Spacecraft Operations Engineer

Serco has made significant contributions at ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, supporting a wide range of space missions and projects. Serco provides essential engineering, technical, and management services, playing a key role in logistics and operational support for missions. Their expertise in spacecraft operations, ground systems, and data processing has earned them recognition, including 'Best in Domain' awards from ESA. Their long-standing partnership with ESA reflects their commitment to excellence and innovation in the space sector, ensuring successful mission outcomes and advancing space exploration.

This service provides Operations Engineering support to ESA's Future Studies activities at ESOC, contributing to the feasibility, preliminary design, and operations preparation of future, experimental, and pre-operational missions. It supports ESA's OPS-O department in collaboration with institutional and private partners, helping define and validate operational concepts, procedures, and ground segment preparations for next-generation missions. The work includes active participation in concurrent engineering efforts to ensure mission readiness and operational excellence.

On behalf of our team in Germany, we are looking for an experienced Spacecraft Operations Engineer.
As Spacecraft Operations Engineer, you will concentrate your activities on the following:

• Primary areas of responsibility for this service are to participate in the ESA Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) studies, providing Ground Segment & Operations expertise to the studies, including the development of requested material for presenting during the session,s and contributing to the trade-off exercises
• The service team will also be involved in supporting pre-phase A to B1 Studies allocated to the unit (typically 1 or 2 per year), by providing Ground Segment and Operations expertise when required, developing operations assumptions, operability requirements, and operations cost estimates, and participating in progress meetings
• Operations Engineering Services may also be involved in supporting special projects or studies allocated to the uni,t providing Ground Segment and Operations expertise to non-traditional missions or non-traditional spacecraft (eg. cubesats)
• The service provider may be requested to assume the responsibility and perform activities for additional or bespoke subsystems or systems within the scope of general SOE services, including test, validation, and operation of the Mission Control System, Mission Planning System, and Simulator

The activities to be supported by the service are (depending on the phase of the mission):

• Study of Project-Specific Characteristics and Ground Segment Documentation
• Concurrent Engineering efforts for the preliminary and feasibility studies of missions and projects, including participation in "Concurrent Design Facility" sessions. 
• Preparation of Functional Requirements for the Project-Dedicated Flight Control Software 
• Support for phase pre-phase A and B1
• Development of operations assumptions, operability requirements 
• Assessment and production of Operations Cost estimates 
• Support for project progress meetings 
• Participation in the Analysis and Design of Satellite Operations 
• Preparation of Functional Requirements for the Project-Dedicated Flight Control Ground Facilities 
• Preparation of Flight Control and Contingency Procedures 
• Support for operations preparation, validation, and execution 
• Mission Management and Mission Planning Support

Do you think you are the person we are looking for?

Essential Requirements

• Good spacecraft subsystems knowledge
• Experience working in an operational environment
• Ability to understand and accurately predict the behaviour of complex systems
• Fluency in English, both in speech and writing
• Well-organised, able to prioritise and manage several activities in parallel
• Familiarity with programming/scripting languages (e.g., C++, Java, JavaScript, Visual Basic, Python)
• Familiarisation with both the space and ground segment and all their respective sub-systems.
• Familiarisation with general training schemes and methods

Desirable Requirements:

• Familiarity with the ESOC working environment and Quality Management System (QMS)
• Knowledge of satellite or ground operations
• Some experience dealing with external interfaces
• Familiarity with effective teamwork principles and team-building aspects

About Serco:

Serco is a leading Space Services Provider with thousands of skilled resources that has supported over 50 space missions on behalf of more than 10 Space or Government agencies around the globe, including the likes of ESA, CNES, EUMETSAT, EUSPA, ASI and NASA.

We offer space capabilities across the full space lifecycle from satellite testing to Launch services, LEOP to spacecraft operations, space surveillance to data management, and supporting downstream application development. With over 55 years history in the space sector Serco is well placed to contribute to National strategies across Europe and the globe

We work within the heart of the space sector so understand the challenges our customers face. When it comes to recruitment we are experts in sourcing the very best talent within space engineering, earth observation, satellite communications and cyber security.

We have placed hundreds of people from post graduates through to C-suite executives into space agencies, satellite operators, manufacturers, system integrators, consultancies, earth observation/remote sensing, launch providers and much more.

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