Network Operations Engineer

Spaceflux Ltd; Town of Italy (NY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Spaceflux is seeking a Network Operations Engineer to help run our worldwide sensor network and keep it healthy around the clock. You’ll be the second operator alongside our Network Operations Manager, monitoring the network, diagnosing faults, and ensuring telescopes and data flow without interruption.

You’ll help build procedures, monitoring, and tooling so the system runs reliably and can scale across time zones.

Qualifications

• Experience operating an always-on, remotely-run technical system.
• Ability to troubleshoot PCs and remote-access systems and diagnose connectivity/logging issues.
• Comfort with flexible, observing-driven hours across time zones and a defined rota.

Responsibilities

• Monitor the sensor network throughout the daily operational cycle and participate in a shared rota.
• Diagnose and fix first-line faults—remote restarts, roof/dome recovery, connectivity, control-system issues.
• Coordinate with on-site teams and specialists when remote recovery isn't possible, providing clear diagnostics and follow-up.
• Run incident response in the monitoring platform and maintain a clear record.

Skills

Remote troubleshooting

Monitoring tools

Basic networking

Logs analysis

Tools

Remote access tools

Diagnostic software

Job description

About Spaceflux
Spaceflux keeps watch over space. We operate a growing global network of optical sensors that track satellites and debris in orbit, giving governments, defence and commercial customers the space-domain-awareness data they need to operate safely. Our telescopes run every clear night, from Chile to Australia to Europe, and we’re scaling fast – toward 25+ sites and new sensor types – as we grow through our next funding stage.

We’re a small, hands-on, fast-moving team where what you do is visible the next morning in the data.

Role Overview
We’re looking for a Network Operations Engineer to help run our worldwide sensor network and keep it healthy around the clock. You’ll be the second operator alongside our Network Operations Manager – watching the network, catching and fixing faults, and making sure every telescope is doing what it should be when it should be.

This is the operational heartbeat of the company: if a roof doesn’t close, a telescope stops observing, or data stops flowing, you’re one of the people who spots it and sorts it. It’s a role for someone who genuinely enjoys operating real, physical, always-on systems – and who takes pride in a network that simply works.

You’ll join when there’s a lot to build: the procedures, the monitoring, the Rota and the tooling that let a global network run reliably without depending on any one person. There’s a clear path to grow from running operations into helping design how they’re run.

What you’ll do

• Monitor the sensor network throughout the daily operational cycle and take part in a fair shared out-of-hours/weekend rota, ensuring telescopes and sensors are operating correctly and data continues to flow.
• Make sensible open/close calls in marginal weather to protect the hardware while maximising observing time.
• Diagnose and fix faults first-line – remote restarts, roof/dome recovery, connectivity and control-system issues – and pull in the right specialist when a problem needs hardware, software or logistics help.
• Coordinate with on-site teams and technical specialists around the world when remote recovery is not possible, providing clear diagnostics, instructions and follow-up until the sensor is operational again.
• Run incident response in our monitoring platform: spot it, log it, drive it to resolution or elevate it cleanly, and keep a clear record.
• Step up to cover the daily operations rhythm – the morning check-in and the network status report – so the network is dependably supported.
• Help turn how we operate into written procedures and better tooling, so the whole team gets sharper over time.

What we’re looking for

• Hands-on experience operating an always-on, remotely-run technical system – ideally a telescope or optical-sensor network, but equally a satellite ground segment / mission-operations role, a network operations centre, or similar.
• Comfortable troubleshooting PCs, remote-access systems, basic networking/connectivity issues, logs and monitoring tools.
• A practical, adaptable problem-solver who is comfortable investigating unfamiliar issues independently, knows when to keep troubleshooting and when to elevate, and can remain effective when priorities change quickly.
• Comfort with flexible, observing-driven hours across time zones, within a sensible, sustainable rota.

Nice to have

• Practical experience with amateur or professional telescopes, observatory automation, astronomical cameras or remote observatory operation.
• Experience of on-call / shift / rota cover for an operational service.
• The confidence to deputise – to run a daily stand-up, take decisions and communicate clearly.
• Working Italian (our network-operations team is Italy-based; English is the working requirement, Italian is a plus).

The working pattern

Our network runs at night, across the world – so this role involves some non-standard hours and a share of weekend/out-of-hours cover, organised through a fair, defined rota. It is not an always-on, never-switch-off role: we’re building sustainable cover precisely so no one carries it alone. If you like the rhythm of operational work and the quiet focus of keeping a live system healthy, you’ll enjoy it.

What we offer

A pivotal role in a mission-driven space company at a genuine inflection point.

• Real ownership and visible impact from day one, in a small team with no bureaucracy.
• The chance to grow with the network – from operating it to helping design how it’s run.

Remote working from Italy, employed through Spaceflux Italia Srl, with competitive compensation commensurate with experience.

Spaceflux is an equal-opportunity employer. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to building an inclusive team.