Telecom Digital Payload Architect Engineering Placement (13 months)
// Role Summary
Join Airbus in Portsmouth as an Undergraduate Intern, contributing to innovative telecom satellite and payload architectures. This 13-month role offers flexible working and the chance to work on groundbreaking projects like OneSAT.
// Key Responsibilities
- Contribute to the development and optimization of innovative telecom satellite and payload architectures.
- Provide engineering support for groundbreaking projects such as OneSAT.
- Work within a multidisciplinary team covering RF, EMC, Electrical, and Mechanical Systems Engineering.
- Review equipment test results and produce equipment calibration curves.
- Gain experience in the Space Industry with a focus on flexible and reconfigurable satellite solutions.
- Opportunity for flexible working hours, hybrid options, and half-day Fridays.
// Role Specification
Are you interested in developing and optimising innovative solutions for our telecom satellite and payload architectures? Would you like to provide engineering support for groundbreaking projects like OneSAT? Then this opportunity is for you.
About the Role
You will be part of a multidisciplinary team that delivers payload architecture on telecom payload projects across all phases. Our team's expertise spans Antennas and Payload Engineering in disciplines such as RF, EMC, Electrical, Mechanical Systems Engineering, and Database and Data Management. We focus on designing payload architectures for innovative telecom satellites based on analogue and digital signal processing, active antennas reconfigurable by beamforming, passive antennas and new RF (Radio Frequency) technologies, in order to meet the growing demand for flexible telecom satellites solutions.
Our team is responsible for the technical performance commitment of advanced payloads and satellite products. We achieve this through design trade-offs that consider overall requirements, costs, schedules, and performance at both the customer and supplier level. This includes assessing whether to reuse existing products or develop new solutions. In particular, in support of challenging and innovative on-going game-changing products such as OneSAT to various world-wide satellite operators, delivering satellites that are fully flexible and reconfigurable to meet changing market demands in a competitive and highly technical environment.
At Airbus, we promote flexibility in our working methods wherever possible to stimulate innovation and social sustainability. Our team is located in Portsmouth, a dynamic city in the south of England with excellent transport links and many possibilities for outdoor activities.
What you will be doing:
Working with the Payload Architects across Mechanical, Electrical, EMC (ElectroMagnetic Compatibility) and RF (Radio Frequency) disciplines to perform the following:
- Equipment test results review for Flight Models - Review the supplier equipment data for mechanical, electrical, EMC and RF performance. Check that the tests performed match those required as per the test procedure and that compliance is achieved and performance is in-family.
- Produce equipment calibration curves for specific equipment so that the telemetry is then accurately recorded for the satellite. This also supports the satellite monitoring and warnings.
- Support population of the team confluence page to capture knowledge and best practices.
- Support additional topics which come up during your internship to support the payload architects team, this can range from mass budget updates to performing analyses.
Requirements:
Our placements are open to Undergraduates only. Therefore it is mandatory for candidates to be an undergraduate for the whole duration of the placement. Please inform your graduation date on your application.
Your application should include a CV along with a Cover Letter outlining your motivation and suitability for the role.
Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate the following:
- Studying towards a degree in Telecommunications Systems, Electrical or Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics.
- Basic knowledge of computer programming (e.g. Matlab, Python etc.).
- Understanding of utilisation of communication equipment, test equipment; test techniques will be desired but not essential.
- Proficient in Google Suite (sheets, docs, slides).
- Desire to work in the Space Industry is essential.
Additional Information:
This Job Request will be allocated to the projected Joint-Venture scope towards a leading European player in space.
Duration: 13 months
Location: Portsmouth
Start date: 19 July 2027
Applications close on: 5 October 2026
Benefits: 37 hours per week // Flexible working hours // Hybrid working options available depending on the role // Half day Fridays!* // 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (*subject to completing full hours prior to this)
This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.