Senior Spaceflight Operation Development Engineer

Are you ready to take your career to new heights? At D-Orbit, we're pioneering the future of space logistics and transportation. Established in 2011, our company is leading the way in helping businesses profitably and sustainably unlock the full potential of the final frontier. As a member of our team, you'll have the opportunity to work alongside a diverse group of highly skilled individuals, all driven by a shared passion for innovation and excellence. Join us in our global mission to push the boundaries of what's possible and take your ambition to new heights. Apply now and join us in shaping the future of space.

As a Spaceflight Operation Development Engineer, you will be involved in the design, development, verification, and validation of some of D-Orbit's most innovative space missions. Within this role, you will lead all pre-launch flight operations preparation activities for the missions that you will be assigned to. As part of your daily activities, you will coordinate activities to generate the required deliverables for the relevant academic, institutional or commercial stakeholders. Additionally, you will support the other internal teams at D-Orbit (such as Program Managers, design or V&V engineers) in the planning, design, analysis and/or verification of both space and ground systems. Due to the nature of this role, you will operate with autonomy to meet the goals of your area within the program and represent D-Orbit in front of customers, suppliers and partners whenever necessary.

While your primary focus will be in flight operations development, you may be required to contribute in any of the three pillars of the Flight Dynamics and Operations Development Team: Flight dynamics simulators and operational tools, Flight operations development, and Mission analysis studies.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Support the definition and analysis of top-level design and requirements for space and ground systems;
• Definition of detailed operational requirements;
• Design definition and analysis of operational concepts;
• Generation and maintenance of flight operations documentation including CONOPS, Operational Plans, Flight Operational Procedures, User Manuals, etc;
• Support architecture definition, analysis and decision-making processes for space and ground systems;
• Verification and validation of flight operations plans, processes and procedures;
• Support preparation, execution and reporting of Spacecraft Validation Test (SVT) and System Operational Validation (SOV) campaigns;
• Generate and maintain space and ground systems training material for the D-Orbit's Mission Control Centre;
• Plan and conduct training campaigns for D-Orbit's Mission Control Centre personnel;
• Provide technical support to D-Orbit's Mission Control Centre in executing operations as needed;
• Interface with all spacecraft subsystems and software teams to define use cases for on-ground and on-orbit operations;
• Support the generation of detailed program execution plans;
• Interface with external stakeholders (e.g. customers, suppliers, partners, institutions, regulators) representing D-Orbit's technical team within the frame of the assigned programs;

Job Requirements:

• Demonstrable experience in the preparation of flight operations throughout the whole lifecycle of space missions (preferably, LEO missions);
• Track record of multiple successful deliveries of milestone datapacks on quality and in time within the context of big institutional programs;
• Demonstrable experience in successfully driving technical activities involving the coordination of multiple external stakeholders;
• Demonstrable experience being the Operations Engineering point of contact/key person in front of external stakeholders;
• Solid knowledge of typical Space and Ground Segment architectural solutions;
• Demonstrable experience in the preparation of flight operations documentation;
• Demonstrable experience in spacecraft verification and validation campaigns;
• Experience supporting real-time flight operations in a Mission Control Centre environment;
• Familiarity with Mission Control Software architectures;
• Familiarity with typical spacecraft platform architectures;
• Solid knowledge of relevant space industry standards (e.g. ECSS or CCSDS);
• Solid knowledge of Python;
• Proactive attitude and ability to work in team and individually;
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly and effectively;
• Full professional proficiency in English;

Nice-to-Have Skills:

• Solid knowledge of Systems Engineering processes;
• Solid knowledge of Orbital and Attitude Dynamics;
• Familiarity with typical software development methodologies and versioning processes;
• Professional proficiency in Italian and English;

At D-Orbit, diversity and inclusivity are not just values, they are integral to our mission and the way we operate. We are committed to fostering an environment where all individuals are respected, valued, and celebrated for their unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace is not only the right thing to do, but it also leads to better decision-making, innovation, and overall success.

We actively strive to build a culture where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work, and where all voices are heard and valued. We are dedicated to creating a workplace where everyone feels safe, supported, and empowered to share their ideas, and where everyone is given equal opportunities to grow and excel. We believe that our differences make us stronger, and we will continue to work diligently to create an inclusive culture at D-Orbit that reflects this belief.