Directorate of Technical and Quality Management

The European Space Agency is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women

POST

System Software Engineer in the Software Engineering and Standardisation Section, Software Systems Division, System Software and Technology Department, Directorate of Technical and Quality Management.

This post is classified in the A2/A4 grade band of the Coordinated Organisations’ salary scale.

LOCATION

ESTEC, Noordwijk (The Netherlands).

DUTIES

The postholder will be detached as integrated support to the ATV project reporting directly to the Head of the ATV System Engineering Section and will be responsible for providing technical expertise in the area of ATV System Software.

The postholder will be specifically responsible for:

- defining and managing the ATV Production Phase software production and maintenance process, including sustaining engineering activities for FTC (Failure tolerant computer) software, MSU (Monitoring and Safety unit) application software and firmware and all equipment embedded software;

- participating in post-flight analyses and identifying necessary software changes for incorporation in subsequent releases of the ATV software;

- monitoring the definition of delta-requirements and missionisation data for each ATV software release;

- defining and coordinating with systems engineering the deltaqualification and regression testing required for ATV software changes;

- coordinating the ATV software deliveries to spacecraft, ATVControl Centre, simulators, test facilities and Houston-SVF;

- defining and coordinating the required joint testing activities for ATV software and/or ISS/Service Module software changes having an impact on the ATV/Service Module interface;

- providing oversight of MDB (Mission database) definition and production to support vehicle manufacturing and flight operations for each production ATV;

- providing technical expertise for FTC operations;

- participating in the investigation, review and disposition of all software anomalies and SPRs (Software Problem Reports) and participating in the ECB (Engineering Control Board);

- providing inputs to the CoFR (Certificate of Flight Readiness) process and supporting the Pre-shipment Review (PSR), Flight Acceptance Review (FAR), and ISS Stage Operations Readiness Review (ISS SORR) for ATV flights, as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants should have a university degree or equivalent qualification in computer science and/or electrical engineering or similar, together with professional experience in spacecraft and/or spacecraft operations and development of complex real-time software systems.

The candidate should demonstrate a result-oriented approach to work in a highly complex project environment as well as a strong capacity for planning and organising tasks. The candidate should be system-minded, be able to work in an interdisciplinary team and should have good communication skills.

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these two languages is required. Knowledge of another member state language is an asset.

CLOSING DATE

The closing date for applications is 16 May 2008.

Applications from external candidates for this position should preferably be made on-line at the ESA Web Site (www.esa.int/careers). Those unable to apply on-line should submit their CV to the Head of the Human Resources Division, ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk ZH (The Netherlands).

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Under ESA Regulations, the age limit for recruitment is 55. Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada.

Priority will be first given to internal candidates and secondly to external candidates from under-represented Member States.