Electrical Power Systems (EPS) Lead

The Electrical Power System (EPS) Lead is responsible for the power design for our FINCH mission, which includes dealing with solar panels, batteries and the design of our own power management system printed circuit board. Moreover, the lead ensures effective technical skill development of the EPS team members, and communication between EPS and the other subsystems. In short, this lead oversees all the work regarding how our CubeSat gets powered in outer space.

You will be responsible for leading a team of 8-15 active members, onboarding new members, defining and managing all active power projects, timelining these projects to ensure that EPS is in sync with the timeline of the rest of the satellite, and budgeting time and resources accordingly to meet self-defined system deadlines. You will also be responsible for defining and updating the requirements of the subsystem, especially for mechanical, electrical, and firmware/CDH teams, as well as finance and lab space. Of equal or greater importance, you will be responsible for the Power Budget of the satellite. That includes updating subsystem power consumptions by interfacing with other leads.

You will be working closely with the Electrical Lead in all of these regards and they will oversee your work. However, you are responsible for knowing the requirements and progress of your own system inside and out.

In summary, you will be in charge of building the power system that makes this CubeSat possible. You will define critical items to the EPS system and subsequent projects, assist members and encourage an atmosphere for learning. You will be a part of the team that will shape the next generation of UTAT. You will prepare your system for the next lead, whenever you decide to leave or graduate. You will learn a lot! And it will be awesome.

Note: You may decide to continue working on technical projects in addition to your duties as a lead (in fact, it is encouraged), but your members and your subsystem’s project management needs should be the priority. This means handing off some projects for the sake of growing the team and your members knowledge, and working closely with them in the development of their work to ensure it is flight-ready. Keep in mind that spending time imbuing your members with a growth mindset is the ethos of UTAT and is the essential task of any effective leader.

Day-to-day Responsibilities

• Running weekly meetings and work sessions
• Managing and assisting projects that fall under the EPS subsystem
• Have a high-level understanding of the EPS subsystem in order to define critical work items
• Researching and attaining a robust understanding of the electrical power subsystem (especially Li-ion battery behaviour and requirements, solar panel design, and power regulation)
• Defining key focus areas and subsystem requirements and directing work on critical path items
• Being an effective communicator and liaising between the electrical power subsystem and the rest of the team
• Providing feedback and assistance for their team members
• Regularly updating documentation regarding to EPS work progress on Notion (the Bus Factor)

Time Commitment

• Approximately 8-12 hours a week, varying from week to week
• Attend 3-4 meetings per week (general, systems meeting, leads meeting, meeting with your members/electrical system meeting)
• Attend work sessions 1-3 times per week (depending on members needs and personal projects)
• Be frequently available on Slack for questions from the team