Mission Operations Lead — Reusable Spacecraft

Orbital Paradigm; Madrid; Hybrid; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Location: Madrid office-first

Hybrid work schedule

30 vacation days

Relocation package

Flexible compensation

Company shares plan

Meal vouchers

Health insurance

Public transport

Job summary

Orbital Paradigm in Madrid seeks a Lead Mission Operations Engineer to establish and lead the Mission Operations function for reusable orbital logistics systems.

You will oversee mission planning, CONOPS, ground interfaces, simulations, rehearsals, live operations, anomaly response, and post-mission analysis, working with systems, GNC, flight software, avionics, propulsion, and program teams. Strong hands-on operations and leadership are essential.

Qualifications

• 3–7 years of defining and carrying out mission and flight operations for spacecraft, launchers or reentry vehicles.
• Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or related technical field.
• Hands-on experience in real-life spacecraft or launch vehicle operations, including preparation, live execution, anomaly response, and post-mission analysis.
• Experience defining and executing mission operations processes, procedures, simulations, rehearsals, and readiness reviews.
• Strong understanding of mission planning, CONOPS, telemetry, telecommand, mission control systems, ground segment interfaces, and operational constraints.
• Experience establishing or scaling a mission operations, flight operations, or ground operations function.
• Full proficiency in English, written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Establish the Mission Operations function, including team roles, processes, tools, interfaces, and readiness.
• Define end-to-end mission operations from prep to launch, orbit, reentry, landing, recovery, and post-mission review.
• Develop CONOPS, operational constraints, procedures, command approach, and contingency logic.
• Define operational needs for spacecraft, ground segment, mission control, and operator interfaces.
• Coordinate simulations, rehearsals, readiness reviews, live operations, and anomaly response.
• Translate mission analysis and system design inputs into executable operations plans.
• Coordinate with internal and external teams and stakeholders for mission execution.
• Contribute to spacecraft and ground system design to ensure operability, testability, and supportability.
• Drive lessons learned and continuous improvement of mission operations processes.
• Contribute to system design to ensure operability, testability, and supportability.

Skills

Mission operations

Systems thinking

Hands-on ops

Telemetry/TC

Leadership

English proficiency

Ground interfaces

Education

Aerospace/Systems Engineering degree

Tools

ECSS/CCSDS experience

Python/automation

Simulation tools

Job description

Orbital Paradigm in Madrid seeks a Lead Mission Operations Engineer to establish and lead the Mission Operations function for reusable orbital logistics systems.

You will oversee mission planning, CONOPS, ground interfaces, simulations, rehearsals, live operations, anomaly response, and post-mission analysis, working with systems, GNC, flight software, avionics, propulsion, and program teams. Strong hands-on operations and leadership are essential.