Spacecraft Operations Engineer

Location: Guildford, Cornwall, UK, TR27 5

Application Deadline: 2025-10-09

Company: Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL)

SSTL is a subsidiary of Airbus with over 40 years of heritage in space technologies, products, and services. This role is an exciting opportunity to join the Spacecraft Operations team, leading space missions from LEO to GEO and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Managing spacecraft operations work packages for new missions.
• Working with the System Engineer to understand and help shape CONOPS for future missions.
• Identification and communication of spacecraft operations requirements and constraints.
• Supporting internal and external milestone reviews for projects.
• Supporting ground-based spacecraft testing.
• Producing spacecraft operations handbooks.
• Defining, documenting, and testing operational procedures.
• Defining, documenting, and testing spacecraft commissioning procedures.
• Planning and managing spacecraft commissioning campaigns.
• Providing Customer Engineer support and training.
• Supporting operation of existing SSTL on-orbit assets.
• Routine monitoring and interaction with SSTL Spacecraft.
• Support anomaly investigation activities.
• Support Mission Services in responding to customer requests for operations support.
• Analysis of historical trend data for spacecraft health monitoring.
• Support to operations out of hours on-call activities.
• Supporting the Spacecraft Operations Centre infrastructure.
• Working with the Spacecraft Operations Team, Ground Software Team, and Ground Segments Team.

Qualifications, Knowledge & Skills

• Degree in Space engineering or similar.
• Good understanding of space and ground segment systems.
• Good understanding of orbital mechanics.
• Understanding of RF communications systems.
• Good team working skills and ability to interface with others at all levels.
• Excellent written documentation and communication skills.
• Attention to detail essential.
• Good organisation skills and able to prioritise own workload.
• Able to work autonomously and use own initiative.
• Proven ability to handle pressure and work to tight deadlines.
• Decision making and creative problem-solving skills.
• Flexible and able to work out of hours on occasion.
• Foreign travel for a number of weeks will be required during commissioning phases.
• Competence with MS Windows and its components.
• Good MS Office skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Able to demonstrate company mindsets and behaviours.

Location

The role is based in our Head Office in Guildford with support for hybrid working and flexible options.

Benefits

• 32 days Holiday plus Bank Holidays.
• Pension Scheme with Life Assurance.
• Private Medical & International Travel Insurance.
• Annual Bonus Scheme.
• Share Incentive Plan.
• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity & Shared Parental Pay.
• High Street Discount Scheme.

Visa Support

SSTL supports applications requiring a UK Skilled Worker Visa and sponsorship is available for this role. Relocation assistance is also available.

This job requires an awareness of potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company's success, reputation, and sustainable growth.

By submitting your CV or application, you consent to Airbus using and storing information about you for monitoring purposes relating to your application or future employment. Airbus is committed to achieving workforce diversity and creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome all applications irrespective of social and cultural background, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or religious belief.

Airbus is committed to equal opportunities for all and will never ask for any type of monetary exchange in the recruitment process.