ADRIOS Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT) Manager

Description

With its Space Safety Programme, ESA is committed to leading the way in the circular economy in space. This is achieved, among others things, through the ADRIOS (Active Debris Removal [ADR] and In-Orbit Servicing [IOS]) missions, which aim to establish viable ADR and IOS capabilities and services in Europe, such as rendezvous, inspection, capture, life extension, relocation, de-orbiting or repair of satellites. Such innovative approaches contribute to guaranteeing the safe use of Earth orbits for future generations, reducing space debris and promoting the reuse and recycling of space assets.

The Space Safety Missions Office of the Space Safety Programme Office, is responsible of the implementation, i.e. Phase B2/C/D/E, of the ADRIOS missions, for example RISE.

The RISE mission is an ambitious project with a lifetime of several years, designed to push the boundaries of in-orbit servicing. RISE will demonstrate Attitude Orbital Control System (AOCS) takeover of an active geostationary satellite, after performing rendezvous and capturing it in a fully autonomous manner. Once this initial demonstration is completed, RISE will go on to service its first paying customer, highlighting the practical and commercial application of the capability in space.

The ADRIOS missions often involve companies that are relatively new in the space field and, have ambitions for the private market, requiring that the ESA project teams provide specific expertise and follow a pragmatic approach.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute to pioneering space sustainability technologies within the Space Safety Programme, enabling the future of satellite servicing, debris mitigation, and sustainable orbital operations.

Duties

The ADRIOS AIT Manager will lead the AIT activities of one or several ADRIOS missions. You will be responsible for the planning, coordination, and execution of all AIT activities for the spacecraft and its associated servicing payloads, ensuring readiness for launch.

You will report to the Project Manager(s). You will also be in charge of coordinating technical experts from the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality involved in the AIT activities.

Your key responsibilities will include:

Technical Execution (AIV/AIT)

• Definition and maintenance of the overall AIT approach, logic and schedule led by industry, for the spacecraft and associated ground support equipment, including integration flows, verification approaches, environmental test campaigns and facilities;
• Support the Technical System Lead to ensure consistency between the verification requirements and the AIT implementation;
• Ensuring that the AIT activities are coordinated across multiple industrial partners, and test facilities;
• Ensuring timely procurement of all equipment, GSE and facilities;
• Closely monitor the production of the space segment and ground segment;
• Oversee spacecraft assembly and integration activities performed by industry at subsystem and system levels, including mechanical, electrical, and functional integration processes;
• Ensure a proper spacecraft verification campaign, including:
  • functional and performance testing;
  • environmental testing (vibration, acoustics, thermal-vacuum and EMC);
  • system and proximity operations validation, including the end-to-end guidance, navigation and control (GNC) and robotics chain relevant to rendezvous and capture;
  • possible verification activities specific to the customer satellite;
• This includes critical review of test plans, procedures, facilities and test reports;
• Coordinate with the Operations Manager regarding flight operations procedures and satellite databases in relation to system-level tests and support operations planning and execution as needed.

Technical Execution (Launch)

• Support industry for the launch service selection;
• Follow the preparation of the spacecraft for delivery to the launch site;
• Participate to the launch campaign activities including final functional checks, fuelling operations and integration with the launch vehicle.

Management

• Support the Project Manager(s) in relation to risks identification and mitigation;
• Support the Project Manager(s) in relation to schedule management; contribute to the control of the schedule and propose schedule risk mitigation recovery actions when needed;
• Identify and prioritise points for attention and report regularly to the Project Manager(s);
• Apply pragmatic decision-making processes to balance ideal solutions with project constraints;
• Agree on a suitable approach to apply the ESA standards (ECSS) relating to integration and testing activities;
• Support and coordinate with the mission Product Assurance Manager to adequately fulfil the mission product assurance requirements;
• Support anomaly resolution and non-conformance management, as well as change management, and put in place early recovery actions when necessary;
• Participate actively in reviews;
• Lead technical experts from the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality;
• Provide guidelines to industry relevant to all integration and test activities;
• Share experience and knowledge with industry in a constructive and result-oriented manner;
• Capture and share the lessons-learned with other missions of the Division.

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking

For more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook

Education

A master's degree in engineering or a related field is required for this post together with 4 years of relevant professional experience.

Additional requirements

Experience with:

• implementing missions with tight schedule and low price constraints;
• taking a pragmatic approach to applying the ECSS;
• large platforms, especially for GEO (e.g. telecommunications platforms)

You should also:

• have an interest in working with companies that are relatively new in the space field;
• be capable of working autonomously, using initiative and taking a hands-on approach;
• show strong leadership capabilities, with proven relationship management and communication skills;
• demonstrate flexibility in dealing with day-to-day operational challenges, as well as strong planning and organisational skills;
• be able to anticipate problems and demonstrate flexibility to seek solutions and make pragmatic and timely decisions;
• be result-oriented with the ability to set priorities.