Staff Systems Specialist – Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Missions

What you'll do

Provide end-to-end technical oversight of SAR-related engineering activities across the full lifecycle of a space mission.
Lead the development of mission concepts of operations and define high-level mission specifications based on user and operational requirements.
Support definition of spacecraft-level budgets and technical constraints that influence SAR payload and mission design.
Lead technical solutioning for enhancements to existing and future SAR missions.
Develop and evaluate SAR beam modes, mission concepts, image-quality models, and related system-level performance approaches.
Lead mission-level technical risk management, integration, verification, and validation activities.
Perform and lead system trade studies across spacecraft systems, coverage and access, SAR payload design, processing architecture, and end-user applications.
Provide technical leadership for SAR commissioning, calibration, and early mission operations.
Assess mission performance and identify design or operational changes needed to improve system capability.
Provide technical guidance to senior leadership, business development teams, customers, and other stakeholders.
Communicate complex SAR and systems engineering concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
Mentor and coach other systems and SAR specialists, helping develop technical capability across the team.

What you'll need to get the job done

Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Mathematics, Physics, or a closely related technical discipline.
Strong professional experience with radar, Synthetic Aperture Radar, or comparable active imaging systems.
Experience working across one or more areas of SAR hardware, signal processing, image processing, data products, calibration, or mission operations.
Strong systems engineering experience within space systems or another highly complex multidisciplinary engineering environment.
Experience with SAR remote sensing, including system design, mission operation, applications, exploitation, calibration, or performance analysis.
Experience working across different engineering lifecycle models used on large, complex technical programs.
Strong understanding of system-level tradeoffs involving payload performance, spacecraft constraints, mission coverage, processing, and end-user requirements.
Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to operate independently in a technically complex and dynamic environment.
Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to engineering teams, senior leadership, customers, and business stakeholders.
Ability to work effectively within a large multidisciplinary organization and understand technical dependencies and stakeholder needs.
The successful candidate must be able to obtain and maintain Reliability Status security clearance and pass the security assessment required for the Canadian Controlled Goods Program (CGP).
The successful candidate should also be eligible to obtain a higher level of Canadian security clearance if required in the future.

What will make us REALLY love you

15+ years of experience working with radar, SAR, or similar active imaging systems.
10+ years of experience in space systems engineering or a comparable complex systems engineering environment.
Hands-on experience with MATLAB and/or Python for modelling, simulation, analysis, or engineering tool development.
Strong understanding of satellite-based SAR payload design and operations.
Experience with space mission design, including coverage and access analysis, orbital dynamics, or mission geometry.
Understanding of spacecraft design considerations such as thermal performance, power budgets, attitude control, and pointing accuracy.
Strong understanding of geospatial data and remote-sensing applications.
Experience leading SAR mission commissioning, calibration, or early-orbit operations.
Experience mentoring technical teams and providing high-level technical guidance on complex engineering programs.