We are searching for a chief engineer with excellent leadership abilities to oversee the research and development of multiple company projects. The Chief Engineer's responsibilities include carrying out independent research and development, supervising other engineers on the team, devising and later executing OASA’s R&D strategy, protecting the IP of the Academy and our partners, and working with outside partners to convert the design and take that to commercialisation.
OASA has multiple interests in different aspects of the space industry. At this moment, such interests often manifest as R&D of payload ideas in our CubeSat programme, Ridesharing, and launch services using balloons. Supervision encompasses assigning tasks to engineering teams, setting long and short-term project goals, negotiating with vendors and clients, ensuring that projects stay within time and budgetary restraints, and compiling reports for the board of directors.
To be successful as a chief engineer, you should keep abreast of cutting-edge advancements in the space industry and be dedicated to excellence. An exceptional chief engineer should be able to think on his/her feet and clearly communicate his/her vision to various audiences.
The term for this position is 1 to 3 years. Extensive and frequent travel abroad and into GBA (Greater Bay Area) is expected.
Purpose of the Position
OASA has continued to grow from strength to strength since our founding in Feb 2020. Despite being a young start-up, we have continued to make impact with our constituencies and delivering our missions. Now as a recently admitted member of Cyberport as one of their incubatees, OASA has been given much more leeway and dedicated support. One areas we need to further strengthen and grow is our mission to bring/develop the best education and educational applications of space technologies to Hong Kong and the GBA.
So far we have reached a number of milestones. In 2021, we have created a brand new CubeSat programmes (programme) partnering with HKU’s the Lab for Space Research of the University of Hong Kong and for the first time in Hong Kong, influenced over 300 teachers and secondary school students to the new world of the NewSpace Economy, mini-satellites, and big data. In 2022, we licensed our first CubeSat. Other milestones quickly followed and we are now teaching students how to think innovatively, by using CubeSats to remove space debris, with our partner at the Department of Aeronautical Engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnics University. Starting in 2023, we shall be running two brand new public programmes through the Hong Kong Productivity Council, with over 60 students per cohort and we are now into our third cohort.
OASA’s eventual CubeSat system would include ride-sharing onto rockets and connecting with other space or land-based machines. These requirements need continual R&D and innovation. One R&D direction is to focus on how to better engineer the CubeSats, making them more robust, simple, and modular. Another is learning how to better prepare them faster and easier for actual launches. The final direction may include the need to stripe the CubeSat down to its core so that a five year old can learn how to put them together. Regardless of age, we aim to help students master the core building blocks of CubeSats within 12 hours. We envision someday each student in Asia can learn how to put together a CubeSat, propose to have their CubeSat piggyback onto rockets that take them hundreds of kilometres into Space, and connect that to a drone just a few feet off the ground. As a result, improving connectivity of these space equipment, strengthening survivability in both space and on earth, and building the testing and construction infrastructure to house these educational tools are some of the outputs of the Chief Engineer.
The Job
The incumbent is the Chief Engineer at OASA. The Chief Engineer’s main role is to conduct independent research to identify suitable areas for OASA to develop in the near future beyond the CubeSat programme. OASA has multiple interests in different aspects of the space industry. At this moment, such interests often manifest as R&D of payload ideas in our CubeSat programme, Ridesharing, and launch services using balloons. Supervision encompasses assigning tasks to engineering teams, setting long and short-term project goals, negotiating with vendors and clients, ensuring that projects stay within time and budgetary restraints, and compiling reports for the board of directors. The person will explore practicability of such prospective ideas relative to our target STEM users.
A Chief engineer takes charge of an entire engineering department, leading a team as they complete various projects. The person will work alongside other engineers and technicians, approving designs, calculating costs, negotiating contracts, and executing plans safely and efficiently. The Chief Engineer is our most technically competent professional at OASA. Thus, he or she would liaise with our partners and decide on all final specifications before the product or system is introduced to the public.
Requirements for this Position
Strong grades in physical sciences or engineering from a top-ranked global university.
University graduate in STEM –- solid academics. Physical sciences include Physics, Chemistry, Biology and engineering covers Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics, Materials, Computer, and Structural Engineering. The candidate should possess a doctoral degree and have over 20 years in a combination of scientific research, engineering and technology management experiences, ideally having worked on NASA, CNSA, or ESA projects.
Background in and interests in space science, systems thinking, business, education, and the NewSpace Economy is a must. Previous teaching experience in Space Science or on the NewSpace economy would be ideal.
Speaks and writes cogently in English and Chinese (Putonghua and Cantonese) –- strong communications skills and a team player.
Demonstrated record of delivering public seminars or teaching to audiences of different education levels including at the university level.
Frequent and distance travelling is a must. Expect long hours away from office from time to time.
A deep appreciation and understanding of the Space ecosystem currently in Asia.
Main Responsibilities:
Communicating the goals of the company to all engineers and professionals in the team. Supervise the CubeSat Engineer, Platform Engineer, and other engineering professionals.
Conducting independent research to identify prospective programmes for OASA looking beyond the CubeSat programme.
Supervising every phase of the project from start to completion.
Calculating costs, material, labour, and time required for each project.
Approving designs and budgets.
Delegating tasks to engineering teams.
File for patents.
Supervising staff training as well as equipment installation.
Performing quality control checks on all systems and products.
Quickly resolving disputes between staff.
Acknowledging or rewarding good work.
Analysing data and drafting reports for review.
Delivering seminars and participating in events to serve OASA goals as required.
The outputs of the R&D will help to advance our knowledge and application in machine connectivity; and the education of such knowledge to our population. CubeSats, drones, rovers, IOT, and other moving sensors need to be integrated and connected wirelessly, more robustly and continuously within a smart city. Can they be powered remotely and wirelessly as well? Hong Kong, which has a number of tall buildings, is densely populated and restrained by scientific and technological uncertainty in this regard.
