Operations & IT Support Co-ordinator

About Us

Space Operations New Zealand Ltd (trading as SpaceOps NZ) is New Zealand's premier commercial satellite ground station hosting provider, exclusively servicing Low Earth Orbit (LEO) spacecraft. As a wholly owned subsidiary of the Southland Regional Development Agency Ltd, we are a tight-knit, high-performing team of 12 dedicated professionals. We believe in a collaborative, "can-do" culture where every team member expands their expertise while maintaining a healthy work-life balance that accommodates family commitments and personal interests.

The Role

We are seeking a versatile Operations & IT Support Co-ordinator to join our team. This multi-faceted position splits time between cutting-edge system administration and hands-on outdoor field operations. You will maintain and develop our core operational technology (OT) and IT networks, support visiting international clients, and operate tracking antennas for space launch campaigns and orbital manoeuvres.

Please note: The position is initially based at our Invercargill head office, transitioning permanently to our Awarua Satellite Ground Station in January 2027.

Key Responsibilities

• Network Infrastructure: Manage, monitor, patch, and secure our critical networking infrastructure to ensure optimal routing and high security.

• Systems Administration: Administer the company's internal Office 365 environment, office IT, and software tools.

• Hardware Integration: Help install, configure, and troubleshoot customer-hosted equipment, and manage network assets using NetBox.

• Ground Station Operations: Participate in the physical setup of infrastructure, cabling, servers, and tracking antennas.

• Mission Support: Create operational plans and technical drawings (using AutoCAD/ProfiCAD) and operate antennas for launch events.

• Community & Events: Support our trade stands at domestic or global conferences and help host public/school outreach visits.

• On-Call Support: Participate in an on-call roster to clear faults quickly for mission-critical client operations.

Mandatory Requirements

• A recognized qualification in IT, Telecommunications, Engineering, or Radio Frequency (RF) systems (e.g., BTech or equivalent).

• A current, clean New Zealand driver’s licence.

• Strong English communication skills (minimum B2 level proficiency).

• Citizenship & Compliance: Due to export control laws, applicants must be citizens of an "export safe" country (such as NZ, Australia, UK, USA, Canada, Japan, or specific European nations). Ability to clear NZ national security clearance is highly preferred.

Highly Desirable Skills & Attributes

• Proven experience with routers, firewalls, and switches (Cisco Associate level, MikroTik Certification, or FortiGate systems).

• Experience using 2D CAD or electronic circuit simulation tools.

• Comfort working with basic electronic test equipment (multimeters, oscilloscopes).

• Adaptability to work both in a comfortable office setting and outdoors in sometimes inclement weather.

• A naturally curious mindset with strong problem-solving skills and a proactive attitude.

• Nice-to-haves: Experience with web development or social media management.

What We Offer

• The rare chance to launch your career directly into the global aerospace sector.

• Sponsored opportunities for international and online training to advance your specialized skill set.

• A friendly, collaborative team environment where flexibility and employee well-being are prioritized.