About Antwerp Space
Antwerp Space is a leading Belgian space engineering company and an industrial player well-recognized by the European Space Agency and the European Commission. Antwerp Space has an established presence in the European space market and in several cases is taking the lead in technically complex space projects, supported by a consortium of partners from all over Europe. The company employs highly skilled engineers and technicians from all over the world, the majority of whom hold an engineering degree, with strong expertise in the areas of digital signal processing, hardware and software design, as well as in project management and technical leadership.
OHB SE Group
Antwerp Space is part of the OHB SE group, one of Europe’s success stories in the field of contemporary space. Today it can call itself the third largest space group in Europe. The OHB SE group has been growing at a steady pace over the last three decades and its footprint in Europe has continuously expanded. Nowadays, there are subsidiaries in Austria, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Luxembourg, Greece, the Czech Republic and Belgium. Despite its size, OHB SE is still a family business, run by the Fuchs family.
Who are we looking for?
As the System Architect for Mission Analysis, you will be the design authority for spacecraft/constellation architecture. You will spearhead the definition of orbital configuration together with mission operations concepts from launch to end‑of‑life disposal. You will ensure coherence between high‑level customer and science requirements and make sure they are reflected in the technical baseline of the mission architecture. You’ll be reporting to the System Engineering team lead, project teams, and collaborating with colleagues from the operational department.
Key Responsibilities
Translate customer, stakeholder, and market requirements into clear, verifiable top‑level mission objectives and system‑level requirements for spaceborne missions.
Define the overarching mission architecture and determine the optimal types, sizes, and quantities of spacecraft (e.g., a single highly capable flagship vs. a distributed constellation of smaller satellites) required to fulfil the mission scope.
Lead technical trade studies to select, define, and size the primary and secondary payloads (e.g., optical imagers, SAR, scientific instruments, or specialized communication nodes) that directly align with the mission’s purpose.
Develop the end‑to‑end ConOps, establishing how the space segment, payloads, ground segment, and end‑users will interact throughout the mission lifecycle.
Conduct holistic trade‑offs evaluating mission utility, cost, schedule, data latency, and technical risk across various spacecraft bus and payload configurations.
Establish the foundational system specifications and allocate requirements to subsystem teams (payload, bus, ground, launch) for Phase A/B development.
Generate and maintain documentation, including analyses, specifications, engineering and technical budgets, test procedures, reports, and design descriptions.
Coordinate technical aspects with customers, vendors, subcontractors, project teams, space system engineering, and other divisions.
Mandatory Requirements
Eligible for an EU security clearance (EU citizen, or eligible for citizenship and living in the EU for at least 10 years).
Candidates currently living outside Belgium will only be considered if they are willing to relocate to Belgium before the start of their contract. Relocation is a prerequisite for employment.
Fluency in spoken and written English. Knowledge of Dutch and French is an asset.
Required technical competences and practical needs
Master’s degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Space Engineering, or a closely related field.
Minimum of 5 years of experience in Phase 0/A space mission formulation, space systems architecture, or space payload systems engineering.
Working knowledge of European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) standards, alongside an understanding of commercial / New Space practices.
Deep understanding of spacecraft system capabilities, payload technologies, and how they drive mission feasibility.
Background in systems engineering principles, requirements elicitation, and verification.
Professional experience in Phase B/C/D in Navigation, Radar, or Communication projects is an asset.
Experience writing or evaluating proposals for government or commercial space agencies (e.g., NASA, ESA, DoD).
Background in evaluating spacecraft supply chain options, commercial off‑the‑shelf (COTS) bus capabilities, and “make vs. buy” decisions.
Familiarity with system reliability and fault‑tolerance philosophies for various mission risk postures.
Proficiency in requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS, Jama) and familiarity with Model‑Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).
Willingness to travel.
Expected soft skills
Demonstrated ability to lead technical teams, resolve complex engineering conflicts, and make critical architectural decisions.
Experience in dealing with customers and vendors is advantageous.
Excellent communication skills with a high degree of flexibility.
Team player who can work effectively both independently and in large projects.
What we can offer you
A multicultural environment. You’ll be working in an international environment with colleagues from all over the world.
A strong corporate culture. Our company is based on strong values: respect, trust, personal development and well‑being.
Professional development. You’ll get the chance to learn, to share your expertise, to develop your skills and contribute to high‑level, international projects in a high‑tech environment.
Salary package. A very attractive salary package including numerous fringe benefits. The main job location is Antwerpen (Hoboken) – Belgium, though, short‑term missions abroad are part of this challenging job environment.
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