Lead System Engineer (m/f/div) for the ATHENA-WFI satellite project

• Requirements engineering, including the analysis and flow down of those requirements to sub-systems, capturing of requirements (using a requirements capturing tool such as DOORS) and ensuring that require­ments and interface definitions are under configuration control.
• Overall system design
• The definition and control of interfaces between the sub-systems
• Application of end-to-end systems analysis and modelling and the subsequent allocation and manage­ment of technical budgets / tolerances
• The development of integration and test plans which will verify compliance with sub-system and, ulti­mately, top-level requirements
• Support of system integration, verification, and test in collaboration with the WFI Consortium, ESA and leading European space companies
• Technical management and risk assessment
• Prepare technical documentation for milestones and reviews

Essential: a completed scientific university degree (M.Sc. or Diplom-Ingenieur [m/f/div]) in engineering or an equivalent qualification with in-depth knowledge of scientific instrumentation development; a physics degree with applicable work experience in instrumentation development will also be considered

Desirable: master’s degree in systems engineering and being a chartered engineer (m/f/div) with member­ship of a relevant insti­tution would be an advantage

Knowledge and Experience: the successful candidate (m/f/div) is expected to bring proven industry systems engineering experience with designing astronomical or other complex systems

• Engineering management with a broad, but not necessarily detailed, knowledge of the techno­logies involved in the engineering activities being managed.
• Principles and methods of systems engineering and project management.
• Principles and methods of requirements analysis.
• Excellent conceptual and analytical skills to solve technical problems, involving problem definition, candidate solution identification, and solution selection.
• Technical risk assessment.
• Modelling languages and relevant software tools.
• Characterization methods to evaluate candidate design alternatives.
• System integration, tools, test equipment, principles, and methods of validation.
• Knowledge of ESA design and quality requirements (ECSS standards) is an advantage.

• Planning, organizing resources, motivating people, measuring performance, and applying corrections where necessary.
• To manage outwards, engendering confidence in the systems engineering from the stakeholders.
• The ability to work independently on projects and in a team.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Fluency in written and spoken German will be an advantage, but is not essential.

• Results orientated individual.
• Issues and risk focus.
• Focused on maximization of the value to the stakeholder(s) whom the design is to serve.
• Attention to detail.
• Willingness to raise issues when defects are discovered.

Ideally, you enjoy working your way through challenging topics and already have experience in development projects.

• A versatile, challenging, and autonomous job in a dynamic and culturally stimulating international research environment in the development of satellite instrumentation
• Interdisciplinary work in a family team with experienced engineers and physicists
• Needs-oriented training opportunities
• Fair payment according to your qualifications and professional experience in accordance with the Collective Agreement for the Public Service (TVöD)
• Company pension scheme (VBL)
• Family service at the Garching research campus
• Underground station U6 directly in front of the institute
• Canteen in the immediate vicinity
• Reduced rates for certain insurance policies
• Free parking on the institute grounds

The full-time position is initially for two years; however, contracts will be extended on a four-year cycle for the duration of the project. Currently the launch of Athena is planned for 2037.

The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals.

Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.

For more information of the work of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, visit https://www.mpe.mpg.de/main.

Applicants (m/f/div) should submit their documents, including a cover letter, a curriculum vitae and certificates (PDF files) online by Monday, the 4th of December. Ideally, we would like to schedule the interviews for the week of the 11th of December 2023 and, if needed, at the latest the second week in January 2024.

(https://recruitingapp-5257.de.umantis.com/Vacancies/575/Application/New/2)

Late applications may be considered if the position has not been filled.