Behind the mission: building Europe’s secure space future with IRIS²

Why is IRIS² important for Europe and for ESA’s work in secure connectivity?

IRIS² is the third flagship space programme from the EU after the highly successful Copernicus and Galileo programmes. It will strengthen Europe’s autonomy, security and technological leadership in space-based communications, providing essential services for governmental users such as robust low latency broadband and space data relay. IRIS² will reduce dependence on non-European providers and will ensure resilient communications for diplomacy, crisis response and critical infrastructure. It will also support economic growth by enabling advanced commercial services, fostering innovation and stimulating the European space industry.

For ESA, IRIS² is a major opportunity to consolidate the agency’s role as Europe’s space technology leader. ESA contributes its technical expertise, industrial coordination capacity and innovation ecosystem to develop next-generation satellite technologies that Europe controls end-to-end. The programme strengthens ESA–EU cooperation, supports Europe’s industrial competitiveness and accelerates the adoption of cutting-edge space solutions across the continent.

What part of the mission does your team contribute to?

In the Secure Connectivity System Office we are responsible for ensuring that the secure connectivity governmental services (Robust Worldwide Low-latency Service, Robust Space Data Relay) are correctly implemented in the IRIS² project. This includes following the end-to-end engineering, supervising the technical requirements ensuring their overall traceability to the lower levels and ensuring technical end-to-end consistency of all activities at project level.

You are now looking to enlarge your team with a Secure Connectivity Performance Validation Engineer and a Secure Connectivity System Validation Engineer. What can you tell us about these roles?

Based in Noordwijk, these two roles will be integrated in the Secure Connectivity System Validation Section, contributing to the definition and implementation of the overall system qualification and validation programme of work for the Secure Connectivity system.

In these positions, our new team members will ensure that the IRIS² system complies with the applicable mission and system requirements (unclassified and classified) and is capable of providing hard-gov and light-gov services during its operational lifetime. They will follow the industrial activities related to system verification and qualification of the overall IRIS² system infrastructure until the SQR (system qualification review) and the IOVR (in-orbit validation review). They will also work in close cooperation with the Ground and Space offices to ensure the full end-to-end system validation.

We are seeking two engineers with strong system validation experience in large‑scale, complex programmes, ideally with a security component. Experience in telecommunications space constellations would be a definite plus. For the performance engineer, we seek experience in system performance modelling and simulation, including validation with on-the-field tests, preferably in telecommunications or GNSS systems.

What can a new team member expect when working on IRIS²?

Stepping into IRIS² means joining one of Europe’s most ambitious and fast‑moving space connectivity programmes. It’s an environment where innovation meets complexity, and where every contribution helps shape the future of secure satellite communications.

Newcomers can expect to work in a rapidly evolving ecosystem, where key architectural, operational and system‑engineering topics are actively being defined and refined. From the 5G standardisation to the choice of the technologies to the end‑to‑end network orchestration, many of the discussions unfolding today reflect the programme’s technical depth and strategic importance.

You can also expect a truly collaborative engineering environment where ground, space, security and user‑segment teams work side‑by‑side to build a shared technical baseline. With the project still shaping its structure—product trees, requirement flows, workflows—new members play an active role in influencing the programme’s direction.

But above all, joining IRIS² means becoming part of a mission‑driven team united by a common goal: delivering a resilient, secure and future‑proof European satcom capability. It’s a place where challenges are big, impact is real and learning never stops.

If you thrive in multidisciplinary environments, enjoy building structure in complexity and want to contribute to a flagship European initiative, IRIS² is a truly exciting place to be.

You are currently looking for a Secure Connectivity System Architecture Engineer to join your team. Could you tell us more about the position?

Based at ESTEC (Noordwijk, NL), this role sits at the heart of the Secure Connectivity System Architecture Section, contributing to the design and evolution of a complex system‑of‑systems supporting both governmental and commercial secure communications.

In this position, you will define and consolidate the overall IRIS² system architecture, working across functional, logical and physical layers. You will lead end‑to‑end system analyses, maintain the architecture roadmap, ensure requirements traceability, manage system‑level performance budgets and support key reviews and engineering activities throughout the programme lifecycle. Close collaboration with the Ground Segment, Space Segment, Security Office and industrial partners is central to the role.

We are seeking an engineer with strong systems‑engineering experience in large‑scale, complex programmes, ideally in telecommunications constellations and/or 5G systems, along with robust analytical skills, cross‑team communication abilities and a proactive, problem‑solving mindset.

What advice would you give someone considering applying to your team?

If you’re thinking about joining the Secure Connectivity System Architecture team for IRIS², here are the three pieces of advice I always highlight:

Be ready to embrace complexity — and enjoy it. IRIS² is a true system‑of‑systems programme, spanning satellite constellations, ground infrastructure, security, 5G integration and mission‑level architectural design. Every day involves navigating multidisciplinary topics, from system behaviour and end‑to‑end scenarios to performance budgets and security requirements. If you find energy in complex, interconnected challenges, you will thrive here.

Bring a collaborative mindset. You’ll work closely with many teams: Space Segment, Ground Segment, Security, PA/Safety, programme management and industrial partners. Success depends on making connections, sharing insights and ensuring technical consistency across the whole architecture. Strong communication and relationship‑building are just as important as technical excellence.

Stay curious, proactive and forward‑thinking. This role sits at the heart of a programme that is still evolving. You’ll help shape architecture roadmaps, identify risks early, propose corrective actions and contribute to future generations of the system. The best fit is someone who doesn’t just execute tasks but actively looks ahead, challenges assumptions and brings structure to ambiguity.

Joining ESA with the IRIS² team means helping secure Europe’s future in an increasingly complex and connected world. As the lead technical agency supporting the European Commission on IRIS², ESA offers a front-row seat at the intersection of innovation, policy and global impact.

IRIS² is a system-of-systems that blends state-of-the-art space assets with terrestrial networks, cybersecurity architecture, quantum technologies and advanced AI for intelligent routing and threat detection. The programme is a strategic enabler for everything from climate monitoring and emergency response to border security and digital connectivity in rural areas.

Here are the current opportunities to join our teams working on IRIS²:

Secure Connectivity System Architecture Engineer

You will be responsible for the definition, consolidation and update of the overall IRIS² system architecture, working at various levels:

System level to define the functional and logical architecture

Segment level to ensure consistency in the architecture flow-down

Physical Architecture