Overview:

Serco, a supplier of staff and resources to International Organisations and Governments have provided engineering and business administration staff  to the European Space Agency for over 30 years

Currently we are seeking to employ a highly motivated and enthusiastic Software Simulation Engineer to work in an exciting innovative international environment dealing with Space Missions VEX, MEX, Rosetta and BepiColombo.

You will be working in a section which cover the following areas:

·         Real-time simulation infrastructure and tools based on different platforms, including Windows platforms and LINUX environments. This infrastructure can support both hardware-in-the-loop and man-in-the-loop simulation

·         Modelling of systems (including spacecraft, ground segment and other required auxiliary systems) on the above tools

·         Elaboration, development and promotion of the concept of generic simulation testbeds (PTB, Virtual Spacecraft, Avionics Testbench), applicable for different projects, including preparation and promotion of relevant standards.

·         Visualisation and graphical user interaction on different levels, including MMI design, parameter visualization, and up to high-end 3-D real-time, interactive and immersive visualisation systems, also known as Virtual Reality simulation

·         Elaboration, development and promotion of new methods and tools for distributed and collaborative engineering

·         Methods and tools to support space system engineering

As an expert in your field you will posses in depth knowledge of:

·         Software engineering, and associated ECSS standards;

·         Real-time software engineering and embedded systems;

·         Mastering of a range of programming languages and development environments;

·         Familiarity with modelling & simulation tools, such as Eurosim, Simsat, Matlab, graphical modelling toolkits, Java and others;

·         Good knowledge of different H/W environments and O/Ss, such as PC (Windows and Linux), graphics

·         General understanding of space system engineering for the purpose of simple modelling and understanding of system integration issues from the application point of view

Tasks specific to this requirement:

• Software development for the simulation and planning SW for the planetary science missions (VEX, MEX, Rosetta, BepiColombo)
• Ensuring the maintenance of the operational tools, including interfacing with the users and prioritising of change requests
• Contribution in the design and development of further evolution of tools such as MAPPS (based on Qt-4) and EPS.

Qualifications and Requirements:

Applicants require to have a University degree, or equivalent, in Science, Physics or Computing and a profile which closely follows:

·         Programming languages: C++ (mandatory, > 5 years), Java (preferred), Fortran (optional)

·         Extensive experience in software engineering, software development and configuration control methods, tools and standards (ECSS) is essential.

·         User interface development (mandatory): Qt (preferred) or alternatively other graphical toolkits like MFC, GTK, Swing, etc...

·         Operating systems: Windows and Linux (mandatory), Mac OS-X (optional), other Unix systems (optional)

·         3D graphics (optional): OpenGL, OpenSceneGraph, Direct3D, etc...

·         Databases (optional): MySQL, Oracle, etc...

·         Web development (preferred J2EE, .NET, etc...

·         Engineering degree with solid background in mathematics and mechanics (preferred)

·         Spacecraft engineering degree (optional)

·         Background in spacecraft systems engineering is advisable

·         Pro-activeness and strong motivation are very important aspects to accomplish daily work, along with the capability to work in team. Multi-tasking is an important characteristic of the job

Applicants must hold the correct documentation and permits to work in the Netherlands.

Position:

   Simulation Engineer

Reference:

   RC219-S  

Application closing date:

   17 Aug 2008

Start date:

   1 Nov 2008

Duration:

   1.5 Years, possible extension