Flight Director, Project Kuiper - Mission Operations, Ground Software

Amazon; London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in satellite technology is seeking a Flight Director to oversee mission operations for its Project Kuiper initiative. This role involves coordinating engineering teams and improving operational efficiencies. Ideal candidates have a strong educational background in engineering, programming experience, and a detail-oriented mindset. You will play a key role in developing concepts of operation and ensuring mission success—perfect for someone passionate about automation and space systems.

Qualifications

• Detail oriented with strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Knowledge in space system design and software engineering practices.
• Experience with autonomous space mission operations is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute the operational success of the Kuiper mission.
• Coordinate and prepare for each launch and on-orbit demonstration.
• Drive automation efforts and improve productivity of the fleet.

Skills

Programming in C++

Programming in Java

Programming in Python

Communication

Team Collaboration

Education

BS degree in Aerospace Engineering

BS degree in Mechanical Engineering

BS degree in Electrical Engineering

BS degree in Computer Science

Job description

Flight Director, Project Kuiper - Mission Operations, Ground Software

Project Kuiper is an initiative to launch a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites that will provide low-latency, high-speed broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world.

This position may require access to information, technology, or hardware that is subject to export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Employment in this position is contingent upon obtaining any required export licenses or other approvals from the United States government. As such, the successful candidate must be eligible to obtain any necessary export licenses or approvals based on their nationality, citizenship, and any other factors considered by the applicable export control regulations.

Key job responsibilities
As a Flight Director you will own and execute the overall operational success of the mission at a systems level and coordinate between engineering teams across ground and space systems to achieve it. Because of the scale of the mission, you will be focused on driving automation and operational excellence — identifying areas of improvement and initiating changes to improve the productivity of the fleet.

You will coordinate and prepare for each launch and on-orbit demonstration, design and conduct operational rehearsals, and drive automation efforts with scalability in mind, ensuring that the constellation functions at peak performance with no manual intervention. You will develop concepts of operation for missions and experiments, lead launch and early operations, develop and perform analysis on system data, and identify areas and mechanisms for further improvement.

The ideal candidate will be detail oriented, have strong verbal and written communication skills, strong organizational skills, able to juggle multiple tasks at once, able to work independently, and maintain professionalism under pressure. You should have knowledge in space system design and software engineering practices.


A day in the life
You will work with internal engineering teams to define our operational process. You will identify opportunities to optimize and automate, and work with software and hardware teams to implement. You will be responsible for the operational success of the Kuiper mission.

About the team
Project Kuiper Ground Software team owns the infrastructure that manages and operates the constellation, providing a stable foundation for the networking team to run customer-facing connectivity service.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

- BS degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or related discipline.
- Experience programming with at least one modern language such as C++, C#, Java, Python, Golang, Rust, Matlab
- Technical understanding of space system architecture and subsystem functionality

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

- Familiarity the following disciplines: Orbital mechanics and constellation design, Spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control hardware and software, Electrical engineering, Terrestrial and satellite communications systems and networking, Spacecraft structures and mechanisms, Embedded software, Satellite propulsion systems, Data-driven engineering approach and ability assess system performance with statistical analysis.
- Strong communications skills, ability to work collaboratively in a team environment, and enjoyment of learning and teaching new skills
- Demonstrated ability to drive requirements across multiple teams.
- Aerospace industry experience
- Experience developing and working with autonomous space mission operations
- Experience working through the software development lifecycle, including requirements development and integrated testing.
- Comfortable working with ambiguous problems, assessing risk, reducing uncertainty, and handling the pressure of mission critical operations

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Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

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Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.