Embedded Software Engineer – for development of ESA Mission Instrument - DTU Space

You will be designing and coding low-level software, real-time systems and boot software while ensuring compliance with ESA (ECSS) standards. You have a passion for space missions though any lack of specific technical skills will be taught on-the-job.. You have a Bachelors, or Masters, degree in computer science, software engineering, electrical engineering or a related subject. 

Our expectations of you :

• Experience with producing detailed documentation in English.
• Proficient in TDD (test-driven development) with unit tests.
• Ability to initiate and manage your own technical tasks.
• Understanding of embedded programming, computer architecture and digital electronic systems.
• Experience with low-level bare-metal coding, particularly in C/C++.
• Understanding of digital electronic systems.
• Knowledge of bootloader design concepts.
• Ability to work in an international team and with consortium partners abroad.
• Thorough understanding of technical English, both written and spoken.
• Good communication skills to present your work to team and consortium members.

Experience with any of the following languages and processes will be an advantage:

• Continuous integration pipelines.
• Knowledge software design for safety-critical systems.
• Real-time operating systems (e.g., RTEMS, VxWorks ).
• Bare-metal programming.
• GDB and/or EOB debugging.
• State machine design and implementation (code/exported design).
• GIT version control.
• Setting up and running continuous integration pipelines.
• Bootloader design and implementation.
• Fault-tolerant software design.
• ECSS standards for space mission software development and documentation (e.g., ECSS-E-ST-40C, ECSS-Q-ST-80C).
• MISRA-C for safety-critical embedded software.
• Real-time embedded software development.
• Telecommunications standards for space applications, specifically PUS-A and PUS-C.

What we offer in return
This position offers an opportunity to work on cutting-edge space mission software and instrumentation, ensuring high-reliability embedded software solutions. If you have the necessary expertise and are eager to contribute to ESA missions, you are encouraged to apply.

DTU Space is Denmark’s leading institute for space technology and works closely with ESA, NASA and other international space agencies to develop the instruments for space missions, from deep-space observatories to Mars rovers. The institute also includes various research groups that use data from these instruments to make scientific discoveries from new black holes to changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. The institute has an excellent international research profile as well as a high level of employee pride in their workplace. 

Salary and employment terms
The salary will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and will be agreed upon with the candidate’s trade union.

The job is full-time and requires 37 hours of work a week based at DTU Space in Lyngby, Denmark. The job also involves trips to European partners and consortium meetings a couple of times a year. The successful candidate will be able to work on other space missions being developed at DTU Space in the years ahead. The initial period of employment is 2 years.

You can read more about career paths at DTU http://www.dtu.dk/english/about/job-and-career/working-at-dtu/career-paths.

The starting date of employment is 1st September 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Further Information
For more information about this position please contact Chief Scientific Consultant Carol Anne Oxborrow at caox@dtu.dk  

For more information about DTU Space see: DTU Space homepage  

For more information on the ATHENA mission see: ATHENA Factsheet (ESA)  and WFI at MPE

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark .

Application procedure 
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 31 July 2025 (23:59 Danish time).

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now" at the bottom of this page, fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae including contact details of two references. 
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. Since DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

DTU Space is the leading institution of public space activities in Denmark. The mission of the Institute is to conduct research, development, public sector consultancy, education and innovation at the highest international level within the following areas: Space Technology & Instrumentation, Earth Observation & Geoscience and Space- & Astrophysics.

In the Astrophysics and Atmospheric Division, current focus areas cover large-scale structure of the universe, physics of compact objects and transient phenomena, exoplanets, upper atmosphere physics and cosmo-climatology, as well as development of instrumentation, in particular high-energy instrumentation, i.e. X- and gamma-ray detectors and optics. The division is currently active in the operation of instruments on several satellites and data analysis for scientific research with this data. The division also runs four instrumentation laboratories.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.