Optical Payload Architect

As an Optical Payload Architect, you define the architecture of our Very High Resolution (VHR) optical payloads. You are the technical authority on their design. Opto-mechanics is the core of the job: mounts,materials, athermalization, dimensional stability. You will be part of the VHR payload team. You will be responsible for:

• Defining the payload architecture: telescope configuration, mirror substrates and lightweighting, mounts, metering structure, thermal design, focal plane;
• Defining the opto-mechanical design principles: isostatic mounts and flexures, athermalization, dimensional stability under launch, thermal and gravity-release loads, alignment philosophy;
• Exploring the design space in phase 0/A/B. Formalizing the trade-offs. Justifying the selected concept;
• Translating the mission needs - ground sampling distance, swath, spectral bands, revisit - into payload requirements and first-order budgets;
• Establishing the preliminary budgets: MTF, wavefront error, line-of-sight stability, radiometry, straylight. Supported by first-order STOP analyses;
• Checking the concept against the platform: mass, power, volume, thermal, pointing, data rate;
• Acting as design authority during development. Arbitrating the architectural changes. Supporting the team of payload engineers composed of various engineering disciplines;
• Leading the technical content of the proposals. Defending the architecture against customer needs;
• Capitalizing the design rules and lessons learned. Mentoring the engineers from the payload team.

• Master or PhD in Physics, Aerospace, Optical or Electromechanical Engineering;
• At least 10 years in space optical instruments, including the definition phases of at least one instrument;
• Strong opto-mechanical design background: mirror substrates (SiC, Zerodur, ULE), lightweighting, isostatic mounts and flexures, bonding, CFRP or Invar structures;
• You know how a mount, a material or a thermal gradient turns into wavefront error and line-of-sight drift;
• You identify the design driver before the analyses confirm it;
• Experience with Very High Resolution (VHR) Earth observation instruments is a strong asset;
• You are comfortable with incomplete data: orders of magnitude, sensitivity, margins;
• Familiar with system engineering practices and ECSS standards;
• Good knowledge of Matlab/Python and Zemax/OpticStudio;
• You design what can be built, aligned and tested;
• You explain and defend a technical choice in front of customers and management;
• Rigorous, reliable, good writing skills;
• Curious, team player, a natural technical reference;
• Fluent in English. French is an asset.

Soft skills: Autonomous/Rigorous/Proactive/Flexible/Result-oriented.