Engineer Robotics, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering or similar

Have you (almost) completed your degree studies? Are you inspired by space exploration and keen to pursue a career in this exciting field? If so, perhaps you should take a closer look at the German Trainee Programme. Organised by DLR, it offers you the chance to work shoulder to shoulder with experts from the 22 member states of ESA - keeping your finger on the pulse of Europe’s space programmes. Over a period up to 24 months, you will actively contribute to the latest research and/or technology projects. This is complemented by a generous scholarship. What better way to launch your career in international space business? The next GTP commences on 1st February 2019. You will be supporting the Automation and Robotics section at ESTEC, and in particular the Automation and Robotics Laboratories (ARL). The section has three main Lab areas with corresponding working groups on: Orbital Robotics, Planetary Robotics and Human-Robot Interaction. This position is to support mainly the activities in the Planetary Robotics Lab. The lab has a traditional important role in planetary exploration, primarily in support of Exomars and future Mars exploration missions such as Mars Sample Return. The section is located within the Mechatronics and Optics Division which groups a total of four sections and provides technical expertise and engineering support in the areas of 1) automation and robotics and space mechanisms, 2) life & physical sciences and environment control & life support (ECLS), 3) optics and 4) opto-electronics. The Automation and Robotics Section in particular is responsible for the creation and maintenance of an industrial technology base for the automation aspects of space based operations and their remote control. As such, the domain of competence of the group includes the specification and control of space robotics systems (from manipulators to autonomous vehicles) and laboratory supporting automation and robotics in manned and unmanned missions.
The Automation and Robotics Section operates a series of laboratories, which provide the tools to support the section activities and in which prototyping and functional verification of Automation and Robotics systems take place. Tasks:
This position is primarily in the area of robotics for planetary exploration.
Our trainees are given a high degree of autonomy and responsibilities, and will be expected to take ownership of the laboratories, be responsible for tasks and help with the day-to-day maintenance.
The exact tasks will depend on the candidate's final qualifications, interests and the needs of the section and will be from among the following: Planetary robotics

• development and operational readiness of planetary rover platforms:The ARL has several small scale planetary rovers and are currently developing another one. They serve as generic representative testbeds for both lab and field experiments, where payload and algorithms can be integrated. The candidate will be involved in aspects of the system development and integration (e.g. new algorithmic modules, sensor integration, ground control station, operational procedures, testing, etc.)
• Rover onboard software control architectures in open source Robotic Frameworks: The integration of complete planetary robotic systems shows particular complexity in the software integration of different algorithms, control laws, and subsystem control modules. Currently ARL is involved in the process to develop a standard rover operating system for space applications. The candidate will have the opportunity to be involved in the development process.
• planetary robotic arm control and operations: Two rover platforms in the ARL are equipped with custom-designed robotic arms (5 and 6 DoF respectively). The candidate will have the possibility to develop independent control modules for the arm and integrate them in the overall rover onboard control software architecture in an optimised manner. In parallel the control approaches of industrial activities on the same field will be evaluated. Finally the rover-arm coordinated motion can be explored.
• definition and development of new laboratory planetary robotics platforms and subsystem prototyping: The ARL has a target to have a regular cycle of developing new platforms to be used as planetary robotics testbeds (e.g. rovers), where the lessons-learned and experiences of previous developments can be incorporated. The candidate will be involved in the definition of such systems in terms of mechatronic design, interfaces and resources and wherever needed to implement subsystem prototyping activities.

Other

• collaboration with third parties companies in the frame of hardware development and procurement: The ARL has a constant need to upgrade and adjust its inventory in order to support new activities. The candidate will be intimately involved in this process by directly interacting with third parties to discuss concepts, negotiate prices, in order to procure equipment or software.
• support relevant R&D activities or CDF studies when necessary: The section staff supervises a number of industrial R&D activities in all fields related to space robotics. The candidate will have the opportunity to participate in reviews and otherwise support the activities as required. Some support to the Exomars mission may also be expected.
• support to the operations of the Automation & Robotics Laboratories: The ARL recently went through a complete reorganization and infrastructure upgrade, with the goal to optimise the operational resources and foster more parallel research activities. As certain final aspects of the upgrades are on-going, particularly in the field of orbital robotics, the candidate shall work closely with the head of the ARL in the deployment and calibration of new robotic facilities (metrology, hardware research platforms, etc.) and in the definition of lab operational guidelines and procedures. Within this task the candidate will obtain experience in the complex organisation and operation of a high-tech lab facility as well as gain an overview of all the research activities performed in ESA in the field of Automation and Robotics.

• recent graduate in the field of Robotics, Mechatronics, Mechanical, Space engineering, or Computer Science with significant software experience
• Electronics experience is an asset
• demonstrated experience in initiating and running practical projects
• German citizenship is absolutely necessary
• applicants should have just completed (conclusion not older than two years) or be in their final year of a university course at Master's level in a technical or scientific discipline
• candidates must be fluent in English or French, the official languages of the Agency

We look forward to your e-mail application in English, citing GTP-2019-TEC-MMA (1) to GTP@dlr.de.
Closing date for this position is 6th September 2018. The interviews are tentatively scheduled for week 45/2018. Please visit the German Trainee Programme page for details of our application procedures. Your application should consist of a motivation letter and your CV only (CV exclusively in Europass format). Unfortunately we cannot consider further documents. Disabled applicants with equivalent qualifications will be given preferential treatment. If you have any initial questions, please feel free to contact Ms. Larissa Seidlez: larissa.seidlez@dlr.de.