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

Spacecraft Operations Engineer

Glasgow (Onsite with Hybrid Flexibility) | Visa Sponsorship available for experienced candidates

Are you an experienced Satellite Operations Engineer with a background in Earth Observation missions? We're looking for a Spacecraft Operations Engineer to join a growing space team supporting the operation, commissioning and delivery of satellite missions.

This is an opportunity to work directly with live spacecraft, from launch and commissioning through to routine mission operations, with responsibility for spacecraft monitoring, in-orbit testing, anomaly resolution and mission performance.

What you'll be doing:

• Lead satellite commissioning from launch through to nominal operations.
• Plan and execute in-orbit testing and validation activities.
• Command, monitor and maintain the health of live satellite missions.
• Support Earth Observation mission operations, planning and service delivery.
• Investigate and resolve in-orbit anomalies, identifying trends and preventative 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.

What we're looking for:

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

If you have hands-on experience operating Earth Observation satellites and want to play a key role in the successful delivery of missions from commissioning through to ongoing operations, we'd love to hear from you.

GCS is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.