Context:

The eXTP (enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission) is a science space mission aimed to study the state of matter under extreme conditions of density, gravity and magnetism (https://www.isdc.unige.ch/extp/). 

Its phase A was already approved by CAS (Chinese Academy of Sciences) and by ESA (European Space Agency) in October 2019. Europe is providing the Wide Field Monitor (WFM), a coded mask instrument and the Large Area Detector (LAD). We at ICE-CSIC (see http://www.ice.csic.es/) and IEEC http://www.ieec.cat lead the WFM instrument (M. Hernanz is the PI), and we are also specifically responsible of the coded masks and the mechanical structure of the cameras (collimator and detector box). The eXTP LAD and WFM instruments are based on the heritage of the feasibility study of LOFT, performed by us for ESA up to 2013 (ESA M3 call). eXTP is now in phase B, specifically in Phase B2 after the successful I-SRR (Instrument -System Requirements Review), that took place in April 2023, coordinated by ASI and Spain, with the participation of ESA.

STROBE-X (https://strobe-x.org) is a probe-class observatory designed for X-ray timing and spectroscopy in the (0.2–30 keV) band, including two instruments based on the LAD & WFM of LOFT and eXTP. A proposal to NASA PROBE missions call (to be issued soon) will be presented by the US team, with participation of Spain for the WFM. We already participated on the design of the WFM for STROBE-X in a proposal by NASA for the US Decadal Survey.

Specific tasks:

We are looking for an aerospace engineer, a graduate in physics or similar (other engineering specialities are also accepted), with knowledge of space project rules of management, system engineering and also, if possible, product and quality assurance. 

Tasks will include:

- Support of system engineering tasks, including tests of the WFM subsystems, to be performed in different project phases (phase B by the moment), as well as the qualification processes, whenever required during later phases.

- Support for the reports, deliverables, schedules, minutes of the meetings

- Support for the quality and product assurance, following the rules for space projects

Work is done in the framework of a large an international collaboration, with several EU countries (Italy, France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Switzerland, Turkey) and with China, for eXTP, and with NASA and USA for STROBE-X. Also, at ICE-CSIC and IEEC there is huge collaboration between the different engineering and scientific teams involved in space projects (see https://www.ice.csic.es and  for details).

Contract: 

Full time contract, starting as soon as possible (September/October 2023 if possible).

Duration: until end 2025, to be extended later.

Contact:

Application, including a CV and a letter of motivation, should be sent to Prof. Margarita Hernanz, PI of the WFM (hernanz@ice.csic.es). For more information, use this same email address. 

**Contract funded by "Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia" from EU