Mission Operations Systems Engineer

Sateliot is a Barcelona-based satellite company with one goal: connect everything, everywhere. Founded in 2018, we've built the first satellite constellation that lets standard commercial devices communicate directly from space. Our technology bridges the gaps that terrestrial networks will never reach, bringing affordable and secure connectivity to industries, governments, and communities across the planet.

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About the team & this role

The Mission and Systems Engineering team designs Sateliot's satellites end to end and supports their most critical early-orbit phases: LEOP and commissioning. This role connects spacecraft design, flight software, AIT, ground segment and the flight-control team. During consolidated design, you will turn the Mission ConOps into validated operational products, including requirements, databases, procedures, flight rules, end-to-end tests, simulations, rehearsals and readiness evidence. After launch, you will support LEOP and Commissioning execution until handover to the Operations team.

What you'll do

• Spacecraft operability: consolidate operational concept based on inter-satellite links, operational modes, on-board autonomy and FDIR, ensuring critical states are observable, controllable and recoverable through defined interfaces with ground.

• Build the operational baseline: own the operations handbook, FOP catalogue, flight rules, mission database requirements, constraints, configuration control and handover to routine Operations.

• Prepare procedures and propulsion activities: with subsystem and Flight Dynamics engineers, define spacecraft configuration, command sequences, expected telemetry, readiness criteria, hold and abort criteria, contingency actions and post-manoeuvre assessment.

• Validate operational readiness: coordinate end-to-end tests and operations rehearsal, validating procedures against the MCS and the available test environments, leading to Operational Readiness Review evidence.

• Support LEOP and commissioning: elaborate and execute LEOP and commissioning plans as system-level representative, until handover to routine Operations.

What you bring

• Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Telecommunications, Physics or a related discipline.

• Relevant experience: 4+ years in spacecraft systems and mission-operations engineering.

• Critical-phase operations experience: experience supporting at least one LEOP, commissioning campaign or comparable critical mission phase from a Mission Control Centre or engineering-support position.

• Operational product development: experience developing and validating FOPs, flight rules, TM/TC databases, MCS displays, alarms, end-to-end tests or operational simulations.

• System-level judgement: understanding of spacecraft subsystem interactions and the ability to diagnose and communicate problems methodically during critical activities.

• Configuration discipline: clear technical writing, rigorous configuration control and concise communication of recommendations, assumptions and risks.
  

Preferred experience:

• Continuous-connectivity operations: experience defining, validating or supporting spacecraft operations with continuous or near-continuous TM/TC via GEO relay or inter-satellite links, including handovers, service loss, reacquisition and routing.

• Electric-propulsion manoeuvres: experience planning, rehearsing or supporting manoeuvres in LEO; Hall-effect thruster experience is valued.

• Spacecraft systems knowledge: subsystems operational knowledge; familiarity with ECSS PUS services, onboard control procedures, CCSDS packet services and CFDP.

• Automation and analysis: experience with Python, spacecraft simulators or hardware-in-the-loop environments; familiarity with warm-redundant avionics and autonomous FDIR is also valued.

Additional requirements

• English proficiency: professional working proficiency in written and spoken English.

• Location: based in Barcelona, or able to relocate; this is an on-site role at our Barcelona headquarters.

• Operational availability: availability for temporary shift work during LEOP, commissioning, end-to-end tests and rehearsals, with occasional travel to ground-segment or test sites. This is not a permanent routine-operations shift role.

How we work

We lead with humility, move fast, and take ownership. We collaborate without ego and measure ourselves by real impact, not titles or hierarchy. We hire people who already live these values.

What we offer

• Real impact on one of Europe’s most ambitious space projects.

• Growth: we cover 50% of courses or master’s degrees (up to 5% of your salary), plus Spanish and Catalan classes.

• Health & balance: 50% on private health insurance and Urban Sports Club, a flexible schedule, and hybrid work, we focus on results, not hours.

• Flexible Compensation: flexible compensation through Cobee (meal, transport, kindergarten).

• A truly global team: 20+ nationalities building something genuinely new - and genuinely nice to work with. Great vibes, real teamwork.

• A real welcome: a dedicated buddy from day one.

• Life outside work: we organize leisure and sports activities both during and outside working hours - because great teams connect beyond the screen.

• Catering: if you don't have time to cook, we partner with a catering company so a freshmeal is sorted, no need to think about it.

• Parking: on-site parking at the office, with Sateliot covering 50% of the cost - plus free bike parking if you prefer to pedal in.

Sound like you?

Apply now!

Sateliot is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs, without discrimination on the basis of any legally protected characteristic.