Intro

Welcome to SSC Space (formerly Swedish Space Corporation), the perfect workplace for those passionate about technology in general and space in particular.

With space organizations, research institutes, institutional and commercial actors as customers, we offer specialist expertise in satellite communications, space consulting services, rocket and balloon systems, flight test services, satellite propulsion systems, and much more.

SSC Space also has one of the world’s largest global networks of ground stations for satellite communications. We own and operate the Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, northern Sweden, with the aim of launching satellites in the near future.

Are you fueled by a passion for people and the ambition to create an awesome workplace? Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey with us to help earth benefit from space?

If you answer yes to these questions, we invite you to seize the opportunity to make a significant impact. We are looking for a dedicated professional who shares our core values of Customer passion, Care, Collaboration, Curiosity, and Courage.

Specific Qualification requirements

• Master's degree in Electronics Engineering or Physics, specialized in digital signal processing and microelectronics, with 5+ years of experience in at least three of the following domains:

• Development of digital signal processing architecture, simulation,
implementation and validation, including the coding into a hardware description language (HDL).
• Development of functional and performance test cases and benches for the verification, profiling and validation of the digital signal processing architecture.
• Design and test of digital FPGAs and ASICs (specifications, block
design, top level integration, design for test, pre and post layout
simulation and timing analysis, gates synthesis, support during layout, prototype test and in system validation), with proficiency in HDL (VHDL, Verilog and System-C).
• VLSI IC Design CAD tools such as: Synopsys, CADENCE, Mentor,
MATLAB and/or Simulink as well as hardware description languages (VHDL, Verilog, SystemVerilog, SystemC, …)
• FPGA HW and SW of several vendors such as: Xilinx, Microchip
(former Microsemi, former ACTEL) and/or NanoXplore
• Preparation of digital FPGA and ASIC design test-benches, for
functional verification, validation and electrical characterization, using signal generators, oscilloscopes and signal analyzers
• System administration in UNIX and Windows for IC Design CAD tools.

• Experience in the design of complex microelectronics systems, and familiarity with Industry standard VLSI/ASIC/FPGA CAD tools (e.g. CADENCE, SYNOPSYS, MENTOR, MATLAB, SPW) etc. as well as hardware description languages (VHDL and/or Verilog HDL, SystemC) is essential.
• Being familiar with the Space applications of microelectronics, and having knowledge of Space environment and quality requirements will be an important asset, but it is not mandatory.
• Experience with using third party Intellectual Property (IP) designs (in VHDL and/or SystemC) is a requirement.

Important additional assets would be:
• Strong foundations in mathematics, linear algebra, physics and signal processing intuition regarding time/frequency duality, implications of discrete time signal processing, and implementation details on fixed/floating point architectures.
• Knowledge of space wireless and wireline communications systems, standards, including physical, data link, network and transport layer design for Spacewire, SpaceFibre, CAN, PCIe, JESD204B/C, Ethernet, IEEE 802.15(a)
• Knowledge of encoding and decoding, forward error correction (FEC) blocks, interleaving, digital pre-distortion, modulation and demodulation (PSK, PAM, QAM, OFDM, etc), spreading and despreading, encryption and decryption and link budget
• Knowledge of converters, baseband sampling, direct digital conversion, digital filters, fast fourier transforms, feature extraction, estimation, decision-making, detection, acquisition, tracking and adaptive control
• Knowledge of standard interfaces architectures: Spacewire, SpaceFibre, PCIe, Ethernet, JESD204B/C, SerDes (NRZ, PAM4), AMBA, AXI, DDR, etc
• Experience in developing automated, self-checking test benches, UVM and/or UVVM
• Experience with Microprocessors (e.g. SPARC, ARM, RISC-V) and
HW-SW co-design
• Experience with mitigation of radiation effects and/or radiation tests of FPGAs and/or ASICs.
• Knowledge of the Space environment, its effects on microelectronics devices and related technology, as well as ECSS quality standards applied to space VLSI ICs.
• Experience with using third party Intellectual Property (IP) designs (in VHDL and/or SystemC) is a requirement.

• The candidate should have good inter-personal communication skills and high motivation to work in a multi-disciplinary and international environment with confidence and autonomy.
• A good knowledge of English is required. Knowledge of another member state language is considered an asset.

Legal and Security Requirements

• All applicants must be legally allowed to work in The Netherlands.
• Applicants are required to provide a copy of their passport and degree certificate. SSC Space Netherlands will validate the Degree with the issuing University and provide evidence to ESA.
• Prior to issuing a letter of employment the applicant shall provide to SSC Space Netherlands a recent official document declaring that they are of good conduct from the country where currently resident.

Overview

• Provision of VLSI (ASIC & FPGA) technical expertise to Projects involving requirements analysis, performance and budgets analysis, writing and assessment of VLSI specifications; review, evaluation and checking of industrial contractor's VLSI designs. Identification of design deficiencies and problem areas and proposals for their solutions.
• Design, analysis, verification of VLSI systems for control and data processing applications, and/or signal processing using industrial standard tools, hardware description and programming languages.

Specific requirements/tasks:

• Technical and administrative management of the ESA SystemC and synthesizable VHDL IP Core pool of designs. This work will involve: optimisation, update and overall maintenance and of the ESA VHDL IP Cores databases, provision of technical support to ESA IP Cores users (performing analysis and finding solutions to problems in VHDL code, documentation or design methodology) holding a strong collaboration with our Contracts department in arranging and solving licences and patent issues. Advertising the ESA IP service (website, workshops, etc.), handling IP cores requests and their distribution.
• The post holder will support ASIC and/or FPGA technology developments for R&D and /or projects, supervising that good design practices and manufacturing and test methodologies are applied. In addition, independent verification (through code inspection, simulation and timing analysis) and validation (through HW tests) will have to be carried out for some ASIC and FPGAS developments.

Others:

• When asked to support development contracts regarding the above areas, act as the activity technical responsible, maintain interfaces with the prime contractors, participate in progress meetings and reviews, as requested, and provide appropriate feedback on the achieved progress and discussions.
• When supporting projects, interface with ESA’s project teams, the prime and lower level contractors, participate in progress meetings and reviews, as requested by project work, and provide appropriate feedback on the achieved progress and discussions.

Contract

• The selected candidate will receive good remuneration in line with ESA Job Class.
• Will be registered for both social security and tax in the Netherlands.
• The standard working hours are 40 per week. There are 12 public holidays and an additional 30 annual days holiday.
• Training to improve efficiency and provide strength for future career are of course included.
• SSC Space Netherlands assist with relocation both with support and financially.
• SSC Space Netherlands contributes 15,4% of pensionable salary to a company pension scheme and employees can optionally make additional contributions.

To be considered for this Position
Prior to 2026-11-15, please apply via our Job Application form.
If not directly interested, feel free to share this Job Vacancy with your friends!

Outro
SSC Space is a leading global provider of advanced space services, with more than 50 years of experience. We help space organizations, research institutes, commercial and institutional actors from all over the world to get access to space.

With local presence on all continents and about 750 committed employees, we offer specialist expertise in satellite communications and satellite control services, spacecraft operations, rocket and balloon systems, launch services and flight test services, as well as engineering, operations and consultancy services for space missions. 

We help Earth benefit from space. Learn more at sscspace.com