Senior MCC Engineer, IRIS2

Senior MCC Engineer, IRIS2

PROGRAMME description

IRIS² is the new European Union secure satellite communications constellation. This project is the European Union's answer to the pressing challenges of tomorrow to provide secure connectivity services and enhanced communication capacities to the EU and its Member States as well as to governmental users, private companies and European citizens while ensuring high-speed internet broadband to cope with connectivity dead zones.

SES – together with other consortium partners and core members – was selected by European Commission to build and to operate the IRIS² multi-orbit satellite constellation.

The IRIS² team enters the next project phase and there is a strong need for support for all the activities around service provisioning and products that the system can offer in the future.

Role description summary

Work requirements

The Senior MCC Engineer is responsible for challenging, clarifying, and structuring the Mission Control Centre (MCC) architecture and requirements for a 5G-NTN multi-orbit satellite system. The role covers end-to-end system architecture across RAN, Core, satellite payload, gateways, ISL/feeder links, orchestration, operations, and interfaces with SMO, SDN-C, GW Manager, S3C, and OSS/BSS. The engineer works closely with the IRIS2 MCC design teams and the SMO architecture team, with a particular focus on defining the MCC-SMO interfaces and ensuring that service and system requirements are correctly translated into MCC functional architecture.

General work requirements

• Translate service, mission, operational, and system requirements into MCC functional architecture, including planning, resource orchestration, contingency management, monitoring, and operational control functions.
• Define and structure MCC interfaces with SMO, SDN-C, GW Manager, S3C, OSS/BSS, and other ground or space segment functions, including interface scope, information flows, responsibility split, and ICD inputs.
• Challenge and support the IRIS2 MCC design teams on architecture assumptions, requirement completeness, functional decomposition, operational scenarios, contingency handling, and system-level trade-offs.
• Support the definition of MCC-SMO interfaces required by the SMO architecture team, including resource orchestration, RAN configuration intent, performance/availability feedback, fault coordination, and lifecycle management information flows.
• Contribute to RFP/RFQ preparation, technical requirement baselines, vendor technical evaluation, compliance analysis, and trade-off studies for MCC-related subsystems and interfaces.

Qualifications Background and Experience

Qualification Basis

• Master's degree in engineering or science, preferably in Telecommunications Engineering, Systems Engineering, Space Systems, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience in telecom, satellite communications, aerospace, defence, or complex system programmes required; for Senior Engineer, 10+ years of relevant industry experience is required.
• Strong end-to-end knowledge of 5G-NTN system architecture, covering RAN, Core Network, satellite payload, gateways, inter-satellite links, feeder links, orchestration, and operations.
• Solid knowledge of 3GPP NTN, O-RAN/SMO concepts, network management, transport routing, system engineering, interface definition, and ICD preparation.

Essential experience

• Hands-on experience translating service and system requirements into functional architectures, subsystem responsibilities, interface requirements, operational concepts, and verification inputs.
• Strong understanding of MCC functions such as mission and service planning, resource orchestration, contingency management, service continuity, network monitoring, and cross-domain coordination.
• Experience defining interfaces and ICDs between complex subsystems, including information models, operational flows, configuration data, monitoring data, fault/performance information, and control responsibilities.
• Good knowledge of 5G and 5G-NTN architecture, including RAN/Core interactions, SMO and O-RAN management concepts, transport routing, gateways, feeder links, ISL routing, and satellite payload constraints.
• Experience supporting RFP/RFQ activities, vendor technical evaluation, compliance matrices, gap analysis, clarification workshops, and technical trade-off studies.

Highly desirable experience (several of the following):

• Experience working on MCC, NMS/OSS, SMO, SDN controller, gateway management, satellite control, or multi-domain orchestration systems.
• Knowledge of O-RAN SMO, Non-RT RIC concepts, O1/A1/O2 interfaces, and how SMO can interact with a higher-level MCC for NTN resource orchestration.
• Experience with network management concepts including FCAPS, configuration management, performance management, fault management, topology/resource inventory, and service assurance.
• Experience with system engineering methods, MBSE concepts, V-model development, requirement traceability, operational scenario analysis, and architecture review boards.

Proven work attitude:

Other key requirements / comments

• Management of technology development, work with cross discipline teams (MCC architects, SMO/RAN experts, core network experts, satellite payload engineers, gateway teams, operations, procurement, sales, business experts, etc.)
• Research and Development project management experience, including coordination of architecture reviews, requirement clarification workshops, vendor discussions, and technical decision records
• Communication skills, ability to explain complex MCC, SMO, 5G-NTN, satellite, and orchestration concepts to non-technical stakeholders
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write clear requirements, ICD inputs, RFP/RFQ technical sections, evaluation reports, and architecture notes
• Commitment to deadlines and willingness to meet tight development, procurement, architecture, and delivery schedules
• The candidate must be eligible for a “SECRET” security clearance, in accordance with the national regulations as well as EU/ESA/NATO equivalents
• Willing to work 60% onsite from office
• Travel as required for project realization purposes

SES and its Affiliated Companies are committed to providing fair and equal employment opportunities to all. We are an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, protected veteran status, disability, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law.

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