Ground Segment Systems Engineer – Satellite Ops & MCS/NMS

ATG Europe; Madrid; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

ATG Europe seeks a Ground Segment Systems Engineer to support Arganda del Rey (Madrid) or Noordwijk—joining a multinational team delivering end-to-end satellite ground systems. You will shape requirements, architectures, and interfaces across satellites, ground stations, mission control, and network management to ensure secure, scalable operations.

This role entails coordinating with suppliers and customers, applying engineering standards, and leading verification activities to enable reliable

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Telecommunications, Electronics, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in satellite ground segment engineering, satellite communications, mission control, network management, or related activities.
• Experience with Mission Control Systems (MCS), Network Management Systems (NMS), and their integration within satellite ground segments.
• Strong understanding of satellite operations, ground infrastructure, TT&C systems, satellite communications architectures (GEO, MEO, and/or LEO), and satellite-to-ground interfaces.
• Experience across the system lifecycle, including requirements engineering, interface management, integration, testing, verification, and validation.
• Knowledge of networked and distributed systems, including IP networking, virtualization, cloud and container technologies, automation, and cybersecurity principles.
• Ability to analyse complex technical issues, coordinate multidisciplinary activities, and communicate effectively in English.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken,
• Candidates must be eligible to work in the EU.
• Desirable: Experience with commercial satellite operators, satellite constellations, or LEO broadband/high-throughput satellite programmes.
• Knowledge of satellite resource management, payload control, beam management, or dynamic capacity allocation.
• Experience with operational simulations, digital twins, automated testing environments, or advanced ground segment automation.
• Experience working with international customers, equipment manufacturers, and system integrators.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain ground segment system requirements, architectures, functional specifications, and interface control documents;
• Translate mission and operational needs into system-level requirements and technical solutions;
• Support end-to-end system design, including interfaces between satellites, ground stations, mission control, network management, and service delivery platforms;
• Manage technical interfaces across system elements, suppliers, and external stakeholders; conduct trade-off analyses and architecture reviews.
• Specify, integrate, and validate Mission Control Systems supporting satellite constellation operations;
• Support telemetry and telecommand (TM/TC), satellite monitoring, command execution, anomaly management, and operational procedures;
• Contribute to mission planning, fleet management, automation, and operational workflow optimization;
• Integrate spacecraft control systems with ground infrastructure and operational tools;
• Support the design and integration of Network Management Systems for satellite communication networks;
• Work on network configuration, monitoring, fault management, performance management, and service assurance;
• Coordinate interfaces between satellite network management, gateways, ground infrastructure, and terrestrial IP networks;
• Support large-scale, multi-satellite communication architectures and their operational dependencies;
• Develop system verification strategies, test plans, test procedures, and acceptance criteria;
• Coordinate integration and testing across software, hardware, network, and operational subsystems;
• Support Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT), Site Acceptance Tests (SAT), System Integration Tests (SIT), and end-to-end validation;
• Investigate anomalies, perform root-cause analysis, and support corrective actions;
• Maintain traceability between system requirements, implementation, and verification evidence.
• Support commissioning, operational readiness, and transition to routine constellation operations;
• Identify opportunities to improve system availability, automation, scalability, and operational efficiency;
• Contribute to system evolution, software upgrades, and integration of new constellation capabilities;
• Apply appropriate engineering standards, configuration management, cybersecurity, and lifecycle processes.

Skills

Systems thinking

Analytical skills

Communication skills

English language

Education

Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Telecommunications, Electronics, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field

Job description

ATG Europe seeks a Ground Segment Systems Engineer to support Arganda del Rey (Madrid) or Noordwijk—joining a multinational team delivering end-to-end satellite ground systems. You will shape requirements, architectures, and interfaces across satellites, ground stations, mission control, and network management to ensure secure, scalable operations.

This role entails coordinating with suppliers and customers, applying engineering standards, and leading verification activities to enable reliable