Sr Project Engineer – Satellite Ground Segment

Building the space between proven and possible, MDA Space (TSX:MDA) is a trusted mission partner to the global space industry. A robotics, satellite systems and geointelligence pioneer with a 55-year+ story of world firsts and more than 450 missions, MDA Space is a global leader in communications satellites, Earth and space observation, and space exploration and infrastructure.

The MDA Space team of more than 3,000 space experts in Canada, the US and the UK has the knowledge and know-how to turn an audacious customer vision into an achievable mission – bringing to bear a one-of-a-kind mix of experience, engineering excellence and wide-eyed wonder that’s been in our DNA since day one. 

For those who dream big and push boundaries on the ground and in the stars to change the world for the better, we’ll take you there.

The Position

We’re on the hunt for a Project Engineer – Satellite Ground Segment, at our Richmond office or Montreal office, to be a part of the next generation of space missions.

As a member of the Engineering team you will work on our programs such as the CHORUS Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Satellite, Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC), Square Kilometer Array (SKA) radio telescope, Aeronautical Navigation products, and Maritime Insights products. You will work as part of a technical team to develop new capabilities, enhance existing capabilities and deliver solutions to our customers.

As part of your growth and development we will work with you to establish your development actions alongside regular progress reviews. You are likely to move through various projects to gain the experience and knowledge to progress your career with us.

Role

As part of the Engineering team, the individual will work with other engineers and suppliers in a multi-disciplinary team environment to create, deliver and maintain state of the art Satellite Ground Segments for large constellations.

Responsibilities

As a Project Engineer – Satellite Ground Segment, you may have a range of responsibilities that include:

• Provides technical leadership to a multi-disciplined mission team and suite of suppliers;
• Identifies, manages and mitigates risks across the program;
• Manages and drives changes to cost, schedule and technical baselines;
• Interfaces and collaborates with teams across MDA as well as subcontractor teams;
• Reviews, estimates, mentors to get the best out of team personnel;
• Supports technical and management reviews at Segment, System and Subsystem levels;
• Participates in various levels of spacecraft, ground system and mission integration as well as initial on-orbit operations;
• Works with other stakeholders in both the Program Management Office, engineering line management, governance committee and other external mission stakeholders;
• Develops team members through mentoring and coaching; and
• Participates in spacecraft commissioning phase activities (potentially requiring global travel to customer sites);

Required Experience:

• Degree or advanced degree in engineering or computer science, or a combination of related education and experience.
• At least 12 years experience demonstrating increasing levels of responsibility and complexity in a complex engineering environment;
• Experience in managing sub-contractors and suppliers;
• Experience as a team leader for software development, systems engineering or other similar teams;
• Experience in system integration of a complex system composed of multiple subsystems;
• Experience in troubleshooting, fault isolation, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills;
• Have an understanding of different types of engineering lifecycle as applicable from large complex programs to software development;
• Have excellent verbal and written communication skills and customer interaction skills;
• Be a self-starter with the ability to perform in a dynamic working environment; and
• Have a team-friendly attitude and willingness to learn
• Ability to travel globally for spacecraft commissioning.

While not mandatory, candidates will benefit from any of the following:

• Applied knowledge of Satellite Operations Control Centre (SOCC) and their operations;
• Experience working in development of a SOCC and its components;
• Experience in development or maintenance of SOCC concept of operations, operations procedures, training and rehearsal plans;
• Experience leading teams (including travel globally to customer sites) to address issues, contribute to customer operator training, and participate in spacecraft commissioning activities;
• Experience in systems or software development of mission critical systems;
• Familiarity with cybersecurity standards and principles including identity and access and management (IAM), data communication, data storage, etc
• Familiarity with modern software development methodology, tools, and software specification; and
• Knowledge of or experience in:
  • Orbit modelling/determination tools such as STK/ODTK or Orekit
  • Scripting languages such as Matlab or Python
  • Requirements Management tools such as DOORS
  • MS Excel, for the purposes of engineering analyses
  • Microsoft Windows and Linux environments
  • VM, Docker, Kubernetes
  • Computer networks
  • Secure system development
    
    
    

Comments/Special Considerations

Successful candidates must obtain and hold security clearance at the reliability status level, and pass security assessment for the Controlled Goods Program (CGP).

We’re a dream team of purpose-driven, collaborative and passionate people, and we are constantly looking for others to join #TeamMDA to ignite new and innovative approaches to problem-solving that push us forward to improve life on and above Earth. If you’re excited to expand our place in space and driven to inspire the next generation, we’ll take you there.

We have entered a new era of exploration and development, and MDA welcomes all who yearn to suit up and be part of it. An equal opportunity employer prizing diversity, integrity and collaboration, we are committed to growing MDA’s and Canada’s leadership in this next golden age.

MDA provides competitive compensation and benefits packages for its employees at all locations. As a team member of MDA, you and your qualified dependents are eligible to participate in a benefit plan that ensures a comprehensive level of protection through competitive health care including; extended healthcare and flexible drug plans, dental and vision benefits, disability income protection, life insurance, group retirement savings plans; and an employee and family assistance program.

MDA is proud to provide accommodation(s) during the recruitment process.  Should you require any accommodations, please indicate this on your application/cover letter and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs.

The compensation range for this position is $103,000 - $144,000 annually. The specific compensation offered will be based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.

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