A pioneering space organisation in the UK is looking for a Senior Mission Operations Preparation Engineer to join their fast-growing team. This is an exceptional opportunity to play a critical role in designing and preparing operations for some of the most advanced missions tackling the issue of space debris and orbital sustainability.
As a senior figure within the operations team, you’ll be shaping mission concepts, guiding development and testing, and ensuring that complex spacecraft operations are fully mission-ready. The ideal candidate will bring hands-on experience in spacecraft operations preparation, systems engineering, and testing, along with the vision to drive innovation in operational workflows and tools.
(Relocation support & visa sponsorship can be provided if required)
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop mission operations concepts for individual satellites and multi-spacecraft fleets
- Define and refine operational workflows and ingest operability requirements into technical specifications
- Support execution of mission phases during peak activity
- Influence fault detection, isolation and recovery (FDIR) design for improved observability and configurability
- Guide flight software development for ECSS PUS and operability needs
- Collaborate with system and subsystem engineers to ensure operational effectiveness is built into mission design
- Support creation and validation of mission documentation (user manuals, procedures, databases, telemetry definitions)
- Contribute to system validation testing and flight-segment level simulation campaigns
- Support ground segment tool development (dashboards, trending tools, context management utilities, etc.)
- Provide operational input to proposals and new mission bids
Essential Skills & Experience:
- Degree in engineering, physics, or a related discipline
- Several years of hands-on experience in real-time spacecraft operations and/or spacecraft operations preparation
- Solid understanding of space standards (ECSS, CCSDS, ISO)
- Familiarity with mission control systems such as SCOS-2000
- Experience with systems engineering processes, flight procedure development, and AIT/system testing
- Proactive, self-managed approach with strong technical ownership
Desirable:
- Familiarity with MOIS or other scripting-based operations preparation tools
- Experience with real-time spacecraft operations (routine and critical)
- Understanding of configuration management processes
What’s on Offer:
- Flexible working around core hours & optional 9/75 working pattern
- Hybrid work model
- 25 days annual leave (increasing with service) & 8 UK Bank Holidays
- Private healthcare, life insurance & long-term sick pay
- Relocation support and visa sponsorship
- Modern office and cleanroom facilities
- Friendly, inclusive, and international team with regular social events
- Career-defining opportunity in a sector addressing one of space’s biggest challenges
If you’re ready to help shape the future of sustainable space operations and want to play a key role in mission preparation for cutting-edge orbital missions, we’d love to hear from you.
