Senior Satellite Operations Subject Matter Expert

<h2>Overview</h2> <p>Stellar Solutions, a nationally recognized <em>Great Place to Work</em>, 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.</p> <p> </p> <p>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.</p> <p> </p> <p>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.</p> <h2>Role/Responsibilities/Qualifications</h2> <p>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.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>In this role, the successful candidate will:</strong></p> <ul> <li> 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</li> <li> Drive development and stand-up of the Satellite Operations Control Center (SOCC), including operational architecture, tooling, procedures, staffing model, shift structure, and operational                 readiness</li> <li> 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</li> <li> 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</li> <li> 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</li> <li> Provide senior advisory support on operational concept development, operations engineering, automation strategy, anomaly response posture, and constellation-scale operability considerations</li> <li> 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</li> <li> 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</li> <li> Mentor and guide internal flight operations staff and contributing engineers, transferring institutional knowledge and helping mature the customer's organic operations capability</li> <li> 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</li> </ul> <h2>Required Skills:</h2> <ul> <li> Minimum 15+ years of experience in satellite operations, with demonstrated depth in <em>both</em> system build-up (operations engineering, SOCC stand-up, procedure development, operational                 readiness) and on-orbit operations (LEOP, commissioning, routine ops, anomaly resolution)</li> <li> 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</li> <li> Hands-on experience with command and control, telemetry processing, mission planning and scheduling, flight dynamics interfaces, and anomaly management in operational environments</li> <li> Experience defining and driving flight operations performance management programs, including KPI definition, measurement, reporting, and continuous improvement</li> <li> Experience conducting operational risk and readiness assessments and presenting findings to executive program leadership</li> <li> Strong understanding of ground segment architectures and the interfaces between satellite operations, payload operations, and network/service operations functions</li> <li> Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical and operational issues clearly to executive, engineering, and external stakeholders</li> <li> Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, high-accountability environment and to navigate ambiguity during periods of organizational change</li> <li> Must be eligible to access export-controlled information in accordance with U.S. Government regulations</li> </ul> <h2>Desired Skills:</h2> <ul> <li> Direct experience with LEO communications constellations or other high-cadence, multi-satellite operational programs</li> <li> Experience standing up or significantly transforming a SOCC, including integration with Payload Management Center (PMC) and Payload Control System (PCS) functions</li> <li> Experience supporting LEOP and commissioning campaigns as a senior operations lead or flight director</li> <li> Experience leading or supporting flight operations through major organizational transitions, including mergers, acquisitions, or transfers of operational responsibility</li> <li> Experience with operations automation, autonomy, and constellation-scale operability practices</li> <li> Prior leadership of flight operations organizations, including hiring, shift design, training, and certification programs</li> </ul> <h2>Education:</h2> <ul> <li> Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related STEM discipline required</li> <li> Master's degree preferred</li> </ul> <p><strong>Location: </strong>(hybrid; can be remote as well)</p> <h2>Deliverable(s)</h2> <p>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.</p>