, aerospace, defence, telecom, RF, optical communication, or satellite communication systems.
• Embedded systems, firmware, FPGA, or hardware/software integration.
• Lab test equipment and system integration environments.
• Modulation and coding techniques.
• EGSE, TM/TC, TTC systems, or spacecraft test and simulation systems.
• SDA, CCSDS, ECSS, or other relevant space-sector standards.
• Formal technical reviews such as PDR, CDR, TRR, or similar.

Practical requirements:

This role is limited to applicants who are currently based in Europe and legally authorised to work in the EU/EEA.

About the company

At S[&]T we contribute to a safer life on earth by translating space data into valuable and actionable insights. We oversee data from instruments to application, and apply our expertise within our software frameworks, information products and consultancy.

Our society relies on space and scientific instruments for climate change monitoring, navigation, defence and national security, and other crucial services we all use in our daily lives. These instruments produce an enormous quantity of complex data, and our goal is to unlock its value.

We have more than 20 years of experience working on instrument calibration, the creation of data quality monitoring tools, the development of real-time data processing frameworks, and the development of application-specific algorithms. With this, we help organisations, governments and industries to strengthen their information position and thereby improve their decision making. We focus on the following domains: Space & Science, Defence & Security, Environment & Sustainability, and High-Tech Consulting.