Mission Operations Engineer

About the Role

As a Mission Operations Engineer, you'll own both the day-to-day operation of our spacecraft and the development of the operational infrastructure that makes it all work. This is a high-ownership role on a small, collaborative mission operations team. You won't just execute procedures, you'll write them, improve them, and help define how we operate as a company.

You'll monitor spacecraft health, investigate anomalies, plan maneuvers, and coordinate ground station passes. You'll also build and refine the tools, scripts, and processes that keep our future fleet running smoothly. As our constellation grows, you'll help shape operational strategies, maintain and update mission requirements, and drive continuous improvement across our satellite and ground segment.

Responsibilities

• Monitor real-time telemetry and spacecraft subsystem health
• Triage and investigate on-orbit anomalies end-to-end and document findings and lessons learned to improve fleet reliability
• Perform long-term telemetry trending and performance analysis to detect subsystem degradation, refine alarm limits, and inform operational and design decisions
• Plan and execute spacecraft maneuvers, station-keeping, and orbital adjustments
• Coordinate ground station passes and scheduling
• Support LEOP, bus and payload commissioning, and orbit-raising campaigns for new satellites, executing procedures and contributing to in-orbit test and checkout
• Develop, validate, and maintain operational procedures and command sequences
• Build automation for telemetry monitoring and alerting, pass scheduling, routine commanding, and anomaly detection and response
• Collaborate with spacecraft engineering teams to define CONOPS, fault management, and spacecraft procedures
• Support deployment and testing of ground software updates and infrastructure changes
• Validate procedures, command sequences, and automation against simulation and hardware-in-the-loop environments prior to on-orbit execution
• Define, validate, and maintain onboard FDIR and fault management responses
• Plan and execute operational readiness activities, including simulations and dress rehearsals
• Participate in 24/7 rotating shift work to meet mission needs

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related STEM field
• 3+ years of experience in satellite mission operations or a related field
• Solid understanding of spacecraft systems and subsystem interactions
• Proficiency with mission control software (e.g. OpenC3 COSMOS, Kratos EPOCH, L3Harris InControl, or similar)
• Strong programming and scripting skills (Python, C++ preferred)
• Familiarity with Linux environments and command-line tools
• Experience with DevOps tools and practices (Git, Docker, CI/CD)
• Familiarity with RF systems, ground station operations, or link budgets
• Experience developing operational requirements or CONOPS documentation
• Strong troubleshooting skills, with experience using data analysis to diagnose complex systems
• Clear written and verbal communication skills
• Sound judgment and composure in real-time, high-pressure operational environments
• Experience operating multi-satellite constellations or fleets is a plus

Benefits

Reflect Orbital’s success will hinge on our team, which is why our compensation and benefits plan is designed to reward our employees and support their families as generously as we’re able.