Space Physics Systems Engineer

This position is a part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA).

In accordance with the Trust/Research Academic Staff Agreement , this position offers a comprehensive benefits package found on our Benefits Overview page and annual salary range of annual salary range of $58,210 to $80,050. This position has an approximate appointment of 3 years with the possibility of extension.

Location - North Campus Edmonton. This role is in person.

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people—from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Department/Faculty Summary

The Space Physics group at the University of Alberta uses data from ground-based networks of instruments together with satellite data to study the effects of the sun on our near-earth space environment or “Space Weather”. The group is leading a major collaborative project to build, launch and operate a scientific satellite. The RADiation Impacts on Climate and Atmospheric Loss Satellite (RADICALS) will carry a payload of four scientific instruments, three of which will be developed, built and tested at the University of Alberta.

Position Summary

The primary duties of the Space Physics Systems Engineer are to provide engineering support for the multiple research projects and related activities of the trust holder and the Space Physics research group at the University of Alberta.

Specifically, this position is responsible for providing support for the successful planning, execution, monitoring and control of various research projects, under the overall direction of the trust holder and their delegates, including for example the Project Manager responsible for a given large project implementation.

The post-holder will work collaboratively with a small team of full-time Scientists, Research Associates, Projects Managers, Administrators, and Support Staff, and will form part of the group’s Project Office. The post-holder will also be working closely with various stakeholders to ensure its efficient and effective completion of satellite and related payload projects. In particular, the post-holder will play a strong role in providing system engineering support for the RADiation Impacts on Climate and Atmospheric Loss Satellite (RADICALS) mission, as well as supporting other space physics and space science projects in the group.

As such, this position provides intermediate level support to the trust holder and his research group at the pan-project level, and serves as the primary point of contact and resource person for systems engineering matters, including on specific larger projects such as RADICALS and where this work will be done in coordination with the RADICALS mission Project Manager. In addition, under the direction of the trust holder, or their staff delegates, this position is responsible for facilitating the implementation of various of the group’s research projects

Duties

Conduct systems engineering duties and advise the trust holder and/or their delegates, such as mission Project Managers, to ensure that a complex range of diverse research projects are integrated appropriately to meet their technical requirements. The primary responsibilities of the Space Physics Systems Engineer are described in the following areas:

