Senior Orbit Operations Engineer — Lead Spacecraft Ops

Reflect Orbital; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision coverage

HSA/FSA/401K

Unlimited PTO

Healthy lunches

Job summary

Reflect Orbital seeks a Senior Orbit Operations Engineer to own day-to-day spacecraft operations and the supporting infrastructure. You will write and improve procedures, monitor health, analyze anomalies, plan maneuvers, and coordinate ground passes.

You’ll build automation and mentor junior operators as the fleet grows. You will lead real-time shifts, perform anomaly investigations, and drive reliability through data-driven trends and robust flight rules.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related STEM field.
• 5+ years of experience in satellite mission operations or related field.
• Solid understanding of spacecraft systems and subsystem interactions.
• Experience working on-orbit anomalies to root cause.
• Proficiency with mission control software (OpenC3 COSMOS, 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.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Sound judgment and composure in real-time operational environments.
• LEOP or commissioning experience on a flown mission is a plus.
• Experience operating multi-satellite constellations or fleets is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead shifts for real-time operations, including telemetry monitoring, command decisions, and anomaly response.
• Lead on-orbit anomaly investigations to root cause 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 decisions.
• Plan and lead spacecraft maneuvers, station-keeping, and orbital adjustments.
• Lead LEOP, bus and payload commissioning, and orbit-raising campaigns for new satellites.
• Develop, validate, and maintain operational procedures, flight rules, and command sequences.
• Build automation for telemetry monitoring and alerting, pass scheduling, and anomaly detection and response.
• Collaborate with spacecraft engineering teams to define CONOPS, fault management, and onboard FDIR responses.
• Plan and lead operational readiness activities, including simulations and dress rehearsals.
• Mentor and train operations engineers.
• Participate in 24/7 rotating shift work to meet mission needs.

Skills

Mission operations

Python

C++

Linux

DevOps (Git, Docker, CI/CD)

Ground station operations

CONOPS

Education

Bachelors in Aerospace, Electrical or CS

Tools

OpenC3 COSMOS

L3Harris InControl

Git

Docker

CI/CD

Job description

Reflect Orbital seeks a Senior Orbit Operations Engineer to own day-to-day spacecraft operations and the supporting infrastructure. You will write and improve procedures, monitor health, analyze anomalies, plan maneuvers, and coordinate ground passes.

You’ll build automation and mentor junior operators as the fleet grows. You will lead real-time shifts, perform anomaly investigations, and drive reliability through data-driven trends and robust flight rules.