Organisation/Company Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya Research Field Engineering » Aerospace engineering Researcher Profile Established Researcher (R3) Positions Bachelor Positions Application Deadline 13 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Permanent Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37,5 Offer Starting Date 26 Oct 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description Introduction

The purpose of this call is to select a Visible Detector Laboratory Engineer for the ARRAKIHS mission, within the scientific and technical activities of the Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya.

The IEEC (Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia) was established in February 1996 as a private non-profit foundation (NPO) to promote R&D; in the space field in Catalonia. The IEEC is a research institute that studies all areas of knowledge and technologies applied to the space sector and space sciences, including astrophysics, cosmology, planetary science, Earth observation, navigation and space engineering. Its mission is to push the frontiers of space research from the scientific and technological fields for the maximum benefit of society. It should also be noted that the Foundation is attached to the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government) and forms part of its institutional public sector due to the fact that the Generalitat has a majority participation in the Board of Trustees of the IEEC.

The ARRAKIHS mission, selected by the European Space Agency (ESA), will study low surface brightness structures in nearby galaxies. Within this framework, the IEEC carries out activities related to calibration, visible-light detector characterisation, simulation and instrument performance analysis. The position is associated with the ARRAKIHS PID2025 project, with an official start date planned for September 2026, pending the funding decision.

Description of position

Positions to be filled:

1. Visible Detector Laboratory Engineer - ARRAKIHS Mission

Professional group:

II. Engineering staff

Professional category:

Research Engineer

Working hours:

Full time, 37.5 hours/week

Functions

The selected person will prepare, operate and coordinate the laboratory activities required to test and characterise the visible CMOS detectors for the ARRAKIHS mission. The work will be carried out in coordination with IEEC calibration and data-processing teams, consortium partners,



industrial teams and ESA when required.

The selected candidate will have the following duties and responsibilities:

Prepare, install, commission and operate the visible-detector test bench, including the cryostat, vacuum system, thermal control, readout electronics, illumination sources and auxiliary instrumentation.

Run detector test and characterisation campaigns in accordance with mission calibration and verification needs, including dark, flat-field, linearity, gain, noise, quantum-efficiency and stability measurements.

Operate detector controllers, acquisition systems and other laboratory equipment, and develop scripts for control, automation and initial data inspection.

Support the selection, procurement, installation and commissioning of the equipment required for detector testing.

Coordinate installation and operation of the setup in a cleanroom, applying handling, cleanliness, ESD-protection, safety and traceability procedures.

Document test conditions, configurations, environmental parameters, anomalies and acquired data completely and traceably.

Prepare procedures, test plans, results reports and technical documentation for the internal team, consortium coordination and project reviews.

Coordinate day-to-day detector-laboratory activities with the IEEC team and ARRAKIHS partners.

Requirements Research Field Astronomy Education Level Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Specific Requirements

Participation requirements and selection criteria

The following criteria will be assessed during the selection process:

Education:

University degree in Physics, Astronomy, Engineering, Instrumentation, Electronics, Photonics or a related experimental discipline.

Experience:

Hands-on laboratory experience, preferably with scientific instrumentation, detectors, optical systems, electronics or experimental physics setups. Approximately 3–5 years of relevant experience will be particularly valued but is not a mandatory requirement

The following aspects will be considered desirable merits:(Total 20 points)

Experience with visible scientific CMOS or CCD detectors: including operation,



readout controllers and electro-optical characterisation; experience with Teledyne e2v or similar technologies will be particularly valued

(5 points).

Experience with detector test benches: cryostats, vacuum systems, thermal control, cleanrooms, sensitive-hardware handling and ESD protection

(4 points).

Experience in characterisation and calibrated illumination: dark-current, flat-field, gain, linearity, noise, quantum-efficiency or stability measurements, and the use of integrating spheres, monochromators or calibrated photodiodes

(4 points).

Automation and data acquisition: Python, LabVIEW, Arduino or similar tools, commercial detector controllers and communication interfaces such as SpaceWire

(3 points).

Space instrumentation and the ESA environment: participation in space missions or projects, test plans, requirements, verification, quality assurance, reviews and technical documentation

(4 points).

Additional Information Selection process

Initially, a verification of the requirements of participation will be carried out and a first selection of candidates will be made based on the documents contributed. Next, if necessary, the shortlisted candidates may be called to a personal interview to expand the detailed information in the curriculum and assess aspects related to professional competences.

The evaluation committee for this procedure will consist of:

a) Co-Principal Investigator of the ARRAKIHS PID2025 project.

b) Co-Principal Investigator of the ARRAKIHS PID2025 project and Head of the Technical Area.

c) Calibration Scientist for the ARRAKIHS PID2025 project.

Interested persons must have the originals of the certificates accrediting the training and work experience mentioned in the curriculum and must submit them if required.

In compliance with the provisions of Article 59 of the TREBEP, concerning the reservation of no less than 7% of vacancies in public employment offers for persons with disabilities, the IEEC will apply this reservation to candidates who certify a disability of 33% or higher, provided that they are suitable for carrying out the functions of the position to be filled.

Additional comments

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute INSTITUT D'ESTUDIS ESPACIALS DE CATALUNYA Country Spain State/Province Barcelona City Cerdanyola del Vallès Postal Code 08193 Street Institut de Ciències de l’Espai (ICE, CSIC), Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans, s/n

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📌 Visible Detector Laboratory Engineer - ARRAKIHS Mission (Madrid)
🏢 Fundacio Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya
📍 Madrid