Senior Architect, IRIS2 User Terminal

IRIS2 is the new European Union secure satellite constellation. This project is the European Union's answer to the pressing challenges of tomorrow to provide secure connectivity services and enhanced communication capacities to the EU and its Member States as well as to governmental users, private companies and European citizens while ensuring high-speed internet broadband to cope with connec-tivity dead zones.
 
SES – together with other consortium partners and core members - was selected by European Commission to build and to operate the IRIS2 multi-orbit satellite constellation. As the project enters its next phase, our team is expanding to support the development of future services and products enabled by the IRIS2 system. We are now seeking skilled professionals to help shape the service provisioning landscape and ensure the successful deployment of cutting-edge sat-ellite connectivity solutions.
 

Role Description Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Flat Panel User Terminal Architect to lead the design and development of advanced ground terminals for the IRIS2 multi-orbit constellation. 
In this pivotal role, you will guide technology selection, architecture definition, and system integration across the entire terminal—covering electronically steerable antennas, modem subsystems, and mechanical/thermal design.
In addition, you will also be responsible for defining all User Terminal requirements and producing the associated documentation. 
As a member of an agile project organization, you will be expected to bring a flexible way of working and an adaptive mindset to a dynamic development environment.    
 

Primary Responsibilities 

• Lead the end-to-end architecture of NGSO user terminals with flat panel (beamforming) antennas, including phased-array or metamaterial technologies.
• Define and drive system requirements across RF front-end, beamforming/control electronics, modem, and analog/digital interfaces.
• Evaluate and select optimal antenna technologies (analog/hybrid/digital beamforming) for NGSO use cases (LEO/MEO).
• Architect and guide development of modem subsystems, including baseband processing, waveform support, link adaptation, and software-defined modem components.
• Guide mechanical and thermal architecture to ensure reliable packaging, heat dissipation, environmental resilience, and manufacturability of the full unit.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with e2e system engineering, product management, subcontractors and industrial partners to bring the terminal from concept to field deployment.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership, including lab testing, prototype bring-up, integration, and de-bugging.
• Perform architectural trade studies through literature review and in-depth analysis of alternatives, identifying key trade-offs.
• Evaluate architectural options based on key performance metrics linked to signal quality, power/cost metrics and overall system limitations.
• Define technical specifications for user terminal sub-blocks in coordination with internal stakeholders and/or external partners.
• Support system-level design and analysis by providing performance metrics and input related to the user terminal.
• Stay up to date with relevant industry standards (e.g., 3GPP NTN, DVB-S2X) and emerging technol-ogies in the NGSO terminal ecosystem. 
• Produce and maintain technical documentation, including design specifications, analysis, test plans, and verification reports. 
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external partners throughout the entire user terminal development lifecycle.
   

Competencies

• Strong ability to work independently and without supervision in complex environments, including matrixed or multi-stakeholder projects
  • Flexibility and adaptability in response to evolving project requirements and dynamic environments
  • Ability to think strategically and align project goals with organizational objectives
  • Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities
  • Effective communication skills, both written and verbal
• Strong leadership leveraging proven project and team management skills
• Ability to define high-level requirements and identify key industrial and technology partners
• Proficiency in project management tools and methodologies
• Proven expertise in beam-steered antenna systems: analog and digital beamformed phased arrays
• Strong understanding of metasurface panel technologies, analog/digital hybrid antenna architectures, and associated hardware aspects.
• Solid background in modem system architecture, waveform implementation, and link budget analysis.
• Deep understanding of antenna control subsystem architecture, including beam steering logic, calibration, and control interfaces (SPI/I2C/FPGAs). Familiarity with OpenAMIP and OpenBMIP is a plus.
• Experience addressing mechanical and thermal challenges in compact terminal designs, with demonstrated integration of these factors into the overall architecture.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-disciplinary engineering teams through concept, prototype, and production phases.
• Experience supporting design-for-manufacturing (DFM), design-for-test (DFT), and cost-down initiatives.
• Solid understanding of satellite communications air interface and associated constraints including radiation pattern constraints, satellite communications interference environments, handover procedures and mobility use cases specifics.
• Familiar with industry standard best practices in design, verification, testing, and deployment, including relevant certification and compliance processes (e.g., CE, FCC, MIL-STD).
• Hands-on experience with RF and lab equipment (e.g., spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, thermal chambers). Experience in debugging RF/digital systems is a plus.

Qualifications & Experience

• Master's degree or Ph.D. in electrical engineering, communications engineering, or a similar discipline.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in satellite communications or high-frequency RF systems, with a focus on user terminal design for NGSO networks.
• Background in environmental and EMC testing of complex RF systems. 
• Experience in subcontracting full electronic unit or subsystem manufacturing to Electronics Manufac-turing Services (EMS) companies.
• Knowledge of digital signal processing in beamformed systems and software-defined modem archi-tectures is a plus.
• Fluency in English, any other language considered as an asset
   

Other Key Requirements/Comments

• The candidate must be eligible for a “SECRET” security clearance, in accordance with the “loi modi-fiée du 15 juin 2004 relative à la classification des pièces et aux habilitations de sécurité”, as well as EU/ESA/NATO equivalents
• Willing to work at least 66% onsite from office 
• Travel as required for project realization purposes