Lead System Engineer (m/f/d) | NEW ATHENA-WFI satellite project

The Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) in Garching (near Munich), Germany, is a world-leading institute for developing and operating state-of-the-art astronomical instruments. Over the past years, MPE has taken a leading role in the development of instrumentation for several international space- and ground-based projects, for example XMM-Newton, Herschel, SRG/eROSITA, EUCLID, the VLT telescopes (e.g. KMOS, GRAVITY) and Einstein Probe. The MPE High-Energy group, led by Prof. K. Nandra, carries out major space hardware programs, including the development of X-ray detectors and X-ray optics in support of its astrophysics research program.

Within the framework of ESA’s future large-class space mission New Athena, MPE leads the international consortium developing the Wide Field Imager (WFI), one of the two instruments aboard the X-ray satellite. Further details about the WFI, which is based on the Max Planck Society’s unique Silicon DEPFET technology.

The MPE High Energy group is seeking an experienced Lead System Engineer (m/f/d) for the WFI project, who should, in addition, have in their earlier career stages been an accomplished design engineer in any of the primary engineering disciplines (electronics, optical, mechanical, control and/or software engineering). As electronics forms the technical core of the instrument, a design background in electronics engineering is considered a particular asset.

As the Lead System Engineer for the New Athena WFI, you will be part of the Project Management Team. Working as a senior member of the WFI team, reporting to the Principal Investigator and the Project Manager, you will have ample opportunities to innovate and develop new technical solutions.

Lead System Engineer (m/f/d) for the NEW ATHENA-WFI satellite project

Job Code: 18/2026

The position

• Act as the technical authority for the whole WFI instrument, establishing, maintaining and controlling the instrument-level technical baseline throughout the project lifecycle.
• Be responsible for the project's technical configuration management.
• Work in close and continuous collaboration with the Project Manager, Project Scientist and the engineering team.
• Requirements engineering.
• Definition and control of technical interfaces (external: WFI-to-spacecraft; internal: between WFI sub-systems), ensuring consistency across all responsible sub-system teams.
• Application of end-to-end systems analysis and modelling and the subsequent allocation and management of technical budgets/tolerances.
• Definition of the verification requirements and success criteria that integration and test plans must satisfy, in coordination with the MAIT Manager.
• Support of system integration, verification and test, acting as the primary technical interface towards ESA and consortium partners.
• Technical Management and Risk Assessment.
• Prepare technical documentation for milestones and reviews, assist the Project Manager with schedule development and resource planning, and monitor engineering progress against the project schedule, coordinating the technical actions needed to support timely achievement of engineering milestones.

Your qualifications

Essential: A completed scientific university degree (M.Sc. or Dipl.-Ing.) in engineering or an equivalent qualification with in-depth knowledge of scientific instrumentation development. A physics degree with applicable work experience in instrumentation development will also be considered.

Desirable: Given that electronics is the technical core of the instrument, prior design experience in electronics engineering is regarded as a particular asset, though applicants with a strong background in the other primary engineering disciplines are equally encouraged to apply.

A higher degree (Ph.D) in Systems Engineering would be an advantage.

Knowledge and Experience: The successful candidate is expected to bring proven systems engineering experience with designing astronomical or other complex systems.

Knowledge of

• Engineering management with a broad knowledge of the technologies involved in the engineering activities being managed.
• Principles and methods of systems engineering and requirements analysis.
• Technical risk assessment.
• Modelling languagesand relevant software tools.
• Characterisation methods to evaluate candidate design alternatives.
• System integration, tools, test equipment, principles and methods of validation.
• Knowledge of ESA design and quality requirements (ECSS standards) is an advantage.
• Electronics design principles (analogue/digital, front-end and detector electronics) are considered particularly relevant, given the central role of electronics in the instrument.

Skills

• Very good communication skills.
• Planning, organising resources, motivating people, measuring performance and applying corrections where necessary.
• The ability to balance technical, schedule, resource and contractual considerations, and a clear understanding of when a technical decision needs to be escalated — to the Project Manager or, in more significant cases, to the Project Office.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Fluency in written and spoken German will be an advantage but is not essential.

What we offer

• A versatile, challenging and autonomous job in a dynamic and culturally stimulating international research environment in the development of satellite instrumentation.
• Interdisciplinary work in a team of experienced engineers and physicists.
• Needs-oriented training opportunities.
• Fair payment according to your qualifications and professional experience in accordance with the collective agreement for the public service up to pay group 14 (TVöD Bund).
• Company pension scheme (VBL).
• Underground station U6 directly in front of the institute.
• Canteen in the immediate vicinity.
• Reduced rates for certain insurance policies.
• Free parking on the institute grounds.

The full-time position is initially limited until 31stDec 2027 , but with the expectation that it will be extended for a further 3-4 years, depending on the renewal of MPE’s NewAthena grant funding. Further extension, depending on performance, funding and project requirements.

The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply. The MPE wishes to increase diversity and equality of opportunity in all respects and welcomes applications without regard to factors such as race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin or disability.