Digital Payload System Engineer (Fastwater Staffing)

The company provides full relocation support, including immigration assistance, and offers a relocation bonus upon arrival in Montreal. Selected candidates may work remotely during the initial months while their immigration process is being completed; however, the long-term expectation is for the individual to transition to onsite work in Montreal once relocation has been finalized.

Tasks summary:

Architecture Concept & Requirements

• Gather functional, performance, environmental and security requirements from mission

stakeholders & CONOPs.

• Map requirements to payload equipment performance with I/F with on-board processor

• Coordinate with cybersecurity team for payload‑specific assessments

• Perform requirement management and maintain bidirectional traceability throughout the

program life cycle.

Payload Architecture & Design

• Implement the high‑level digital payload architecture (optical ISLs, Phased array antennas,

Feeder links & front‑end), master reference oscillator & clock synchronizations.

• Produce Interface Control Documents (ICDs) with other subsystems and ground segment.

• Implement high‑speed data‑bus I/F (SpaceWire, SpaceFibre, Ethernet, CAN).

Simulation & Analysis

• Perform performance simulations (Gain, Spurious, Linearity, SNR, dynamic range, spectral

efficiency, G/T, EIRP…etc.) and Monte‑Carlo analyses for tolerance budgeting.

• Define and maintain Payload DC power budget with traffic & utilization models

• Perform FMECA, Fault tree and FDIR, reliability modeling and availability to meet mission

objectives

Hardware & Firmware

• Provide system‑level specifications to hardware designers, review schematics, layouts, thermal

interfaces, and mechanical constraints.

• Support SW development for MODCODs and on‑board processing pipelines; ensure 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.

• Support payload design authority in System design reviews, Power/Structure/Thermal

interfaces and Mission Operations assessments.

• Liaise with Electrical, Power, Structures, Thermal, Software, Ground‑Segment and

Mission‑Operations teams to resolve integration issues early.

• Support B&P (Phase 0 & pre-phase A).

Integration & Verification (IVV)

• Develop Payload Verification Master Plan covering unit‑test, subsystem‑test, payload‑level

test, environmental and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test campaigns.

• Lead 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 the company's 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.

• Lead and Support design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR/TRR…etc.).

• Support Technology Road‑Mapping & Innovation.

On Orbit & Operations Support

• Provide 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.

• Support SOOH development and associated operator training.

Required Qualifications:

B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace or Physics with 8 + years of digital regenerative

payload system design experience on LEO/MEO missions.

Comprehensive knowledge of digital 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).