Science Operations System Engineer

Overview Closing Date : 22 September : 59 CET / CEST

This is a post for a limited duration of three years.

The European Space Agency maintains a world-leading Science Programme with missions in heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics and fundamental physics. Its mission is to “Empower Europe to lead space science”.

The Science Operations Department (SCI-S), within ESA's Directorate of Science, hosts the scientists and engineers who oversee the space missions from study to the end of operations, develops the science operation systems for the missions and operates the missions in space, and archives and curates their data during operations and beyond. Its main objective is to maximise the scientific output of the missions for the benefit of humankind.

Euclid is one of the recent additions to the Science Programme portfolio of astrophysics missions in operations. Launched in July 2023, it is a medium-sized ESA mission designed to explore the nature, composition and evolution of our Dark Universe. It will map the large-scale structure of our Universe across space and time, surveying one third of the sky and observing billions of galaxies, out to 10 billion light-years.

This unprecedented high-precision, high-resolution survey will generate more than 20PB of scientific data products over the next seven years. To provide scientists with the means to access, explore and analyse this large volume of data, the Euclid scientific archive and the ESA Datalabs scientific platform must be expanded in parallel and brought closely together. To achieve that objective, a dedicated project called the Euclid Data Space (EDS) has been initiated as part of the Euclid mission. This ambitious and fast-paced project has multiple interfaces and stakeholders and requires a team with strong system engineering skills to succeed. In this context, we are looking for an experienced system engineer with experience and a passion for the challenge of astronomical data analysis in the era of big data to join forces with us.

In this role, you will support the Euclid Mission Manager with the implementation of the EDS project, working in close collaboration with data science, IT and archive system experts in SCI-S, as well as with the group of scientists providing scientific oversight of the project.

The initial duration of this contract is fixed and limited to three years, assuming delivery of the EDS project by the end of 2027 and one additional year of margin / maintenance.

Duties Your tasks and responsibilities will include :

• defining and formalising the EDS system requirements, architecture and interfaces down to the level of individual functionalities in close collaboration with the representatives of the EDS subsystems and of the relevant stakeholders and in accordance with ESA system engineering standards;
• establishing and maintaining the EDS project schedule, supporting the Mission Manager in the identification and mitigation of the project-related risks;
• supervising the day-to-day activities of the EDS project, coordinating the work among the various subsystems and ensuring the timely delivery of the inputs and outputs, both internally and externally to the EDS project;
• interfacing with the ESA Datalabs (datalabs.esa.int) project to prepare, agree and maintain the EDS roadmap (contents and timeline) for the deliverables of the ESA Datalabs project to EDS, addressing all relevant programmatic and technical matters;
• supporting the Euclid Archive Scientist for the preparation and maintenance of the EDS archive subsystem roadmap (contents and timeline) with an emphasis on the technical tasks and deliverables linked to the tight integration of the archive subsystem within EDS, closely adhering to EDS project requirements and schedule;
• managing the contractual aspects of the implementation of the EDS portal subsystem with the goal of securing the timely delivery of the subsystem, closely adhering to the EDS project requirements and schedule;
• organising and supervising the acceptance of the EDS subsystems before their integration;
• coordinating the EDS design, implementation, integration, testing and validation based on the corresponding plans and in close collaboration with the representatives of the EDS subsystems and of the relevant stakeholders;
• maintaining and evolving the overall architecture of the system during operations;
• supporting the Euclid Mission Manager in interactions and activities with EDS stakeholders;

seeking commonalities and striving for increased efficiency in collaboration with the SCI-S System Engineering Steering Group. This includes the identification of innovative practices or technologies that could be injected into the ESA Research and Development programmes, with a focus on areas relevant to the objectives of SCI-S.

Qualifications and Experience Experience in systems engineering, from requirements engineering to design and development, verification and validation, preferably in the area of science operations, archive and / or scientific platforms

Experience in development, operations and maintenance of IT infrastructure and / or software systems, preferably in the area of science operations, archive and / or scientific platforms

Knowledge of ECSS system engineering standards

Experience in dealing with industrial contracts and service providers

Experience with delivering technical solutions to a diverse range of users and stakeholders

Result Orientation

Operational Efficiency

Fostering Cooperation

Relationship Management

Continuous Improvement

Forward Thinking

A master’s degree in a relevant domain is required for this post.

Additional requirements Ability to run cost-benefit trade-offs

Ability to present practical solutions both orally and in writing

Ability to manage conflict proactively and constructively

Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics.

At the Agency we value diversity, and we welcome people with disabilities. Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us via email at

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

Please note that 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