About this job

For our customer, the European Space Agency (ESA), we are seeking an experienced Dependability & Safety (RAMS) to work at ESA’s ESTEC site in Noordwijk, The Netherlands.

Responsibilities

You will be assigned to ESA/ESTEC’s Dependability & Safety Assurance Section within the Directorate of Technical and Quality Management (D/TEC).
Reporting to the Head of the Dependability and Safety Section, you will be responsible for supporting the Section’s overall activities below:
• Contribute to establishing project specific programmatic and technical dependability and safety requirements within the framework of the ESA Product Assurance & Safety baseline.
• Support to ESA projects in the evaluation and monitoring of Contractor’s plans, technical specifications and efforts proposed for the execution of the dependability and safety programs.
• Evaluation of dependability and safety analyses, technical notes, technical risk assessments, risk reduction processes and the associated preventive or corrective actions.
• Defining and controlling the implementation of the applicable dependability and safety related acceptance requirements including risk acceptance criteria.
• Support dependability and safety verification activities, including hazard close-out and disposition of related NCR, RFW and Critical Items.
• Participating in project reviews to assess compliance with the applicable RAMS requirements and to formulate accept/reject recommendations.
Specifically, in this position, you will (initially) support the Navigation Directorate and especially the Galileo System Product Assurance Unit. Specific tasks and responsibilities include:
• Review of Galileo Project Segments RAMS analyses (i.e. Ground Segments and Space Segment);
• Production of Project System level RAMS analyses;
• Support the collection of in-service data and their statistical processing;
• Support the development of the System level RAMS tool;

This is a full-time position located at ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands.
The requested start of work is October 2020 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Profile

The successful candidate shall have:
• A Master’s Degree in (Space) Systems Engineering or similar.
• A minimum of 4 years of relevant professional working experience gained in the (aero)space industry including experience in design and engineering of safety critical systems.
• Relevant experience of application of RAMS engineering to space programs, including in ground and/or ground based systems and operations.
• A hands-on knowledge of the RAMS analyses and methodologies (Hardware and Software), preparation of relevant RAMS documentation during the overall project life-cycle and application of space industry dependability and safety standards (ECSS).
Desirable:
• For this position, knowledge of the Navigation domain would be a distinct asset.
• Experience in dependability and safety engineering management processes and objectives and experience during operations is an advantage.
• Experience in the field of ground safety and projects assistance in obtaining the relevant launch centre safety certification is an advantage.
• Knowledge of RTCA/DO-178C “Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification” and related certification schemes, and experience in interfacing certification authorities is considered an asset.
• Knowledge of EU Safety Directive as “Directive 98/37/EC Machinery”, Directive 99/92/EC Risk from Explosive Atmospheres”, “Directive 97/23/EC Pressure Equipment” and other safety directives relevant for space is considered an asset.
• Familiarity with space product assurance practices together with a good working knowledge of appropriate RAMS tools is an advantage.