Space Segment Engineer

Vacancy details

Type of contractTemporary AgentReference numberEUSPA/2026/AD/009

Grade/Function groupAD6Place of employment1Prague / Czech Republic

Deadline for applications07.07.2026 11:59 AM (GMT+2)

Contract duration (Y)5Possibility of renewal2yes

Desired start dateAs soon as possiblePossible reserve list valid until31.12.2026

Organisational departmentEngineeringReporting to3Head of Department or their assignee

Level of security clearance4SECRET UE / EU SECRET

[1] The place of employment is subject to changes in the interest of the service and always under due consideration of the Staff Member’s interests. [2] Possibility of renewal for a fixed period and a further renewal for an indefinite period on the conditions set out in the Staff Regulations and in the Conditions of Employment for Other Servants [3] The organisational department and the hierarchical reporting line may change in line with the developments of the EUSPA and department’s organisation. [4] The successful candidate shall be able and willing to apply for a personnel security clearance, issued by an EU Member State, at the level defined above immediately after the contract signature or at a later stage. The procedure for obtaining a personnel security clearance shall be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidate. Description of the EU classified information levels is available here.

1. EUSPA AND THE HIRING DEPARTMENT

The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) provides safe, secure, and innovative satellite navigation and communication services for Europe. We advance the commercialisation of Galileo, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), and Copernicus data and services, while engaging in secure SATCOM (GOVSATCOM & IRIS²), and operating the Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) Front-Desk. Our work strengthens European autonomy in space technologies, fosters innovation, and supports critical sectors such as transport, agriculture, and economic development across the EU. For more information on the EUSPA and the EU Space Programme, click here.

At EUSPA, we aim for our workforce to be representative of European society and strongly welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We actively seek to create a workplace where each staff member feels valued and respected, can give their best and can develop to their full potential. We believe that diversity drives excellence, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and contribute to our shared mission.

To promote diversity and establish a geographically balanced pool of candidates, we strongly encourage applicants from Member States which are lesser represented in the Agency workforce to apply. These Member States are currently Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden. Recruitment will however remain strictly based on the merits of all applicants and no advantage will be given and no positions will be reserved for nationals of any specific Member State.

The current vacancy will offer an opportunity to work in the Engineering Department which ensures the Agency’s technical leadership on all matters related to system infrastructure, service, and security engineering, and acts as the Engineering Centre of Competence. The Department is responsible for ensuring the robustness and security of the systems in operations, for developing the infrastructure of the EUSPA service facilities, for providing the operations and service requirements to new system developments, and for engineering new services and their receivers that ensure the wide usage of EU Space data. The Department interfaces with the European Space Agency as design authority of EGNOS and Galileo, and with the industry in charge of the evolution of the systems in operation and of the service facilities.

The Engineering staff are located in several sites and offices (Prague/Czech Republic, Saint-Germain-en-Laye/France, Toulouse/France, Noordwijk/the Netherlands, and Torrejon de Ardoz/Spain), and are supporting all missions of the Agency. This position requires permanent relocation to the Agency’s headquarters in the heart of Europe – Prague.

2. TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

EUSPA is seeking a versatile Space Segment Engineer to contribute to the exploitation of space segments of EU Space Programme Components and its associated tasks which include launch services and early operations. The successful candidate will also contribute to innovation activities that drive forward EU Space Programme's capabilities.

The successful candidate needs to possess excellent organisational skills and a strong team spirit. The job holder will report to the Head of Department or one of the department’s Team Leaders and will be entrusted with the following main tasks and responsibilities, possibly with the support of contractors:

Space Segment:

• Provide technical expertise and contribute to the procurement of space segments, including the definition of requirements for integration, testing and validation within the systems in operation, as well as services provision;
• Contribute to the preparation and execution of the Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP) and Satellite In-Orbit Verification/Commissioning activities;
• Contribute to the space segment exploitation management, assessing and monitoring performance, reliability, and lifecycle of space segment assets, including in-orbit operations, anomaly resolution and maintenance.

Launch Services:

• Support contract management activities for launch services, ensuring compliance with technical and programmatic requirements and including the launch campaigns;
• Contribute to the definition and implementation of launch service strategies for constellation replenishment;
• Contribute to the mid/long term strategy to enhance the robustness of the space segment in operation;
• Identify and promote new methodologies/innovations to enhance system performance and operational efficiency in close collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA).

Innovation:

• Contribute to the mid/long term strategy to enhance the robustness of the space segment in operation;
• Identify and promote new methodologies/innovations to enhance system performance and operational efficiency in close collaboration with ESA;
• The job holder shall also liaise with other EUSPA departments as needed in relation to the tasks above and notably in the area of Administration and Operations, to ensure the execution of related corporate tasks, such as planning, reporting, administration, financial and budget management.

3. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

We welcome applications from all candidates who meet the following eligibility criteria, on the closing date for application:

1. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies5of at least three years attested by a diploma
2. Have appropriate professional experience6 of at least three years after having obtained the required diploma
3. Be a national of a Member State of the European Union, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland7
4. Be entitled to their full rights as citizen
5. Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws concerning military service
6. Meet the character requirements for the duties involved8
7. Have a thorough knowledge (minimum C1 level) of one of the languages of the European Union9 and a satisfactory knowledge (minimum B2 level) of another language of the European Union8
8. Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post10

Temporary agents (2f) from EUSPA and other EU agencies are also invited to apply in accordance with the following EUSPA rules:

https://www.euspa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2024-04/conditions_of_employment_of_temporary_staff_ta.pdf. The grade bracket applicable is AD6 – AD7.

[5] Only study titles that have been awarded in EU Member States or that are subject to the equivalence certificates issued by the authorities in the said Member States shall be taken into consideration. Qualifications/diplomas awarded in the United Kingdom until 31/12/2020 are accepted without further recognition. For diplomas awarded in the United Kingdom after this date (from 01/01/2021), a NARIC recognition is required: https://www.enic-naric.net/

[6] Only appropriate professional experience acquired after achieving the minimum qualification stated in point 1. shall be considered. Where additional periods of training and study are accompanied by periods of professional activity, only the latter shall be considered as professional experience. Compulsory military service or equivalent civilian service accomplished after achieving the minimum qualification stated in point 1. shall be taken into consideration. Internships will be taken into consideration, if they are paid. Professional activities pursued part-time shall be calculated pro rata, on the basis of the percentage of full-time hours worked. A given period may be counted only once.

[7] The successful candidate shall be able and willing to apply for a personnel security clearance, issued by an EU Member State, at the level defined above immediately after the contract signature or at a later stage if required for the offered post.

[8] Prior to the appointment, the successful candidate will be asked to provide a Police certificate confirming the absence of any criminal record.

[9] The following languages shall be considered: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish. The level shall be determined according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

[10] Before a successful candidate can be appointed, they will be medically examined by a selected medical service so that the Agency will be satisfied that they fulfil the requirement of Article 28(e) of the Staff Regulation of Officials of the European Communities.