Mission Operations Engineer – Ground Systems

LHH; Albuquerque, Santa Fe (NM, NM); On-site; USD 105,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous employer contributions to the

Benefits package

Job summary

LHH is seeking a Mission Operations Engineer – Ground Systems to design, test, and operate ground systems supporting high‑altitude flight operations. You will develop automation, manage Linux‑based environments, and assist in pre‑flight readiness and post‑flight analysis.

The ideal candidate combines hands‑on technical skill with collaboration across hardware, software and mission teams in a fast‑paced aerospace setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, electrical, mechanical, software, computer engineering, or related physical science.
• Five plus years of experience in ground control system design, testing, or related aerospace roles.
• Strong Linux skills and basic system administration experience.
• Proficiency in at least one scripting language such as Python or Ruby.
• Experience writing and maintaining test scripts, validation code, and internal UI tools.
• Understanding of human‑factor principles for operator interface design.
• Experience analyzing complex datasets and supporting verification and validation efforts.
• Ability to work in fast‑paced, cross‑disciplinary engineering environments.

Responsibilities

• Automate test procedures, capture results, and document anomalies.
• Develop operator‑friendly interfaces for monitoring system health and telemetry.
• Support Test Readiness Reviews and cross‑functional testing activities.
• Write scripts and validation tools to verify system functionality.
• Build UI elements for test and simulation tools.
• Submit and track software change requests.
• Manage test environments, including hardware, software, and networking.
• Support distributed ground systems and ensure uptime.
• Interface with RF hardware and software‑defined radios.
• Validate signal processing and communications behavior.
• Use or develop simulation tools to analyze system behavior.
• Integrate simulation outputs into acceptance and verification workflows.
• Support and troubleshoot BLOS communication systems, addressing latency and link quality.

Skills

Linux

Python

Ruby

Test scripting

UI tool development

Data analysis

Operator interface design

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

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

Tools

SDR hardware

RF hardware

Job description

Mission Operations Engineer – Ground Systems

Location: Eastern, NM

Employment Type: Full Time, Exempt

About the Opportunity

LHH is partnering with an innovative, high‑growth aerospace technology company developing next‑generation stratospheric platforms for communications, imaging, and remote sensing. These high‑altitude lighter‑than‑air systems operate between 18 and 21 km, carrying advanced payloads for telecommunications, disaster response, environmental monitoring, Earth observation, and defense applications.

As this organization rapidly expands its mission operations team, we are seeking a Mission Operations Engineer – Ground Systems to support the design, development, testing, and operation of mission‑critical ground systems. This is an opportunity to join a mission‑driven engineering environment and contribute directly to breakthrough aerospace technologies.

Role Summary

The Mission Operations Engineer will play a key role in building, maintaining, and operating ground systems that support high‑altitude flight operations. This includes developing test tools and automation, managing Linux-based systems, supporting pre-flight readiness, operating consoles during missions, and participating in post‑flight analysis.

The ideal candidate is hands‑on, analytical, collaborative, and comfortable working across hardware, software, and mission operations teams in a fast‑paced environment.

What You’ll Do

Test Design and Execution

• Automate test procedures, capture results, and document anomalies
• Develop operator‑friendly interfaces for monitoring system health and telemetry
• Support Test Readiness Reviews and cross-functional testing activities

Scripting and Development

• Write scripts and validation tools to verify system functionality
• Build UI elements for test and simulation tools
• Submit and track software change requests

System Operations and Administration

• Manage test environments, including hardware, software, and networking
• Support distributed ground systems and ensure uptime

RF and SDR (Optional but Valuable)

• Interface with RF hardware and software-defined radios
• Validate signal processing and communications behavior

  Simulation and Visualization

  • Use or develop simulation tools to analyze system behavior
  • Integrate simulation outputs into acceptance and verification workflows

  Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) Systems

  • Support and troubleshoot BLOS communication systems
  • Address latency, data accuracy, and link quality challenges

  Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, electrical, mechanical, software, computer engineering, or related physical science
  • Five plus years of experience in ground control system design, testing, or related aerospace roles
  • Strong Linux skills and basic system administration experience
  • Proficiency in at least one scripting language such as Python or Ruby
  • Experience writing and maintaining test scripts, validation code, and internal UI tools
  • Understanding of human‑factor principles for operator interface design
  • Experience analyzing complex datasets and supporting verification and validation efforts
  • Ability to work in fast‑paced, cross‑disciplinary engineering environments

  Preferred Qualifications

  • Hands‑on experience with SDRs or RF hardware
  • Familiarity with simulation modeling and visualization tools
  • Experience with BLOS communications or related mission systems

  Soft Skills

  • Strong troubleshooting instincts and analytical mindset
  • Clear communicator who works well across teams
  • Detail‑oriented with strong documentation habits
  • Adaptable, proactive, and eager to learn
  • Collaborative, curious, and driven to innovate

  What We Offer

  This organization provides a unique engineering environment along with excellent workplace perks, including:

  • Generous employer contributions to benefits