Senior Mission Operations Preparation Engineer full_time

Astroscale is seeking an experienced and motivated Senior Spacecraft Operations Preparation Engineer to work at our facility based in Harwell, UK. This is a unique opportunity to join a dynamic and rapidly growing company seeking to make a positive contribution to the growing problem of orbital debris that endangers mankind’s continued use of space as an asset. This role will allow the right candidate to shape technical solutions for our missions, develop operations concepts, tools, and prepare the team for mission execution. The candidate will interact extensively with the design and development engineers across functions and support tests conducted in the AIV and operational environments.

Responsibilities

• Act as an Operations Technical Lead for the mission under development.
• Develop Mission Operations Concept for a standalone mission or a satellite fleet.
• Support the Preparation Team Lead in Operations Development Plan and ensure follow through from Preliminary Design until end of mission.
• Develop Operability requirement and user stories with close coordination with the Flight Operations team and mission segments.
• Contribute to mission interface definitions (e.g. ICDs, data-budget, flight software application)
• Contribute to the Subsystem/Unit and Project Reviews.
• Act as product owner to the Operations User manual/handbook.
• Support the Operations Procedure development for the Mission OPS team.
• Support the satellite simulator development and mission database management.
• Develop test specification, plan and procedure to conduct System Validation Test.
• Support the preparation and participate in Mission Simulation Test or similar system tests.
• Identify and specify tools to support the mission execution (e.g. database tool, trending tool, dashboards, context management etc.).
• Act as a System-Operations teams interface during mission execution (LEOP, Commissioning, Routine, Disposal).
• Support to anomaly resolution of in-flight satellites may be expected, as part of a 24/7 on-call team (TBC).

Essential Skills

• Engineering, physics or an equivalent degree.
• Several years of demonstrable satellite industry experience in real time operations, spacecraft operations preparation through the complete life cycle. A candidate with a primarily system engineering background may also be considered.
• Knowledge of space standards (ECSS, CCSDS, ISO).
• Knowledge of mission control systems, SCOS-2000 or similar.
• Knowledge and hands on experience with system engineering processes.
• Experience developing and validating flight procedures.
• Experience of system testing and AIT processes.
• Software coding experience with Scripting languages, e.g. Python, tcl.
• Self-managed and proactive working style.

Desirable skills

• Familiarity with Operations Preparation tools such as MOIS or script-based tools.
• Familiarity with routine and critical real time satellite operations.
• Familiarity with configuration management.

Location

Astroscale UK (Harwell).

About Astroscale

Astroscale is the first private company with a vision to secure the safe and sustainable development of space for the benefit of future generations, and the only company dedicated to in-orbit servicing across all orbits. Headquartered in Japan, our company has rapidly expanding offices in the United Kingdom, United States, Israel and Singapore. Astroscale UK (ASUK) was founded in 2017, based at the Harwell Space Cluster and has grown to over 80 staff.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Opportunity to work with a highly talented international team working on cutting edge technology
• Flexible working around core hours
• 25 days holiday (increasing yearly up to a maximum of 28 days)
• Life insurance and long-term sick pay
• Private healthcare (taxable benefit)
• Relocation allowance
• Visa sponsorship for employees
• New state of the art office and cleanroom facility
• Regular social events 

Location

Astroscale UK (Harwell).

About Astroscale

Astroscale is the first private company with a vision to secure the safe and sustainable development of space for the benefit of future generations, and the only company dedicated to in-orbit servicing across all orbits. Founded in 2013, we are developing innovative and scalable solutions across the spectrum of in-orbit servicing missions, including End of Life services, Active Debris Removal, In-situ Space Situational Awareness and Life Extension Services, to create sustainable space systems and mitigate against the hazardous build-up of debris in space.

Note to recruitment agencies: Astroscale operates a preferred Supplier List, and we do not accept unsolicited agency approaches. Please do not forward candidate CVs or details in response to this advert, or to any Astroscale employee.