Spacecraft Operations Systems Engineer

DENVER, CO

$95,000 ‒ $125,000 Annually

Spacecraft Operations Systems Engineer - KSAT Inc. 

7600 E Eastman Ave, Suite 415 Denver, Colorado 80231 ksat.no 

Contact 

Keri Bean - US Satellite Operations Lead 

Introduction 

With headquarters in Tromsø, Norway, Kongsberg Satellite Services AS (KSAT) supplies ground station services for satellite communications. KSAT is the world’s largest supplier of telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) and data acquisition services for non-geostationary satellites. Founded in 1968, KSAT has grown to over 450 employees with an annual revenue of approximately $200M. About 50% of KSAT’s annual revenue comes from the US. The wholly owned subsidiary KSAT Inc. (aka. KSAT USA) is located in Denver, Colorado and is rapidly growing in response to strong US Government and industry demand for commercial ground segment services. As a result of KSAT’s continued growth in the US, more critical talent is needed. 

Summary of Position 

KSAT USA is seeking an early to mid-career engineer to join the Satellite Operations Team in Denver. This team is responsible for executing the successful operation of a variety of space missions throughout all mission phases. The Spacecraft Operations Systems Engineer may support the Operations Team in one, or multiple roles, depending on experience level and skills.

Primarily tasked with on-console vehicle and/or constellation operations, this individual may also be responsible for mission architecture and design, Concept of Operations development, procedure development, Mission Control Software (MCS) and automation, process improvement, quality assurance, and configuration management. This role will include involvement in high-pressure situations that require calm, collected, and deliberate action.

The preferred candidate will have a deep familiarity with spacecraft systems, a demonstrated capability to perform in high-stress, high-stakes situations, and a familiarity in agile software development. This position will report to Keri Bean, US Satellite Operations Lead. The role will be local to the Denver region with flexible teleworking opportunities. Relocation assistance is available for the right candidate. 

Joining The KSAT Team Means

• Opportunity to work across the commercial, civil, and defense space industry
• Flexible work environment
• Experience in an international company with a global footprint and opportunities to work across cultures
• Engaging team: inspire small, dedicated, “A-class” teammates. Being part of a nimble and passionate “start-up” team, with the financial security and product technology readiness level of an established company – the best of both worlds

Compensation 

The base salary range is between $95K - $125K

Benefits Package Highlights

• Four weeks of PTO annually
• $0 individual medical insurance with generous coverages
• Flexible working environment
• Fitness expense reimbursement program
• Tuition reimbursement program
• International travel opportunities

Details of the Role Essential Job Duties And Responsibilities May Include

• Develop ConOps and mission architectures,
• Support program reviews, proposals, and contracts,
• Develop on-console procedures and automation scripts,
• Software bug reporting and fixing,
• On-console vehicle support,
• Creation and execution of task plans, anomaly response,
• Telemetry analysis and trending,
• Vehicle and ground software testing,
• Develop contact schedules and ground station support,
• Participate in ground segment integration and testing
• Support on-console and on-call shifts

Requirements 

US Citizenship Must be eligible to maintain a US DoD SECRET Clearance 

Qualifications And Skills

• Minimum
• 3+ years of on-console spacecraft operations experience or equivalent,
• 1+ years of ground software development using agile processes,
• 1+ years of experience with tools such as Confluence, Sharepoint, Grafana, and other collaboration tools,
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, physics, or related field or equivalent experience,
• Experience in at least 1 language (e.g. Python, Java, C++, C#, HTML, etc.),
• Basic familiarity with orbital dynamics,
• Excellent communication skills in high-pressure environments
• Preferred
• 5+ years of on-console spacecraft operations experience or equivalent,
• 3+ years of ground software development using agile processes,
• 3+ years of experience with tools such as Confluence, Sharepoint, Grafana, and other collaboration tools,
• Experience in developing flight software,
• Previous experience with spacecraft testing,
• Working with international partners,
• Experience mentoring and training other satellite operators,
• Experience with multiple MCS suites,
• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure,
• Experience with spacecraft verification and validation

Travel

• Travel is estimated at 10%
• Travel may be necessary to customer sites in the United States
• Travel will be necessary to Tromsø, Norway 2-3 times per year
• Travel to other global locations may be required on a case-by-case basis