Spacecraft Operations Engineer for Hera Mission

Start Date: January 2026

Location: ESOC, Darmstadt

Working hours: Full time, 40h/week

Submission deadline:

About LSE Space:

We are an independent provider of space services, covering the entire life cycle of space systems, as the main subsidiary of SSC's Engineering Services. Employing over 190 engineers, we provide services to the international space market, including support for all phases of a space mission or full service, operations, independent consulting and training. Are you fuelled by a passion for satellite operations and ready to embark on an exciting journey with us to help Earth benefit from space? If you answered yes to the question, we invite you to seize the opportunity to make a significant impact as a Spacecraft Operations Engineer.

We are seeking dynamic and individuals to join our HERA Flight Control Team and contribute to many exciting missions.

Security:

In line with security requirements for the concerned missions of this position, the preference is that the candidate should hold an EU citizenship. Evidence of eligibility will be required from candidates as part of the recruitment process. Furthermore, in view of the nature of the work the company is in, all potential employees will undergo stringent reference and identity checks.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering, mathematics or physics.
• Fully proficient in Spacecraft System knowledge, with proven experience in an operational environment.
• Experience with Power and Thermal and/or TT&C Subsystems is an advantage.
• Good knowledge of SCOS-2000 mission control systems.
• In depth knowledge of relevant Standards and Protocols (CCSDS and ECSS PUS).
• Familiarity with File Based Operations is an advantage.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Execute routine and special operational procedures across all mission phases.
• Develop, validate, maintain, and update flight operational procedures, adhering strictly to configuration control standards.
• Support ground segment and spacecraft testing.
• Take ownership of specific Ground Segment infrastructure components, ensuring their maintenance and operational availability.
• Monitor daily performance and health of the spacecraft and associated ground systems, identifying trends and diagnosing anomalies.
• Contribute to the preparation and execution of critical mission campaigns.
• Create and maintain Flight Operations System (FOS) documentation.
• Draft and validate Operational Database change requests.
• Participate in on-call duty rotations, providing responsive support during non-nominal situations.
• Provide technical inputs and recommendations to the Lead Engineer.
• Perform trending and performance analysis on the corresponding subsystems and instruments, including definition and possibly prototyping of additional analysis checks where necessary.
• Identification and support to the implementation of system and process improvements.
• Review space to ground interface specifications and flight operations manuals.
• Perform regular Mission Planning activities end-to-end, i.e. preparing, checking and performing the uplink to the spacecraft.

Benefits

• Thriving Environment: A growing and international environment with diverse backgrounds to learn from, with a lot of social events.
• Work-Life Balance: Take advantage of our relocation support and 30 days of paid vacation.
• Develop yourself: Enjoy permanent employment with diverse opportunities for growth, with our training program and a German language course.
• Well being: Prioritize your well-being with access to our gym program, bike lease program, and company doctor services.
• Supportive Workplace: Experience our open-door policy and ISO 9001-certified workplace, where your voice is valued and your contributions recognized
• Rewards and Incentives: Receive a competitive salary, bonus scheme, deferred compensation scheme and sponsored public transportation tickets.

Our Values:

Customer Passion - Collaboration - Care - Curiosity - Courage

In particular this means we always put our customers' needs at the forefront of everything we do. We aspire to a high level of customer passion. Our policy, as a fair and loyal partner, is to focus on our customers' goals and generate innovative solutions tailored to the project. Collaboration is the key to our success – one for all and all for one. We care for our people and try to make everything happen – for our employees AND our customers. Only with a high employee well-being our success is possible. We are reliable and result-oriented all the way and we always strive to deliver better than expected. This approach is essential for the benefit of both our clients and teams. As a result, we are able to preserve a spirit of trust and fairness between customers, partners and employees.

LSE Space is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Please submit your application and all accompanying documents in English.

This position is offered by LSE Space GmbH. Please be informed that the processing of your personal data in connection with this application will be governed by the data privacy policy applicable to LSE Space GmbH under German law. You can access the full privacy notice here: ).