Electric Propulsion Systems Engineer

Location: Oxford, United KingdomA Joint Venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space is a global space manufacturer delivering, for more than 40 years, high-tech solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth Observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Thanks to our diversity of skills, talents and cultures, our customers (governments, institutions, space agencies, telecommunications operators), therefore have Space to Connect, Secure & Defend, Observe & Protect, Explore, Travel & Navigate.Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space. Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

Due to the growth of our propulsion centre of excellence based at our Harwell site in the UK, we are looking for an experienced electric propulsion engineer. Drawing on your significant space propulsion systems experience (minimum 5 years) in electric propulsion this is an excellent time to be joining this team. The position will be based at the TAS UK Harwell office.

Primary Purpose of the Role:

Reporting to the Propulsion Systems Engineering Manager the Systems Engineer will perform, but it not limited to the following type of activities:

To be a senior figure supporting various projects and team members in general within the existing team.

Propulsion subsystem and propulsion equipment activities (EP and/or CP) during Phase A/B/C/D/E for recurring TAS satellite product line application programmes or developments.

Be the primary technical point of contact responsible and lead for the propulsion subsystem, in both MAIT and Architecture, including procured propulsion equipment’s on a project, interfacing with the, customer technical teams, PMO, AIT team, procurement and other subsystem experts, (such as Mech/Thermal, AOCS)

Interpret mission/customer specific and generic system level requirements and establishing the baseline technical requirements document (TRD) for the propulsion subsystem

Provide technical support to system level propulsion trade-offs for optimization of the satellite and mission design.

Support the preparation of subsystem design justification documentation for major design reviews throughout the project life cycle

Present subsystem design justification in major design reviews throughout the project life cycle in cooperation with the Program Management Office and other subsystems

Review and consolidate the technical documentation for the system through the different project life cycle milestones & reviews (EQSR, PDR, CDR, MRR, TRR, QR, etc)

Establishing integration and test plans and requirements for the subsystem Development and improvement of new analysis tools in specialised fluidic software (e.g. EcosimPro), and also in Excel, MATLAB, and Python.

Performance analyses in support of non-conformance review board.

Prepare/update subsystem analysis reports through the different project life cycle milestones & reviews (PDR, CDR, QR etc)

Demonstrates systems engineering knowledge – across the “Systems V” – to achieve critical project outcomes to time, cost and quality.

Understanding requirement management – traceability, IVVQ, etc.

Provide regular reporting of technical progress to the project team and TAS management.

Provide technical input to future propulsion developments and contribute to continuous improvement of products, systems and processes

Follow up equipment procurement from a technical perspective, in conjunction with the procurement department.

Participate/Oversee the propulsion module manufacture and AIT activities

Manage any anomalies or non-conformances occurring throughout the project life cycle at equipment or subsystem level with support from product engineers and technical experts and present technical status/progress in NCRs with the customer

Expected Behaviours

Clearly demonstrable technical competence on subsystems / equipment’s

Can communicate technically with confidence

Team player who can confidently interface at all levels within a project and represent the company externally (with suppliers and customers)

Pro-active and capable of working on own initiative with high level of integrity

Proactively seeks to understand the wider TAS organisation thinking beyond own role/technical skill domain

Has good commercial awareness of his or her specialist equipment

Ability to complete his or her tasks autonomously to cost, schedule and quality

Qualifications, Skills & Experience;

The following are considered essential for this role:

Degree level qualification in a discipline associated with Space Engineering (such as engineering) or related subjects (such as physics).

Significant direct experience in space engineering and the industry, in particular with propulsion.

Desirable: Experience in the design and development of Electric propulsion thrusters: Gridded Ion Engines (GIE) or Hall Effect Thrusters (HAT)) and experience working at a system/ subsystem level with said engines.

Desirable: understanding of construction, running and opearting principles of PPUs and similar supporting electrical suppliers.

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