Technical Manager, Ground Systems Director

About the role

Iridium is seeking a Technical Manager, Ground System Director for a Space Development Agency (SDA) project. In this role, you’ll manage the monitoring and control of ground systems at Operations Centers and coordinate mission activities with partners and customers. You will lead a team in a 24-hour, multi-satellite operations environment, working 12-hour shifts. This position requires an active or current Top Secret Security Clearance or the ability to obtain one (a U.S. Security Clearance active in the past 24 months is considered active).

Responsibilities

• Foster and develop a highly effective team to manage and coordinate daily mission objectives and recovery from unplanned events.
• Mentor and develop shift personnel operational performance and career advancement through regular feedback and annual Performance Review cycles.
• Manage and coordinate execution of planned daily mission objectives.
• Oversee real-time monitoring of the ground system in support of the SDA mission, including first-level troubleshooting and issue resolution.
• Manage and coordinate recovery of issues within ground system applications.
• Coordinate detection and recovery of issues at remote teleport antennas and Wide Area Network (WAN).
• Lead real-time anomaly investigation and resolution, following established Fault Escalation policies and procedures for both ground and space system issues.
• Support process improvement initiatives by documenting all events through the anomaly and issue reporting process.
• Create accurate, timely, and descriptive event logging for all ground system outages or system events.
• Supervise daily mission activities of up to twenty mission partner and customer personnel.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field OR equivalent relevant experience in a network operations or spacecraft operations environment.
• 8+ years of related engineering experience.
• Experience leading a team in a real-time operations environment.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to confidently present information and ideas.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to understand problems and think critically to develop solutions.
• Ability to establish valuable relationships with management, team members, mission partners, and customers.
• Strong prioritization skills and a sense of ownership over your work.
• Ability to efficiently manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
• Proactive in seeking ways to continuously improve and gain new knowledge.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be able to work 12-hour shifts.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in the LINUX operating system, as well as standard PC usage and applications.
• Familiarity with software development and programming skills.

Work Environment

This role primarily works in an office setting, largely sedentary with extensive computer use. Basic office equipment such as a phone, video, computer, keyboard, mouse, and printer will be used. Under Iridium’s Hybrid Work Policy, employees are expected to work at least three days per week (approximately 60%) in an Iridium office to support collaboration, relationship-building, and professional growth.

Pay

Base Pay Range: $140,000 - $183,000 USD. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience and other factors. Base salary is only one part of the compensation package, which may also include company stock, annual bonus, and benefits.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
• 401(k) retirement plan options.
• Paid time off and paid holidays.
• Paid parental leave.
• Other discounts and perks.