• Leads the system level engineering for the RADICALS satellite mission, instrument payloads, and other space mission/instrument projects, working closely with the groups’ Project Manager(s) (PM);
• Designs and implements protocols and methods to ensure the integrity, inter-operability, interfaces and dependencies of the science payload enable it to operate correctly and reliably;
• Conducts system and subsystem reliability analyses as appropriate to ensure that risks have been identified and controlled, and reviews analyses done by others;
• Contributes to a risk register for each of the projects in which they are involved;
• Carries out and supports high-level, complex research activities and analysis relating especially to the measurement and system requirements for the RADICALS mission;
• Assists in the writing of project reports, research reports, preparation of presentations and publications;
• Presents analytical research results for laboratory meetings, research reports, project presentations,
• and for publications, seminars, scientific conferences and or related settings under the direction of the trustholder;
• Liaises with system engineering contacts with external partners (UTIAS SFL, Honeywell, LASP. etc.)
• to ensure the science instrument payloads will reliably interact with spacecraft buses and that the interfaces to the spacecraft buses meet all payload requirements;
• Liaises with system engineering contacts at the technical authorities or sponsors (e.g. Canadian Space Agency) to ensure that the science instrument payloads meet sponsor or space agency requirements;
• Liaises with contacts from international partners to ensure international instruments integrate with the Canadian science instruments and the spacecraft bus;
• Liaises with multiple University of Alberta industrial subcontractors to ensure that the tasks completed by Industry organizations under subcontract meet the technical and quality
• Conduct systems engineering duties and advise the trust holder and/or their delegates, such as mission Project Managers, to ensure that a complex range of diverse research projects are integrated appropriately to meet their technical requirements. The primary responsibilities of the Space Physics Systems Engineer are described in the following areas:
• Leads the system level engineering for the RADICALS satellite mission, instrument payloads, and other space mission/instrument projects, working closely with the groups’ Project Manager(s) (PM);
• Designs and implements protocols and methods to ensure the integrity, inter-operability, interfaces and dependencies of the science payload enable it to operate correctly and reliably;
• Conducts system and subsystem reliability analyses as appropriate to ensure that risks have been identified and controlled, and reviews analyses done by others;
• Contributes to a risk register for each of the projects in which they are involved;
• Carries out and supports high-level, complex research activities and analysis relating especially to the measurement and system requirements for the RADICALS mission;
• Assists in the writing of project reports, research reports, preparation of presentations and publications;
• Presents analytical research results for laboratory meetings, research reports, project presentations,
• and for publications, seminars, scientific conferences and or related settings under the direction of the trustholder;
• Liaises with system engineering contacts with external partners (UTIAS SFL, Honeywell, LASP. etc.)
• to ensure the science instrument payloads will reliably interact with spacecraft buses and that the interfaces to the spacecraft buses meet all payload requirements;
• Liaises with system engineering contacts at the technical authorities or sponsors (e.g. Canadian Space Agency) to ensure that the science instrument payloads meet sponsor or space agency requirements;
• Liaises with contacts from international partners to ensure international instruments integrate with the Canadian science instruments and the spacecraft bus;
• Liaises with multiple University of Alberta industrial subcontractors to ensure that the tasks completed by Industry organizations under subcontract meet the technical and quality requirements of the projects;
• Participates in teleconferences, meetings with payload development teams and industrial subcontractors, in technical interchange meetings, and in formal review meetings to the sponsors or technical authorities (e.g., Canadian Space Agency), as the lead systems or payload engineer;
• Sets technical objectives and requirements for the instrument payload teams, and assesses progress and compliance against mission and system requirements, as well as against budget, schedule, and risk;
• Assists with the supervision of students, research assistants or PDFs/research associates working on the RADICALS satellite mission, instrument payloads, and other space mission/instrument projects;
• Oversees the operations and quality of work by the instrument teams and companies working under subcontract to the UofA;
• Oversees the collection, analysis and results of payload testing, interfacing, integration, and qualification;
• Conducts and oversees quality assurance and quality control in cooperation with the group’s Project Office;
• Leads the system level engineering for the projects under development in the group, including involvement in instrument payload development as appropriate;
• Oversees the collection, analysis and reporting of results of payload testing, interfacing, integration, and qualification, in coordination with project and instrument leads as required;
• Supports and facilitates the technical development of projects undertaken by the research group, and with scientific instrumentation/payloads in consultation with the instrument leads;
• Is involved in the making of decisions on the acquisition of tools and equipment, including development of common parts lists across the instrument designs to be developed and used on research projects and space missions, and in the acquisition of instrumentation or hardware to be used for instrument design, build and test;
• Assists in the written reporting of analytical research results and technical progress, and assists with presentations and publications, seminars, scientific conferences and related settings;
• Oversees the preparation of formal documentation including instrument specification documents, design documents and test/qualification results, in consultation with the instrument/project lead;
• Contributes to good documentation management and configuration control;
• Act as the primary backup for the PM of the project as needed, including chairing project team meetings;
• Identifies and reports on problems & bottlenecks in the project process;
• Works with PM(s) and Project Team and/or Sponsor to generate solutions to identified problems;
• Assists in the implementation and monitoring of selected solutions in their effectiveness in resolving the given problems and bottlenecks;
• Works in a safe manner and promotes safe work practices

Minimum Qualifications

• University degree in a related discipline (Masters or Baccalaureate with Engineer in Training (EIT) or Professional Engineer (PEng) designation);
• At least 3 years, and preferably at least 5 years, of technical experience at a systems level;
• Demonstrated leadership roles within a team environment;
• Proven ability to work as part of a team;
• Written and oral communication skills, organizational and interpersonal skills in order to provide advice and direction to the mission teams and to the instrument development teams;
• High proficiency with computers, different operating systems, MS Office applications, collaborative and enterprise platforms, etc.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise or experience with MS Project, other Project Management tools, and with Engineering Requirements tracking software would be a significant advantage;
• Experience in system development or system engineering for space application would be an advantage;
• Knowledge of Product Assurance requirements and procedures, especially for space application, would be an advantage;
• Experience working in industry or with industrial partners in instrument development would be an advantage;
• Expertise or experience in designing instrumentation, especially experiments for flight in space, would be an advantage;
• Expertise or experience in electronics development, especially within the context of spaceflight product assurance and assembly integration and test in a space application, would be an advantage;
• Expertise or experience in testing, validation and qualification, especially for space application, would be an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment;
• Leadership skills, including demonstrated ability and comfort with decision making responsibilities and team building and development, and the ability to inspire and build confidence in others;
• Demonstrated ability to manage change and create innovative solutions for complex and diverse issues;
• Ability to foster a climate of cooperation amongst, and build solid relationships with, internal and external partners;

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.