Senior Spacecraft Operations Engineer I

About the role

The Senior Spacecraft Operations Engineer I is responsible for managing the health, safety, and performance of a growing fleet of satellites to meet mission objectives for both commercial and government customers. This role involves supporting various mission phases, including commissioning, orbit raising, routine operations, and re-entry, across diverse mission types such as satellite constellations, interplanetary exploration, and orbital rendezvous. The position requires close collaboration with cross-functional teams, including spacecraft design, software, propulsion, and ground systems, to enhance satellite and ground-based capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Leverage automation as a key enabler to operate spacecraft, focusing on software-driven solutions for efficient and reliable mission execution
• Design, develop and test ground software for long term space operations: ground scripting for robust and automated ops
• Design, develop and test flight software sequences and FDIR/telemetry configuration to ensure spacecraft health and fault management through software-driven processes
• Maintain the continuous integration and testing of our operational code
• Ensure the on-call or shifts of operations
• Develop test methods and data analysis
• Develop interface specifications, CONOPS, and other design documents
• Run validation against spacecraft simulation tools: flatsat, HITL, etc.
• Support AIT teams across multiple spacecraft integrated tests (TVAC, propulsion stack, DITL)
• Perform requirements validation and verification for subsystems and spacecraft missions
• Generate and maintain requirements for spacecraft missions, including the creation and disposition
• Provide program and product support to team leads and program managers and be a key technical interface between the Auckland, NZ, Littleton, CO, and Long Beach, CA USA engineering teams

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (software, computer, electrical, aerospace, mechanical, or other technical engineering discipline)
• 5+ years of direct experience in any of the following: space mission design, satellite subsystems, ground systems, spacecraft command control or spacecraft operations
• Understanding of key spacecraft subsystems and their associated components, including attitude determination and control, spacecraft electrical power systems, space-ground communications, on-orbit command and data handling, and thermal control
• Understanding of the space environment, orbital mechanics, and rigid body dynamics
• Software development experience (Python/Ruby/C/C++/other high-level languages)

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD engineering in engineering (software, computer, electrical, aerospace, mechanical, or other technical engineering discipline) (nice to have)
• Prior experience in spacecraft operations
• Prior experience in satellite system design
• Prior experience in satellite ground systems
• Exposure to modern development practices – GIT, CI/CD, cloud infrastructure
• Exposure to software-in-the-Loop (SIL) Testing
• Familiarity with testing frameworks that simulate software behavior in operational environments
• Exposure to Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Testing

What to Expect

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to our success and growth, and we strive to create an environment where all employees feel empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.

Our people out-think, out-work, and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each other's backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.