Provision of SATCOM Engineering Support Services

·       University Degree in Telecommunications, Electronics, SATCOM Engineering, or a related field, with at least two (2) years of post-related experience; or Higher Vocational Training with a minimum of five (5) years of post-related experience

·       3+ years of practical experience in SATCOM systems, including UHF and SHF domains

·       Deep knowledge of SATCOM architecture principles, including link budget analysis, modulation schemes, error correction coding, and satellite network topologies

·       Strong understanding of RF engineering and antenna systems, including propagation modelling in SATCOM frequency bands

·       Knowledge of SATCOM cybersecurity architecture principles, including encryption and secure communications design

·       Familiarity with SATCOM-related standards such as DVB-S2, DVB-S2X, MIL-STD-188, and experience with Software Defined Networking (SDN) in SATCOM environments

·       Familiarity with modern military communication networks, including interfaces, protocols, and SATCOM operational environments

·       Experience in service management processes (incident, problem management, etc.) and a customer-focused approach in operational or control centre environments

Desirable Qualifications/Experience:

·       Experience in NATO or multinational military environments

·       Solid understanding of NATO operational standards, procedures, and communication protocols

·       Experience with SATCOM operations, engineering support, or related defence communication systems

·       Strong analytical capability applied to system performance, interoperability, and technical assessment activities

·       English language proficiency at minimum C1 level

DUTIES/ROLE:

·       SATCOM Project Proposal Development

ü  Review available programme documentation for two Projects (existing architectures, requirements, constraints, site data, baselines, interfaces)

ü  Confirm scope boundaries, assumptions, dependencies, and out-of-scope items for both projects

ü  Produce and maintain a Proposal Development Plan, including schedule, deliverables list, information requests, review gates, and stakeholder map

ü  Establish requirement and decision traceability approaches, including requirement IDs, decision logs, risk logs, and configuration management for proposal artefacts

ü  Identify applicable interoperability and standardization artefacts, including NATO profiles, SATCOM reference architectures, relevant NATO STANAGs, and NATO interoperability profiles

ü  Determine the applicability of the Digital IF Interoperability (DIFI) standard, including profiles and compliance criteria for digital-chain options

ü  Collect and analyse as-is IF/RF chain performance data, including gain, noise figure, linearity, group delay, spurious, ripple, phase noise, intermodulation, distortion, and EVM where applicable

ü  Assess current anchor site, terminal, and network architectures and interfaces, including timing and synchronization, control and management, cybersecurity boundaries, and spectrum management constraints

ü  Identify performance bottlenecks, obsolescence drivers, and operational pain points

ü  Document as-is architecture diagrams and interface control summaries, including signals, connectors, protocols, timing, and monitoring/alarming functions

ü  Define solution options and identify required ancillary elements for each option

ü  Develop and maintain system-level functional requirements;SOW – SATCOM Engineering Support Services - Deliverable Based

ü  Perform feasibility analyses for each option

ü  Perform trade-off analyses across performance, resilience, spectrum efficiency, and cost drivers

ü  Quantify benefits and impacts for instantaneous switching between anchor sites assumptions, including network connectivity prerequisites, latency budgets, and operational constraints

ü  Identify constraints and risks specific to each site (S01–S04), including logistics and operational windows

ü  Define modelling approaches and assumptions, including link budget elements, IF chain impairment models, quantization effects for converters, and transport latency/jitter

ü  Build or extend models to compare analogue versus digital IF chain performance, including ripple compensation effectiveness versus quantization and latency impacts

ü  Provide simulation outputs and interpret results into proposal-ready conclusions, including plots, tables, margins, and sensitivity analyses

ü  Define functional and technical requirements for four (4) medium-size dual-band (X/Ka) antennas, including performance, pointing, stabilization where relevant, environmental considerations, and interface requirements

ü  Assess site readiness per location, including foundations and mounts, clearances, power, grounding, lightning protection, radome requirements, RF cable runs/waveguides, and indoor equipment space

ü  Define integration requirements with existing SAC infrastructure, including IF/RF interfaces, BUC/LNB chain assumptions, monitoring and control, and calibration requirements

ü  Develop high-level architecture diagrams for both projects, including block diagrams, signal flow, and network interfaces

ü  Create and maintain a risk register covering technical, schedule, supply chain, certification/standards, site access, and cyber risks

ü  Document assumptions and external dependencies, including network connectivity between anchor sites, timing distribution, and spectrum approvals

ü  Define mitigations and contingency options, including alternative suppliers, phased deployment, and fallback modes

ü  Provide cost drivers per option, including equipment, installation, engineering, testing, spares, and support

ü  Provide level-of-effort estimates by work package and role, including engineering, integration, and testing

ü  Provide schedule estimates and key milestones, including design reviews, procurement lead times, and FAT/SAT windows

ü  Provide licensing, subscription, and support cost considerations, including recurring cost estimates

·       North American SATCOM Anchoring Study

ü  Create and coordinate high-level requirements

ü  Create and coordinate evaluation models;o Create and coordinate Courses of Action (defined alternatives)

ü  Create Site Data Package structures

ü  Define hard filters (pass/fail gates)

ü  Create scoring methodologies and coordinate weighting criteria

ü  Conduct evidence-based feasibility analyses

ü  Develop cost, schedule, and risk assessments

ü  Deliver draft study documentation

ü  Review and update the study based on stakeholder feedback

·       Stakeholder Coordination and Reporting

ü  Liaise with ACT, ACO, and NCIA technical authorities, providing engineering inputs and consolidated documentation

ü  Prepare technical briefings, reports, and data packages supporting NATO capability planning

ü  Participate in workshops, technical meetings, and industry engagement events as required