Role:

Gaia Sensor Procurement Management, Equipment Technical Expert and H/W Integration and Test Support Role

An experienced AOCS engineer is required to progress and complete the activities related to the procurement, use and test of the Gaia AOCS Sensors and their dedicated ground support equipment. The equipment under the responsibility of this engineer will be the Star Tracker (STR) and its dedicated EGSE (known as the UCE) being procured from Selex-Galileo, the Fine Sun Sensor (FSS) being procured from TNO Science & Industry, and potentially the Gyro being procured from SAS.

The role can be considered to have three main aspects, which can be described as follows:

Sensor Procurement Management:

To act as Subcontract Manager for the STR and UCE, and the FSS procurement

• Responsible for maintaining a timely and responsive interface with the unit suppliers

• Ensuring all formal meetings are held in accordance with the SoW (Progress Meetings, MRR, TRR, TRB, DRB, etc)

• Performing a detailed technical review of all supplier-provided information and ensuring this information is provided to the appropriate members of the project team

• Maintaining the equipment requirements information within the company DOORS database (including requirement traceability, requirements verification records and close-out)

Equipment Technical Expert:

To act as project team “Technical Expert” for equipments under their responsibility (requiring, for example, a detailed understanding of the full design & performance documentation set, the suppliers’ development and test processes, and the suppliers schedule and schedule drivers for the equipments under their responsibility)

• Responsible for understanding the application and use of the STR and FSS at AOCS and System level and ensuring coherence with the stated equipment behaviour and capabilities, including:

  • All hardware and data interfaces between the STR and FSS and the other Gaia flight equipments

  • All hardware and data interfaces between the STR and FSS and the Gaia EGSE

  • Nominal sensor management and output data processing functionality within the on-board software

  • Sensor fault detection and reconfiguration management functionality within the on-board software

• Contribution to AOCS-level documentation – AOCS User Manual, AOCS Design Report

H/W Integration & Test Support Role

As an integral part of the Sensor Procurement “Technical Expert” task, the role shall include the responsibilities associated with ensuring the correct integration and test of the AOCS sensors on the Gaia Avionics Model test-bench (AVM). Tasks include:

• Preparation and maintenance of STR and FSS AVM Integration & Test (I&T) Specifications

• Review of the STR and FSS AVM I&T Procedures prepared by the AIT engineers

• Direct support to the execution of the I&T Procedures on the Gaia AVM

• Analysis of the I&T test results and contribution to the I&T Reports

• Preparation and maintenance of STR and FSS Integrated SubSystem Test (ISST) Specifications

• Review of the STR and FSS AVM ISST Procedures prepared by the AIT engineers

• Direct support to the execution of the ISST Procedures on the Gaia AVM

• Analysis of the ISST test results and contribution to the ISST Reports

• Support to the AOCS early Integrated System Test (IST) activities:

• Contribution to the preparation of IST Specifications

• Contribution to the review of IST Procedures prepared by the AIT engineers

• Direct support to the execution of the IST Procedures on the Gaia AVM

• Contribution to the analysis of the IST test results and preparation of the IST Reports

Qualifications and/or Skills

Essential skills:

• Master of Science (or equivalent) in space engineering.

• Technical skills in AOCS systems, including algorithms and sensors.

• Synthesis skills (technical and planning).

• Clear report writing and effective presentation skills.

• Effective as working in a multi-disciplinary team.

Pro-active.

Previous Experience:

• Proven experience of GNC/AOCS engineering experience in developing and verifying AOCS algorithms/SW, sensors and actuators, in one or several space programs with ESA.

• Demonstrable experience of GNC/AOCS sensors procurement from an external supplier.