Satellite Platform Operations Engineer

Munich | Hybrid

About the Position

At constellr, we use thermal intelligence from space to understand what is happening on Earth - where, when and at scale. Our satellite constellation delivers high-resolution land surface temperature data, giving governments, defence organisations, commercial operators and global institutions the intelligence they need to monitor change, assess risk and make better-informed decisions.

From national security and critical infrastructure to agriculture and climate resilience, constellr turns temperature into actionable intelligence for a changing world.

Responsibilities

• Involve in the technical relationship with our Platform Provider: day-to-day management, coordination of platform activities, and escalation of platform issues on behalf of Flight Operations.
• Create, validate, and maintain platform Flight Operations Procedures (FOPs) and automation scripts, and keep them current as the platform and constellation evolve.
• Write and maintain platform contingency procedures, and rehearse them with the satellite operations function so recovery actions are proven before they are needed in flight.
• Own satellite platform configuration storage - the authoritative record of each spacecraft's platform configuration across the fleet.
• Plan and execute platform firmware and software updates in orbit, including rollback strategy and post-update verification.
• Provide platform inputs to the mission MIB / telemetry and command database, and verify correctness against the provider's specifications.
• Define platform Grafana dashboards and the alert set that go with them, so platform health is visible and off-nominal behaviour is caught automatically.
• Investigate platform anomalies end to end: triage, root cause, corrective action, and follow-up with the Platform Provider where needed.
• Participate in platform commissioning activities for each new satellite, and coordinate LEOP platform operations together with the Platform Provider.
• Write and maintain platform operations procedures and documentation, and build satellite platform operations content into our documentation tooling.
• Train the Flight Operations team on the platform and on Platform Provider ways of working, including flatsat operations (new FOPs, ADCS simulator, and similar test campaigns).
• Feed operational lessons learned back into platform design, procurement, and provider requirements as the constellation scales.

Requirements

Required:

• Degree in aerospace, electrical, or software engineering, physics, or a comparable technical field.
• 3+ years of hands-on satellite operations experience covering the spacecraft platform / bus - LEOP, commissioning, or routine operations of an operational mission.
• Practical knowledge of platform subsystems and their operational behaviour: ADCS, power, thermal, OBC and on-board software, and TT&C.
• Demonstrated experience writing and validating flight operations procedures and contingency procedures, and executing them against a real or simulated spacecraft.
• Working knowledge of telemetry and command databases (MIB / TM-TC database) and of satellite operations control systems.
• Scripting ability for operations automation and telemetry analysis (Python preferred).
• Experience with telemetry monitoring, dashboarding, and alert definition (Grafana or equivalent).
• Proven anomaly investigation skills: structured troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and closing the loop with corrective action.
• Experience working directly with an external platform supplier or prime as a technical counterpart.
• Strong technical documentation discipline and the ability to train and coach colleagues on procedures and tooling.
• Fluent English, and willingness to support critical operations phases (LEOP, commissioning, anomalies) outside standard working hours on a planned basis.

Nice to Have:

• Experience operating a multi-satellite constellation, and scaling procedures from one spacecraft to a fleet.
• Flatsat or engineering-model test campaign experience, including ADCS simulator work and FOP validation on hardware-in-the-loop setups.
• Experience with in-orbit firmware / on-board software update campaigns.
• Familiarity with CCSDS / ECSS packet standards and PUS services.
• Exposure to optical or thermal infrared Earth observation missions.
• Experience building operational automation, or driving a shift from manual to lights-out operations.
• Familiarity with documentation-as-code and wiki tooling (Confluence, Git-based docs).
• Experience with Git and Unix-based servers.
• German or French language skills, useful across our European sites.

We Offer

• High-Impact National Security Mission: Be part of an ambitious mission to launch the world’s first commercial thermal infrared constellation, delivering sovereign-grade "behavioural" intelligence from space to close critical blind spots for defence, intelligence, and maritime surveillance agencies.
• Fast-Paced "New Space" Innovation: Work at the leading edge of a rapidly evolving defence sector. By leveraging modern, agile New Space methodologies, you will help design, build, and deploy dual-use thermal payloads into operational orbit at a speed and scale that traditional aerospace models simply cannot match.
• Broad Interdisciplinary Exposure: Accelerate your professional growth by collaborating daily with a diverse, international cohort of astrophysicists, software developers, and defence-system engineers.
• Inclusive & Scientific Culture: Join a high-trust team deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and scientific excellence, where academic curiosity is paired with high autonomy and a flat hierarchy.
• Financial Upside & Well-being: Benefit from a Virtual Share Option Plan (VSOP) for permanent employees, giving you a true stake in the company's growth, alongside highly flexible hybrid working models.

About the Company

At constellr, we are dedicated to providing cutting-edge thermal intelligence from space. Our mission is to deliver high-resolution land surface temperature data, empowering governments, defence organisations, commercial operators, and global institutions to monitor change, assess risk, and make better-informed decisions. By leveraging modern, agile New Space methodologies, we are at the forefront of innovation in the defence sector, helping to design, build, and deploy dual-use thermal payloads into operational orbit at unprecedented speed and scale.