Orbit Operations Engineer
External
Reflect-orbital · Hawthorne HqPrepare for this interview
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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, identifying and responding to anomalies early
- Plan and execute spacecraft maneuvers, station-keeping, and orbital adjustments
- Coordinate ground station passes, command uplink, and data downlink schedules
- Support launch campaigns and in-orbit testing for new satellites
- Develop, validate, and maintain operational procedures and command sequences
- Collaborate with spacecraft engineering teams to define CONOPS, fault management, and spacecraft procedures
- Support deployment and testing of ground software updates and infrastructure changes
- Plan and execute operational readiness activities, including simulations and dress rehearsals
- Participate in on-call rotation to support 24/7 mission needs
- Ideal Qualifications
- 4-6 years of professional experience in satellite mission operations, spacecraft control, or a related field
- Solid understanding of spacecraft systems and subsystem interactions
- Proficiency with mission control software (e.g., COSMOS, EPOCH, InControl, Intermission or similar)
- Strong programming and scripting skills (Python, FlightJAS, 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
- 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
Additional Information
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.
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