Mission Operations Lead Engineer

Turion Space; Irvine; On-site; GBP 82,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace company based in Irvine, Scotland is seeking a Mission Operations Lead Engineer to oversee spacecraft operations and coordinate across engineering teams. The ideal candidate should have a Bachelor's degree in engineering or science and over 5 years of relevant experience. This position requires strong problem-solving skills, leadership capabilities, and familiarity with tools like Jira and Linux. The role also offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.

Benefits

Equity in the company

Comprehensive health insurance

401(k) retirement plans

Generous paid time off

Opportunities for professional development

Team building activities

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in spacecraft systems, operations, or adjacent field.
• 2+ years of experience managing a team across multiple projects.
• Must be able to obtain a Secret and/or a TS/SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute operations for spacecraft.
• Analyze system anomalies and recommend solutions.
• Lead shift teams during critical operations.

Skills

Strong technical expertise in spacecraft operations

Problem-solving skills

Leadership skills

Clear communication skills

Ability to translate strategic objectives

Self-driven and proactive

Emotional intelligence

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or science

Tools

Jira

Linux

Python

C++

Ruby

Job description

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop, test, and execute operations including payload commissioning, software updates, and spacecraft reconfiguration.

• Own the responsibility of knowing and tracking a satellite’s day-to-day health and directing spacecraft operations with outside guidance.

• Analyze system anomalies, recommend practical workarounds, and drive resolution implementation.

• Translate high-level goals into detailed execution plans.

• Coordinate across spacecraft engineering and payload teams to align priorities.

• Lead shift teams during critical operations or anomalies.

• Report anomalies, risks, and resolutions to leadership.

• Provide daily/weekly status updates to management.

• Represent operations in cross-functional discussions.

• Perform spacecraft commanding, monitoring, and telemetry analysis.

• Provide mentorship, guidance, and leadership to peers and team members.

• Manage direct reports depending on team needs and organizational growth.

What you bring to this role:

• Strong technical expertise in spacecraft operations, commanding, and telemetry analysis.

• Experience developing and executing operational procedures.

• Problem‑solving skills to investigate anomalies and implement solutions.

• Ability to translate strategic objectives into detailed, actionable plans.

• Leadership skills to guide teams during critical operations.

• Clear, professional communication skills for reporting and cross‑team alignment.

• Lean into acknowledging your weaknesses and take the idea of feedback and growth seriously.

• Strong emotional intelligence and ability to solve operational problems not only from a data‑driven lens, but also in a people‑centric way by building strong cross‑functional relationships across the company and within the hardware engineering organization.

• Self‑driven and relentlessly proactive. You don’t need someone to tell you to "move". You just move. You don’t wait on others to solve problems and you step into the gap to offer solutions.

• Combined ability to execute on a tactical level as well as put together a strategy to solve complex, ambiguous, cross‑functional problems. Comfortable rolling up your sleeves and diving deep into executing operational tasks that require high attention to detail and high organization skills, but also able to zoom out at a 30,000 foot level to create a strategy that solves high level problems for the business line, division, and company.

• A strong communicator across a wide dynamic range - Ability to translate and articulate thoughts clearly and simply across a wide range of roles (working level engineers, finance partners, recruiters, cross‑functional leadership, and executives).

• High ownership with the ability to juggle multiple large projects and priorities in parallel, at a rapid pace, and report out on progress regularly.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering or science discipline or equivalent experience in the field.

• 5+ years of experience in spacecraft systems, operations, or adjacent field.

• 2+ years of experience managing a team across multiple projects.

• Experience with Jira and other Atlassian Tools.

• Strong experience with Linux operating systems via command line interface.

• Experience programming with languages such as Python, C++, Ruby.

• Must be able to obtain a Secret and/or a TS/SCI clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise in advanced mission control techniques and systems. Experience with complex spacecraft and mission scenarios.

• Relevant certifications in mission operations or space systems (e.g., Certified Space Mission Operator, Systems Engineering Professional (SEP)).

• Extensive experience in the aerospace or space technology sectors, particularly with spacecraft control and mission execution.

• Demonstrated ability to innovate and improve mission control processes and procedures. Mission Operations Lead Engineer Salary: $110,000 - $180,000 USD

ITAR Requirements

This position may include access to technology and/or software source code that is subject to U.S. export controls. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package designed to support the well‑being and professional growth of our employees. In addition to a competitive base salary and company stock, determined by factors such as job‑related knowledge, education, skills, experience, and market demand, full‑time employees are eligible for:

• Equity: Receive equity in Turion Space, letting you benefit from the company's success.

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their dependents.

• Retirement Plans: Access to a 401(k) plan to help you plan for your future.

• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days, personal days, sick days, and holidays to ensure you have time to recharge.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for ongoing training, workshops, and courses to advance your skills and career growth.

• Team Building Activities: Regular social events, team outings, and company‑sponsored activities to foster a positive work environment.

We are dedicated to providing a supportive and enriching environment for our team members, recognizing that our collective success is built upon the well‑being and satisfaction of each individual.

Turion Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Turion Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.