Senior Satellite Operations Subject Matter Expert

Overview

Stellar Solutions, a nationally recognized Great Place to Work, has exciting opportunities providing engineering solutions for innovative new-entrant space companies, as well as established space systems manufacturers, commercial space system operators and service providers, and other industry stakeholders including investors. At Stellar Solutions, we offer talented, energetic, and immediately productive resources to satisfy our customers' critical needs in systems engineering and integration, mission operations, program management, and strategic planning. We are a leading service and expertise provider for high-tech commercial ventures, spanning communications, earth observation, and remote sensing systems and data products, to the infrastructures that support Earth-orbiting and beyond-Earth-orbit businesses. Stellar Solutions is searching for a Senior Satellite Operations Subject Matter Expert to serve as the customer's directly responsible individual (DRI) for the oversight and build-out of satellite flight operations systems supporting a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) communications constellation. This role provides senior advisory leadership across all phases of the operations lifecycle — from system build-up through Launch and Early Orbit (LEOP), commissioning, and steady-state on-orbit operations — and serves as a trusted technical authority to customer program and executive leadership during a period of significant organizational transition. Role/Responsibilities/Qualifications The ideal candidate brings extensive hands-on experience across both satellite system build-up and on-orbit operations, with the strategic perspective to shape an end-to-end flight operations capability and the technical depth to drive disciplined execution. This individual must be a credible senior advisor, an effective communicator across executive and engineering audiences, and a proactive leader capable of identifying risk, framing options, and driving decisions in a fast-moving, high-stakes program environment. In this role, the successful candidate will: Serve as the customer's DRI for the oversight and build-out of satellite flight operations systems across all mission phases, including pre-launch readiness, LEOP, commissioning, and routine on- orbit operations for a LEO communications constellation Drive development and stand-up of the Satellite Operations Control Center (SOCC), including operational architecture, tooling, procedures, staffing model, shift structure, and operational readiness Lead the technical integration of the SOCC with adjacent ground and mission systems, including the Payload Management Center (PMC) and Payload Control System (PCS), ensuring coherent end-to-end command, telemetry, scheduling, and anomaly workflows across the satellite and payload domains Develop and execute a flight operations performance management plan, defining key performance indicators, measurement methodologies, reporting cadence, and continuous improvement mechanisms to drive operational maturity over time Conduct a structured assessment of critical aspects of flight operations to identify risks, gaps, and opportunities in advance of and through major organizational transitions, presenting findings and recommendations to executive program leadership Provide senior advisory support on operational concept development, operations engineering, automation strategy, anomaly response posture, and constellation-scale operability considerations Engage with internal engineering, mission assurance, ground segment, software, and program management teams, as well as external suppliers and integration partners, to align flight operations build-out with broader program objectives and schedules Support operational readiness reviews and program gate reviews, ensuring that flight operations facilities, personnel, procedures, tooling, and interfaces are ready to proceed at each phase transition Mentor and guide internal flight operations staff and contributing engineers, transferring institutional knowledge and helping mature the customer's organic operations capability As workload and program priorities allow, extend scope to provide oversight and advisory support across the broader ground operations enterprise, including ground station network operations and mission support services Required Skills: Minimum 15+ years of experience in satellite operations, with demonstrated depth in both system build-up (operations engineering, SOCC stand-up, procedure development, operational readiness) and on-orbit operations (LEOP, commissioning, routine ops, anomaly resolution) Demonstrated experience serving as a senior technical authority or DRI for the build-out of a flight operations capability, including SOCC architecture, tooling selection, and integration with adjacent ground and payload systems Hands-on experience with command and control, telemetry processing, mission planning and scheduling, flight dynamics interfaces, and anomaly management in operational environments Experience defining and driving flight operations performance management programs, including KPI definition, measurement, reporting, and continuous improvement Experience conducting operational risk and readiness assessments and presenting findings to executive program leadership Strong understanding of ground segment architectures and the interfaces between satellite operations, payload operations, and network/service operations functions Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical and operational issues clearly to executive, engineering, and external stakeholders Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, high-accountability environment and to navigate ambiguity during periods of organizational change Must be eligible to access export-controlled information in accordance with U.S. Government regulations Desired Skills: Direct experience with LEO communications constellations or other high-cadence, multi-satellite operational programs Experience standing up or significantly transforming a SOCC, including integration with Payload Management Center (PMC) and Payload Control System (PCS) functions Experience supporting LEOP and commissioning campaigns as a senior operations lead or flight director Experience leading or supporting flight operations through major organizational transitions, including mergers, acquisitions, or transfers of operational responsibility Experience with operations automation, autonomy, and constellation-scale operability practices Prior leadership of flight operations organizations, including hiring, shift design, training, and certification programs Education: Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related STEM discipline required Master's degree preferred Location: (hybrid; can be remote as well) Deliverable(s) Deliver senior-level oversight and DRI leadership for the build-out of an end-to-end satellite flight operations capability, including SOCC development and integration with adjacent payload and ground systems, a flight operations performance management plan, and a structured operational risk and opportunity assessment supporting the customer through all mission phases and key organizational transitions. 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