Satellite Operations Engineer — Earth Observation Missions

GCS Recruitment; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

GCS Recruitment in Glasgow is seeking a Spacecraft Operations Engineer to join a growing space team supporting operation, commissioning and delivery of satellite missions.

You will work with live spacecraft from launch through routine mission ops, monitor health, perform in-orbit testing, and resolve anomalies, while improving automation and procedures. Visa sponsorship is available for experienced candidates.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in satellite/spacecraft operations.
• Earth Observation mission experience preferred.
• Hands-on experience with commissioning, in-orbit testing, monitoring or anomaly resolution.
• Understanding of ground segment systems, mission planning and telemetry/telecommand.
• Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills.
• Experience with Python or scripting for automation is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of flight dynamics, constellation management or RF/DSP would be advantageous.
• Excellent technical documentation and stakeholder communication skills.
• Willingness to support out‑of‑hours and on‑call mission operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead satellite commissioning from launch through nominal operations.
• Plan and execute in-orbit testing and validation activities.
• Command, monitor and maintain health of live satellite missions.
• Support Earth Observation mission operations, planning and service delivery.
• Investigate and resolve in-orbit anomalies, identify trends and preventive actions.
• Develop and maintain operational procedures, technical documentation and reports.
• Support ground testing, operations rehearsals and mission readiness activities.
• Work with ground segment and engineering teams to improve automation and operational efficiency.
• Monitor mission KPIs and contribute to continuous improvement.

Skills

Satellite operations

Earth Observation

Satellite commissioning

In-orbit testing

Telemetry/telecommand

Automation scripting

Flight dynamics

RF/DSP

Documentation & communication

On-call support

Job description

GCS Recruitment in Glasgow is seeking a Spacecraft Operations Engineer to join a growing space team supporting operation, commissioning and delivery of satellite missions.

You will work with live spacecraft from launch through routine mission ops, monitor health, perform in-orbit testing, and resolve anomalies, while improving automation and procedures. Visa sponsorship is available for experienced candidates.