Orbit Operations Engineer

Reflect Orbital; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision coverage

HSA/FSA/401K access

Unlimited PTO

Healthy lunches provided daily

Job summary

Reflect Orbital is seeking an Orbit Operations Engineer in Hawthorne, CA, to own day-to-day spacecraft operations and build the operational infrastructure that keeps the fleet running smoothly.

You will monitor health, plan maneuvers, investigate anomalies, and develop automation and procedures while collaborating with engineering teams to shape CONOPS and fault management. This role demands high-ownership, real-time decision making, and on-call readiness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related STEM field.
• 3+ years of experience in satellite mission operations or a related field.
• Proficiency with mission control software such as OpenC3 COSMOS, Kratos EPOCH, or L3Harris InControl.
• Strong programming and scripting skills (Python, C++ preferred).
• Familiarity with Linux environments and command-line tools.
• Experience with DevOps tools (Git, Docker, CI/CD).
• Familiarity with RF systems, ground station operations, or link budgets.
• Experience developing operational requirements or CONOPS documentation.
• Strong troubleshooting skills and data-driven analysis.
• Clear written and verbal communication; calm under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Monitor real-time telemetry and spacecraft subsystem health
• Triage and investigate on-orbit anomalies end-to-end and document findings and lessons learned to improve fleet reliability
• Perform long-term telemetry trending and performance analysis to detect subsystem degradation, refine alarm limits, and inform operational and design decisions
• Plan and execute spacecraft maneuvers, station-keeping, and orbital adjustments
• Coordinate ground station passes and scheduling
• Support LEOP, bus and payload commissioning, and orbit-raising campaigns for new satellites, executing procedures and contributing to in-orbit test and checkout
• Develop, validate, and maintain operational procedures and command sequences
• Build automation for telemetry monitoring and alerting, pass scheduling, routine commanding, and anomaly detection and response
• Collaborate with spacecraft engineering teams to define CONOPS, fault management, and spacecraft procedures
• Support deployment and testing of ground software updates and infrastructure changes
• Validate procedures, command sequences, and automation against simulation and hardware-in-the-loop environments prior to on-orbit execution
• Define, validate, and maintain onboard FDIR and fault management responses
• Plan and execute operational readiness activities, including simulations and dress rehearsals
• Participate in 24/7 rotating shift work to meet mission needs

Skills

Sat Ops experience

Problem solving

Verbal written comms

High-pressure performance

Multi-satellite ops

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related STEM field

Tools

OpenC3 COSMOS

Kratos EPOCH

L3Harris InControl

Python

C++

Linux

Git

Docker

CI/CD

Job description

At Reflect, you will be expected to move fast, have a lot of ownership and, most importantly, be able to effect change. If this excites you, we are interested in hearing about your best work and accomplishments across any domain and from any points in your life.

About The Role

As an Orbit Operations Engineer, you'll own both the day-to-day operation of our spacecraft and the development of the operational infrastructure that makes it all work. This is a high-ownership role on a small, collaborative mission operations team. You won't just execute procedures, you'll write them, improve them, and help define how we operate as a company.

You'll monitor spacecraft health, investigate anomalies, plan maneuvers, and coordinate ground station passes. You'll also build and refine the tools, scripts, and processes that keep our future fleet running smoothly. As our constellation grows, you'll help shape operational strategies, maintain and update mission requirements, and drive continuous improvement across our satellite and ground segment.

Responsibilities

• Monitor real-time telemetry and spacecraft subsystem health
• Triage and investigate on-orbit anomalies end-to-end and document findings and lessons learned to improve fleet reliability
• Perform long-term telemetry trending and performance analysis to detect subsystem degradation, refine alarm limits, and inform operational and design decisions
• Plan and execute spacecraft maneuvers, station-keeping, and orbital adjustments
• Coordinate ground station passes and scheduling
• Support LEOP, bus and payload commissioning, and orbit-raising campaigns for new satellites, executing procedures and contributing to in-orbit test and checkout
• Develop, validate, and maintain operational procedures and command sequences
• Build automation for telemetry monitoring and alerting, pass scheduling, routine commanding, and anomaly detection and response
• Collaborate with spacecraft engineering teams to define CONOPS, fault management, and spacecraft procedures
• Support deployment and testing of ground software updates and infrastructure changes
• Validate procedures, command sequences, and automation against simulation and hardware-in-the-loop environments prior to on-orbit execution
• Define, validate, and maintain onboard FDIR and fault management responses
• Plan and execute operational readiness activities, including simulations and dress rehearsals
• Participate in 24/7 rotating shift work to meet mission needs

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related STEM field
• 3+ years of experience in satellite mission operations or a related field
• Solid understanding of spacecraft systems and subsystem interactions
• Proficiency with mission control software (e.g. OpenC3 COSMOS, Kratos EPOCH, L3Harris InControl, or similar)
• Strong programming and scripting skills (Python, C++ preferred)
• Familiarity with Linux environments and command-line tools
• Experience with DevOps tools and practices (Git, Docker, CI/CD)
• Familiarity with RF systems, ground station operations, or link budgets
• Experience developing operational requirements or CONOPS documentation
• Strong troubleshooting skills, with experience using data analysis to diagnose complex systems
• Clear written and verbal communication skills
• Sound judgment and composure in real-time, high-pressure operational environments
• Experience operating multi-satellite constellations or fleets is a plus

Even if you don't meet 100% of the above qualifications, we are likely still interested in hearing from you. Hiring exceptional individuals is our #1 priority, and we believe that exceptional people often have highly unusual backgrounds.

We are also interested in carving out unique roles for unconventional people that we are excited about working with.

Benefits

Reflect Orbital’s success will hinge on our team, which is why our compensation and benefits plan is designed to reward our employees and support their families as generously as we’re able.

• Broad choice of medical/dental/vision coverage, Reflect covers 100% of each base-policy
• Access to HSA, FSA, and 401K
• Unlimited paid time off, two-weeks per year encouraged
• Healthy lunches provided daily

Equal Opportunity

Reflect Orbital is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Reflect Orbital is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

More About Reflect Orbital

Learn more about our team here.