Digital Payload System Engineer (Fastwater Staffing)

HIKINEX•Montreal, QC

118d•Hybrid

About The Position

The company provides full relocation support, including immigration assistance, and offers a relocation bonus upon arrival in Montreal. Selected candidates may work remotely during the initial months while their immigration process is being completed; however, the long-term expectation is for the individual to transition to onsite work in Montreal once relocation has been finalized. Tasks summary: Architecture Concept & Requirements • Gather functional, performance, environmental and security requirements from mission stakeholders & CONOPs. • Map requirements to payload equipment performance with I/F with on-board processor • Coordinate with cybersecurity team for payload‑specific assessments • Perform requirement management and maintain bidirectional traceability throughout the program life cycle. Payload Architecture & Design • Implement the high‑level digital payload architecture (optical ISLs, Phased array antennas, Feeder links & front‑end), master reference oscillator & clock synchronizations. • Produce Interface Control Documents (ICDs) with other subsystems and ground segment. • Implement high‑speed data‑bus I/F (SpaceWire, SpaceFibre, Ethernet, CAN). Simulation & Analysis • Perform performance simulations (Gain, Spurious, Linearity, SNR, dynamic range, spectral efficiency, G/T, EIRP…etc.) and Monte‑Carlo analyses for tolerance budgeting. • Define and maintain Payload DC power budget with traffic & utilization models • Perform FMECA, Fault tree and FDIR, reliability modeling and availability to meet mission objectives Hardware & Firmware • Provide system‑level specifications to hardware designers, review schematics, layouts, thermal interfaces, and mechanical constraints. • Support SW development for MODCODs and on‑board processing pipelines; ensure BIST, timing, latency and deterministic behavior. Cross‑Functional Coordination, Stakeholder & Program Interaction • Communicate technical status, risk assessments and trade‑study results to senior management and/or customers or partners. • Support payload design authority in System design reviews, Power/Structure/Thermal interfaces and Mission Operations assessments. • Liaise with Electrical, Power, Structures, Thermal, Software, Ground‑Segment and Mission‑Operations teams to resolve integration issues early. • Support B&P (Phase 0 & pre-phase A). Integration & Verification (IVV) • Develop Payload Verification Master Plan covering unit‑test, subsystem‑test, payload‑level test, environmental and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test campaigns. • Lead test‑automation framework set‑up, test‑case definition, results analysis and test‑report certification. Technical Leadership & Mentorship • Mentor, guide junior engineers and interns. • Act as technical liaison with customers, partners and external vendors • Act as Continuous Improvement stakeholder • Contribute to the company’s knowledge‑base, process enhancements, and standards development. Configuration, Documentation & Standards Management • Ensure all artefacts, analysis, software, deliverables and documentation are version controlled in PLM environment. • Lead and Support design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR/TRR…etc.). • Support Technology Road‑Mapping & Innovation. On Orbit & Operations Support • Provide technical support to Mission Operations for routine payload health monitoring, contingency handling and performance trending. • Lead root‑cause investigations for on‑orbit anomalies; update design baselines and lessons‑learned. • Analyze on‑orbit telemetry, update filter parameters, and generate performance reports. • Support SOOH development and associated operator training.

Requirements

B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace or Physics with 8 + years of digital regenerative payload system design experience on LEO/MEO missions.
Comprehensive knowledge of digital communications, SDR, DSP, DVB RCS/SX protocols, Modulation schemes, Class of Service, Networking, MPLS, 2G, 5G NTN.
Strong technical-writing ability (requirements, ICDs, test procedures, risk reports) and presentation skills; comfortable interfacing with customers, suppliers and senior leadership.
Strong understanding of aerospace system engineering fundamentals.
Hands-on individual who can support systems integration processes and capability to test systems and resolve problems.
Experience with Confluence and JIRA.
Demonstrated capability to efficiently work with little supervision.
Ability to distill complex problems to fundamentals to solve with analysis, similarity, or creativity.
Demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of French will be considered an asset

Responsibilities

Gather functional, performance, environmental and security requirements from mission stakeholders & CONOPs.
Map requirements to payload equipment performance with I/F with on-board processor.
Coordinate with cybersecurity team for payload-specific assessments.
Perform requirement management and maintain bidirectional traceability throughout the program life cycle.
Implement the high-level digital payload architecture (optical ISLs, Phased array antennas, Feeder links & front-end), master reference oscillator & clock synchronizations.
Produce Interface Control Documents (ICDs) with other subsystems and ground segment.
Implement high-speed data-bus I/F (SpaceWire, SpaceFibre, Ethernet, CAN).
Perform performance simulations (Gain, Spurious, Linearity, SNR, dynamic range, spectral efficiency, G/T, EIRP…etc.) and Monte-Carlo analyses for tolerance budgeting.
Define and maintain Payload DC power budget with traffic & utilization models.
Perform FMECA, Fault tree and FDIR, reliability modeling and availability to meet mission objectives.
Provide system-level specifications to hardware designers, review schematics, layouts, thermal interfaces, and mechanical constraints.
Support SW development for MODCODs and on-board processing pipelines; ensure BIST, timing, latency and deterministic behavior.
Communicate technical status, risk assessments and trade-study results to senior management and/or customers or partners.
Support payload design authority in System design reviews, Power/Structure/Thermal interfaces and Mission Operations assessments.
Liaise with Electrical, Power, Structures, Thermal, Software, Ground-Segment and Mission-Operations teams to resolve integration issues early.
Support B&P (Phase 0 & pre-phase A).
Develop Payload Verification Master Plan covering unit-test, subsystem-test, payload-level test, environmental and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test campaigns.
Lead test-automation framework set-up, test-case definition, results analysis and test-report certification.
Mentor, guide junior engineers and interns.
Act as technical liaison with customers, partners and external vendors.
Act as Continuous Improvement stakeholder.
Contribute to the company’s knowledge-base, process enhancements, and standards development.
Ensure all artefacts, analysis, software, deliverables and documentation are version controlled in PLM environment.
Lead and Support design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR/TRR…etc.).
Support Technology Road-Mapping & Innovation.
Provide technical support to Mission Operations for routine payload health monitoring, contingency handling and performance trending.
Lead root-cause investigations for on-orbit anomalies; update design baselines and lessons-learned.
Analyze on-orbit telemetry, update filter parameters, and generate performance reports.
Support SOOH development and associated operator training.