Project Management and Engineering Specialist (Orbital projects)

We are looking for a ​Project Management and Engineering Specialist​ to complete our consultants Workforce Management Service to support the ​ESA Academy Programme​ of the European Space Agency (ESA) at their location in ​Libin, Belgium​.  

The ESA Academy runs a number of initiatives focused on nanosatellites and space platforms with the purpose of training students in the full range of disciplines required to set up a space mission. These include, among others: CubeSats, Pocketqubes, experiments for the International Space Station and experiments for the Space Rider orbital laboratory. 

A typical project cycle comprises: 

• The publication of a call for proposals to universities, followed by a selection process involving an onsite or online selection workshop; 

• Kick-off of the selected student projects, which are subsequently guided by ESA Academy and experts from ESA and, possibly, third parties; 

• Student participation in training activities, design and development phases including participation in test campaigns, launch and operations, under the guidance of ESA Academy in coordination with ESA experts. Students are sponsored by ESA for their travels. 

The purpose of this role is to oversee end-to-end project management and engineering for student projects to design, build, test and launch CubeSats or payloads for other platforms such as the ISS, Space Rider orbital laboratory, or equivalent. 

The successful candidate shall travel within Europe for on-location outreach or educational activities and meetings as required. 

Please note, the successful candidate will be employed by ATG Europe (or one of its subsidiaries). Furthermore, upon selection, they will be subject to a general security screening performed by an external provider (further information will be provided at the interview stage). 

ATG is dedicated to diversity and inclusion and is an equal opportunity employer. Regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, handicap or any other reason protected by relevant state or municipal legislation, we are pleased to consider all eligible candidates for employment. 

The successful candidate will be tasked with, but not limited to: 

• Coordinate the end-to-end implementation of ESA Academy orbital projects (e.g. Fly Your Satellite!, Design Booster, Test Opportunities, ISS and Space Rider experiments), from call preparation and team selection through development, testing and operations; 

• Support university teams throughout the project lifecycle, providing guidance on project management, system engineering, requirements management, risk management and mission planning activities; 

• Monitor the technical, managerial and programmatic progress of participating teams and coordinate the resolution of technical and project-related issues with ESA experts and external partners; 

• Organise and support project reviews, workshops, training events, test campaigns, launch preparation activities and operational milestones, including Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR), Critical Design Reviews (CDR) and Flight Acceptance Reviews (FAR); 

• Review and assess technical documentation, requirements, design data packages, verification and test documentation, ensuring compliance with applicable standards and good engineering practice; 

• Coordinate mentorship activities involving ESA specialists, industry experts, academic partners and participating student teams; 

• Develop and deliver training activities related to spacecraft development, systems engineering, project management, testing and mission operations, and contribute to ESA Academy educational programmes; 

• Support the management of programme applications, participant engagement, digital learning content, databases, statistics and reporting activities using ESA tools, including ESA Learn; 

• Liaise with universities, industry, research organisations and ESA stakeholders to foster collaboration, identify new opportunities and support the continuous evolution of the programme portfolio; 

• Contribute to outreach, communication and community-building activities, including educational events, technical presentations, promotional materials and alumni engagement initiatives. 

Please ensure that your CV clearly explains how you meet the mandatory requirements. If it doesn’t align completely with the essential criteria, it could result in rejection. 

• Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Space Engineering, Physics, or another relevant engineering or scientific discipline;

• Minimum 4 years of relevant professional experience, including spacecraft engineering, space projects, systems engineering, payload development, CubeSats, aerospace projects or other complex technical programmes;

• Minimum 2 years of project management and team coordination experience in relevant domains for this role;

• Demonstrated experience in technical project management covering planning, schedule management, risk management, stakeholder coordination and project reporting;

• Direct experience managing technical projects across design, development, testing and operational phases;

• Practical experience in the development, testing, operation or management of at least one CubeSat, nanosatellite, space experiment, scientific payload or equivalent aerospace project;

• Demonstrated experience supporting projects through one or more spacecraft lifecycle phases, including design, verification, testing, integration and operations;

• Direct experience supporting or supervising student engineering activities, university projects, educational programmes or hands-on engineering training initiatives;

• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and engaging with technical experts, academic institutions, industrial partners and programme stakeholders;

• Knowledge of systems engineering principles, requirements management and technical review processes;

• Experience preparing and reviewing technical documentation, engineering reports, test documentation and project deliverables;

• Ability to deliver technical training, workshops, mentoring sessions or educational activities in engineering-related subjects;

• Familiarity with laboratory or test environments and associated safety and operational practices;

• Direct experience in mission engineering and Assembly, Integration and Verification (AIV) activities;

• Direct experience coordinating test campaigns and launch preparation activities;

• Previous experience working with ESA, national space agencies, research institutions or the European space industry is considered an asset;

• Familiarity with ESA Academy programmes, Fly Your Satellite!, CubeSat Support Facility activities, ISS educational programmes or Space Rider initiatives is considered an asset;

• Experience supporting launch campaigns, spacecraft operations or mission preparation activities is considered an asset;

• Knowledge of ECSS standards and space project reviews is considered an asset;

• Experience in outreach, mentoring and STEM education initiatives is considered an asset;

• High proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially PowerPoint, Excel and Word;

• Strong analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills;

• Ability to work both independently and within multidisciplinary and international teams;

• Candidates must be eligible to work and live in the EU;

• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.

Please submit your application in English via the apply button below. Applications submitted in other languages will not be considered.