(Senior) Engineer, 5G NTN Integration & Verification, meoSphere

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

meoSphere is SES’s next-generation Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation, designed to deliver secure connectivity services to government agencies, enterprises, and commercial customers. It will also provide high-speed broadband internet to eliminate global connectivity dead zones.

To accelerate development timelines, reduce costs, and ensure quality, SES is internalizing a critical segment of the satellite supply chain: the final integration of partner satellite platforms with SES’s software-defined payloads, all within a cutting-edge manufacturing and test facility.

ROLE DESCRIPTION SUMMARY

As a 5G NTN Integration & Verification Engineer, you will be responsible for the end‑to‑end verification of the 5G gNB software stack deployed on the On‑Board Processor (OBP) of the meoSphere payload.
You will leverage deep expertise in 5G NR signalling and 5G‑NTN architectures to define verification strategies, execute interoperability testing, and perform root‑cause analysis of L2/L3 protocol behaviour in the uniquely challenging conditions of MEO satellite systems, including high latency and high Doppler environments.

This role sits at the intersection of cutting‑edge New Space payloads, 5G standards evolution, and flight‑critical software, offering direct technical ownership from laboratory validation through system‑level integration.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Review 5G gNB software stack capabilities and define a Delta Test Plan, adapting 3GPP terrestrial test cases to the specific constraints and behaviours of NTN systems.
• Define and execute integration, verification, and interoperability test campaigns for the gNB stack running on OBP hardware.
• Commission and operate test benches, including UE emulators and channel simulators, representative of MEO propagation conditions.
• Perform advanced troubleshooting and root‑cause analysis of L2/L3 protocol failures observed in laboratory and live‑network‑like environments.
• Validate RRM and handover logic under MEO dynamics, including analysis of RRC and SDAP timing behaviour using protocol traces.
• Contribute to the maturation of 5G‑NTN verification methodologies, bridging standards intent and real payload behaviour.

COMPETENCIES, QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Telecommunications, Physics, or a related field.

• Deep, hands‑on expertise of 5G NR signalling, including L2/L3 protocols (RRC, SDAP, PDCP, MAC), with the ability to dive into raw protocol traces and extract clear, actionable insights.
• Strong architectural understanding of 5G systems, spanning SA/NSA deployments and Cloud RAN / vRAN concepts, and how these paradigms translate into non‑terrestrial network environments.
• Proven experience working with 5G‑NTN technologies, including a solid grasp of how latency, Doppler, and propagation dynamics fundamentally shape system behaviour.
• Demonstrated ownership of integration, verification, and interoperability test strategies, including the adaptation of 3GPP terrestrial test cases to the realities of space‑based systems.
• Hands‑on experience building, commissioning, and operating realistic test environments, using UE emulators and channel simulators to validate system behaviour end‑to‑end.
• Strong troubleshooting mindset, with a track record of root‑cause analysis on complex, multi‑layer issues in lab or live‑network‑like conditions.
• Practical expertise with RF test equipment (e.g. Keysight, Rohde & Schwarz) and protocol analysis tools such as Wireshark, applied in real integration and verification campaigns.
• Prior involvement in 4G/5G RAN rollout, integration, or verification, bringing a system‑level perspective rather than a siloed component view.

Nice to Have

• Experience working on spaceborne or embedded processing platforms, where performance, determinism, and hardware constraints are first‑order design drivers.
• Exposure to MEO or LEO satellite systems, or hands‑on experience extending terrestrial communication technologies into non‑terrestrial domains.
• Background in early‑stage system bring‑up, where specifications are evolving and engineering judgment bridges the gap between standards and reality.
• Comfort operating in high‑performance, multidisciplinary teams, collaborating across payload, RF, hardware, and system engineering boundaries.

OTHER KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Eligibility for ESA/EU/NATO/National SECRET personnel security clearances. Candidates must be prepared to undergo a security clearance procedure, as this position may require holding such clearance, is considered an asset.
• Willing to work at least 60% onsite from office
• Able to travel nationally & internationally