Mission Operations Engineer

Darwin Recruitment; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace company in Albuquerque is seeking a full-time Operations Engineer to ensure the reliability and performance of mission-critical ground systems. The role involves automating test procedures, managing test environments, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in a related field and 5+ years of experience in ground control system design or testing. Strong Linux skills and proficiency in scripting are essential. This position offers an exciting opportunity to directly impact operational performance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience in ground control system design and/or testing.
• Experience testing aerospace systems.
• Experience writing, auditing, and maintaining test scripts and validation code.

Responsibilities

• Automate test procedures and capture results.
• Document anomalies and support resolution efforts.
• Manage and maintain hardware and software test environments.

Skills

Linux skills

Scripting (Python, Ruby)

Human-centered design principles

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, software, or related physical science

Tools

Software-defined radio systems

Job description

Operations Engineer – Ground Systems

We are seeking a full-time Operations Engineer to support the development, maintenance, and operation of mission-critical ground systems for an advanced aerospace platform. This role is central to ensuring the reliability, performance, and safety of both hardware and software systems that enable flight operations.

The engineer will collaborate closely with mission operations, software, and multidisciplinary engineering teams to design, build, test, and operate next-generation ground infrastructure. Responsibilities include supporting pre-flight planning, real-time console operations during missions, and post-mission data analysis.

This position is ideal for an engineer who thrives in a fast-paced, hands-on environment and wants to directly impact operational performance and system reliability.

Key Responsibilities

Test Design & Execution

• Automate test procedures and capture results
• Document anomalies and support resolution efforts
• Develop operator-facing interfaces to monitor telemetry and system health

Scripting & Development

• Author scripts or test applications to validate system functionality and performance
• Create UI components for internal tools and simulators
• Submit and support software change requests during feature validation cycles

System Operations & Administration

• Manage and maintain hardware and software test environments
• Perform system administration on Linux-based platforms
• Apply networking expertise to support distributed ground system architectures

RF & Communications (Preferred)

• Interface with RF hardware and software-defined radio systems
• Validate communications links and signal processing functionality

Simulation & Visualization

• Develop or utilize modeling and visualization tools to simulate system behavior
• Integrate simulation results into system acceptance and validation processes

Beyond-Line-of-Sight Systems

• Support and troubleshoot long-range communication systems
• Address latency, data integrity, and distributed operations challenges

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, software, computer engineering, or related physical science
• 5+ years of professional experience in ground control system design and/or testing
• Experience testing aerospace systems
• Strong Linux skills with basic system administration experience
• Proficiency in at least one scripting language (e.g., Python or Ruby)
• Experience writing, auditing, and maintaining test scripts, validation code, and internal UI tools
• Understanding of human-centered interface design principles
• Experience analyzing and aggregating large datasets
• Ability to interpret requirements and demonstrate verification and validation methods