Digital Payload Architect

Digital Payload Architect
Role overview:
Seeking a Digital Payload Architect to own the definition, high level architecture, trade studies and technology road mapping of digital regenerative payload subsystems across multiple satellite programs. Our portfolio spans from broadband regenerative payloads to Direct to user solutions (D2D) supported by Phased Array antennas with Beam forming capability. This role is a senior technical bridge between customers, prime contractors and multidisciplinary payload engineering teams, ensuring that the digital regenerative payload delivers the performance, reliability and cost targets per the mission objectives.

Tasks summary:

Architecture Concept & Requirements
Establish functional, performance, environmental and security requirements with mission stakeholders & CONOPs.
Translate requirements into clear payload performance parameters and maintain bidirectional traceability throughout the project lifecycle.
Establish with cybersecurity team payload-specific requirements & embed resilience and security by design.

Payload Architecture Definition
Define the overall digital regenerative payload architecture (optical/RF ISLs, antenna arrays, digitizers/ onboard processing, Feeder links, master reference oscillator & clock synchronizations).
Define Interface Control Documents (ICDs) with spacecraft bus, ground segment and payload specific subsystems.
Define high-speed data-bus I/F (Serdes, SpaceWire, SpaceFibre, Ethernet, CAN, fiber).

Trade-Study & Technology Road-Mapping
Lead trade-offs for technologies, ASIC/FPGAs/SoCs, high-speed data-bus, and on-board processing algorithms, PVT.
Identify emerging technologies and incorporate them into long-term roadmap.

System Modeling & Performance Simulation
Build end-to-end models of the signal chain (optical/RF, analog/digital) using MATLAB/Simulink, SystemView or Python-based toolkits.
Run Monte-Carlo and tolerance analyses to verify gain, SNR, dynamic range, spectral efficiency, G/T, EIRP and other key metrics.
Optimize payload design and performance with operation with traffic models/CONOPs.

Simulation & Analysis
Oversee performance simulations & analysis (Gain, Spurious, Linearity, SNR, dynamic range, spectral efficiency, pointing, G/T, EIRP etc.) and tolerance budgeting.
Optimize Payload DC power budget with traffic & utilization models.

Hardware & Firmware
Own system-level specifications to hardware designers, review schematics, layouts, thermal & mechanical interfaces.
Oversee MODCODs selection and on-board processing pipelines; define 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.
Act as the primary technical liaison with Electrical, Power, Structures, Thermal, Software, Ground Segment and Mission Operations teams to resolve integration issues early.
Support payload design authority in System design reviews and Mission Operations hand-over.
Support B&P (Phase 0 & pre-phase A). Integration & Verification (IVV)

Integration & Verification (IVV)
Author Payload Verification Master Plan covering unit-test, subsystem-test, payload-level test, environmental and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test campaigns.
Define 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 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.
Chair design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR/TRR etc.).
Support Technology Road-Mapping & Innovation.

On Orbit & Operations Support
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.
Define SOOH and associated operator training.

Required Qualifications:
B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace or Physics (M.Sc. preferred) with 12+ years of digital regenerative payload system design experience on LEO/MEO missions.
Comprehensive knowledge of digital regenerative 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; knowledge of French will be considered an asset (contact with clients outside Quebec and work on deliverables in English).