AOCS Spacecraft Operations Engineer for the BepiColombo Mission (f/m/d)

Description

Start Date: January 2027

Location: ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany

Requirement: EU Citizenship

Working hours: Full time, 40h/week

Submission deadline: 2026-09-30

About SSC Space:

Welcome to SSC Space – the perfect workplace for those passionate about technology in general and space in particular. With space organizations, research institutes, institutional and commercial actors as customers, we offer specialist expertise in satellite communications, space consulting services, rocket and balloon systems, flight test services, satellite propulsion systems, and much more.

SSC also has one of the world’s largest global networks of ground stations for satellite communications. We own and operate the Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, northern Sweden, with the aim of launching satellites in the near future.

Are you fueled by a passion for people and the ambition to create an awesome workplace? Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey with us to help earth benefit from space?

If you answered yes to the question, we invite you to seize the opportunity to make a significant impact as an AOCS Spacecraft Operations Engineer to join our BepiColombo Flight Control Team. We are looking for a dedicated person who shares our core values of Customer passion, Care, Collaboration, Curiosity, and Courage.

Security:

In line with security requirements for the concerned missions of this position, the candidate has to hold a European citizenship. Evidence of eligibility will be required from candidates as part of the recruitment process. Furthermore, in view of the nature of the work the company is in, all potential employees will undergo stringent reference and identity checks. Requirements

• Proven working experience in the field of AOCS or GNC.
• In flight validation or AIT experience would be an advantage.
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, mathematics or physics.
• Strong understanding of mathematics and physics (attitude/orbit dynamics in particular)
• Proficiency on spacecraft systems
• Proven experience in an operational environment would be an advantage
• Knowledge of relevant Standards and Protocols (CCSDS and ECSS PUS)
• Highly self-motivated and capable of working independently
• Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary team.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Perform the operations for the AOCS subsystem, while also supporting payloads and/or secondary subsystems as needed.
• Execute routine and special operational procedures across all mission phases.
• Develop, validate, maintain, and update flight operational procedures, adhering strictly to configuration control standards.
• Support ground segment and spacecraft testing.
• Take ownership of specific Ground Segment infrastructure components, ensuring their maintenance and operational availability.
• Monitor daily performance and health of the spacecraft and associated ground systems, identifying trends and diagnosing anomalies.
• Contribute to the preparation and execution of critical mission campaigns.
• Create and maintain Mission Documentation.
• Draft and validate Operational Database change requests.
• Participate in on-call duty rotations, providing responsive support during non-nominal situations.
• Provide technical inputs and recommendations to the Lead Engineer.
• Perform trending and performance analysis on the corresponding subsystems and instruments, including definition and possibly prototyping of additional analysis checks where necessary.
• Identification and support to the implementation of system and process improvements.
• Review space to ground interface specifications and flight operations manuals.
• Perform regular Mission Planning activities end-to-end, i.e. preparing, checking and performing the uplink to the spacecraft.
• In case of request, operate the spacecraft in the Control Room
• Take ownership of specific Ground Segment infrastructure components, ensuring their maintenance and operational availability.

Benefits

What we offer:

• Thriving Environment: A growing and international environment with diverse backgrounds to learn from, with a lot of social events.
• Work-Life Balance: Take advantage of our relocation support and 30 days of paid vacation.
• Develop yourself: Enjoy permanent employment with diverse opportunities for growth, with our training program and a German language course.
• Well being: Prioritize your well-being with access to our gym program, bike lease program, and company doctor services.
• Supportive Workplace: Experience our open-door policy and ISO 9001-certified workplace, where your voice is valued and your contributions recognized
• Rewards and Incentives: Receive a competitive salary, bonus scheme, deferred compensation scheme and sponsored public transportation tickets.

Our Values:

SSC Space is a leading global provider of advanced space services, with more than 50 years of experience. We help space organizations, research institutes, commercial and institutional actors from all over the world to get access to space.

With local presence on all continents and about 750 committed employees, we offer specialist expertise in satellite communications and satellite control services, spacecraft operations, rocket and balloon systems, launch services and flight test services, as well as engineering, operations and consultancy services for space missions.

We help Earth benefit from space. Learn more at sscspace.com

Please submit your application and all supporting documents in English.