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).