Senior Antenna Engineer

SWISSto12 is recruiting an experienced antenna engineer to join its development and customer program execution efforts on GEO telecom satellites, advanced telecom payloads, advanced SIGINT and radar antenna systems.

Introduction:

SWISSto12 is the leading developer of advanced engineered Radio-Frequency (RF) products for telecommunications, electronic warfare and radar applications in the Aerospace and Defence industries. The company’s patented 3D printing technologies and associated product designs are unique to deliver lightweight, compact, highly performing, and competitive RF systems. SWISSto12 has developed commercially with success in Europe and Israel with prominent partners and customers such as Thales, Airbus Defence & Space, Elbit, IAI and the European Space Agency. SWISSto12 is the fastest growing Swiss aerospace company, spun off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), privately owned and backed by prominent Swiss and European Investors.

Developing from its RF product and system portfolio, SWISSto12 is now progressing on advanced end-to-end payloads for the benefit of customers in the satellite operator ecosystem. SWISSto12’s advanced and compact payloads are to be hosted on customised 3rd party satellite platforms due to launch starting in 2024. SWISSto12 is hence staffing a satellite engineering, program management and execution team to deliver against these missions.

SWISSto12 is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and operates a US-subsidiary in Santa Clara, California and has a presence in Israel. The company is well funded for its near and mid-term developments and backed by a solid customer revenue stream. The position opened herein can operate either from the Lausanne or Santa Clara office and will require travel between the two locations to work with the integrated team active across both locations for the relevant programs.

Please note that for export control reasons, individuals working in the US office need to be “US persons” either US citizens or permanent residents.

In this role, you will be responsible for the following functions:

Responsible for engineering of antenna systems on advanced programs, working within the SWISSto12 team and with external partners and suppliers.
Ensure the system is fit for its intended purpose and analyse technical trade-offs.
Manage antenna reflector, feed, filter, and systems requirement flow-down and verification.
Manage spacecraft platform subsystem antenna interfaces (alignment, pointing, mechanisms).
Manage antenna array sub-system requirements and verification for SIGINT and radar applications
Performs antenna system analyses, trades, design, and development tasks.
Develop relationships with antenna subsystem suppliers and partners. Work with them to Design, Manufacture, Assemble, Integrate and Test such subsystems. Define and prepare SoWs and specifications, work alongside program management team to monitor execution of activities, contribute to problem solving, ensure successful delivery of these activities.
Support all antenna aspects of telecom satellite proposals.
Be exposed to responsibility for decisions that have an extended impact.
Ensure technical leadership and excellence is maintained by mentoring younger engineers, and directing and participating in the planning, attraction, selection, retention, and development of the required talent.
Occasionally, you will be asked to participate in overall tasks and services inherent to a dynamic fast-growing company.

Required experience and competencies:

Customer focused, must be able to work on a self-initiated basis and in a team environment.
Masters or PhD degree in Electrical or Systems Engineering or Physics or equivalent and at least 10 years of relevant experience working with incrementally complex antenna systems.
Demonstrates extensive technical expertise and application of engineering principles, concepts, theory, and practice as well as comprehensive project management and leadership skills including organizing, planning, scheduling, and coordination to meet established milestones.
Must possess the ability to optimize performance, resolve complex technical problems and complex management of technical activities.
Experience with managing customer and supplier interfaces.
Real-world experience with system architecture, requirements definition, flow down, tracking and performing system-level analyses in support of trade studies.
Experience with antenna arrays for SIGINT and radar applications is a plus
Extensive experience with GEO satellite antenna systems (including analysis and range test) is a mustExtensive experience with various relevant system modelling and analysis tools for pattern generation (POS, Ticra, Grasp, etc) is a must.
Experience with CST Studio Suite is a plus
Experience with phased array satellite antenna systems is preferred.
Experience with LEO satellite antenna systems is a plus.
Understanding of principles for spacecraft design, manufacture, assembly, integration, test and operation is a must.
Ability to “think outside of the box” and thrive in an often-ambiguous trade-space.
Demonstrated ability to write clear technical documentation of high quality.
Autonomous and proactive working style with excellent working organisation and ethics
Communicating effectively, excellent relational skills and ability to work in a team with different professional and cultural backgrounds.
Basic proficiency with CAD software is a plus.
Language: Fluent English is a prerequisite, skills in French are a plus.
Knowledge of the ISO 9001 and EN/AS 9100 norms as well as with preventive and curative quality tools (8D, Ishikawa, FMEA, risk analysis,…) is a plus.

Working conditions and contract:

SWISSto12 offers a full-time contract with an attractive compensation package. The position is to be filled as soon as possible.

Interested applicants are requested to apply with a CV (resume), a motivation letter, at least three references and achieved degrees through the following email address:

With subject Senior Antenna Engineer/Family Name