Satellite Operations Engineer

SatVu is an emerging space technology company, recently securing significant funding from leading investors including Adara Ventures, Molten Ventures, Seraphim Space, Lockheed Martin, Contrarian Ventures and In-Q-Tel. We are the “World’s Thermometer,” delivering high-accuracy, high-frequency thermal datasets from space. Our cutting-edge technology and advanced analytics deliver invaluable insights across various sectors. While our long-term vision includes significant growth in climate and sustainability markets, our immediate focus is on capitalising on opportunities within the defence & intelligence/national security sectors. With the launch of HotSat-1 in June 2023, and HotSat-2 and HotSat-3 planned for 2026, we are poised for significant expansion.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic, high-growth organisation at a pivotal moment in its development. We are seeking a Satellite Operations Engineer to play a critical and pioneering role in transitioning satellite operations in-house. This unique position offers the opportunity to establish foundational operational capabilities and directly influence SatVu's future success.

The Role

As a Satellite Operations Engineer within our dedicated SatOps team, you will report directly to the Head of Satellite Operations. This position offers a substantial opportunity for professional growth and impact within a dynamic and rapidly growing company.

You will be instrumental in building and running our in-house satellite operations from the ground up. Initially, the successful candidate will be train on-site by our satellite manufacturer in Guildford. Here, you will collaborate closely with their Operations team to gain hands-on expertise and the necessary insights to effectively transition operations to SatVu.

You will collaborate closely with the wider SatOps, engineering teams and Programme Management.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical Operations (75%)

• Shadow and collaborate with the existing satellite operations contractor team during day-to-day activities.
• Participate in and support satellite commissioning activities hands-on, sitting alongside existing operators.
• Develop, update, and refine process documentation and operations handbooks, ensuring clarity and consistency.
• Learn the technical intricacies of the satellite architecture, including timing sheets, command templates, and ops toolchains.
• Support and troubleshoot ground system configurations and operational links, with an eye toward improving DevOps-related deployment and telemetry integrity.
• Investigate and contribute to solutions for configuration and integration issues across operations systems and software environments.
• Provide on-call support as part of an operational rotation when necessary.

Project Management & Process Leadership (25%)

• Begin taking ownership of operations-focused projects such as SLA definition and compliance, issue tracking, and risk mitigation.
• Act as a liaison between internal teams and the existing external operations team for operational coordination and anomaly resolution (e.g., satellite performance).
• Contribute to internal planning and documentation for operational continuity, scalability, and team alignment.
• Gain the opportunity to develop into a leadership position in operational project delivery and performance monitoring, with the possibility of managing a team in the future.

Key Requirements:

You don’t need to tick every box to apply—we value curiosity, learning, and the ability to add impact. These are some of the ways you may bring value:

• Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in satellite operations or a control engineering role.
• Proven experience and solid understanding of satellite operations, including LEOP, commissioning, and routine operations.
• Solid understanding and practical experience in orbital maintenance and maintaining the safety of satellites.
• Comfortable writing and validating procedures, user manuals, and operational documentation.
• Capable of stepping into a hybrid role that blends engineering, systems thinking, and stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a cross-functional team.
• Strong analytical abilities and communication skills - able to clearly articulate and present growth strategy, tactics, and results to senior stakeholders.
• Adaptability, resilience, and a passion for driving positive change.
• This role may periodically require on-call support to ensure safe and efficient operations.

Desirable Skills:

• Exposure to DevOps-style thinking and technical problem-solving across distributed systems or software tools.
• Any knowledge of infrastructure DevOps, including CI/CD pipelines and cloud-based deployments.
• Proven ability to debug technical faults effectively and efficiently.
• Team leadership skills (while not a requirement for this initial role, this position has potential for future leadership).

Why Join SatVu

• The opportunity to shape the future of one of the UK’s most ambitious space start-ups – developing a completely new and cutting-edge technology, for a large and accessible market.
• Work in a dynamic, collaborative and high-growth environment.
• Collaborate with and learn from a team of experienced and talented individuals.
• Make a significant impact on urgent global themes—defence and climate tech.
• SatVu follows a hybrid work model, requiring employees to be in our London office two days a week (Wednesday and Thursday).

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Share options
• 25 Days Holiday + Birthday Off
• Hybrid office / remote (Wednesdays and Thursdays in the office in Central London)
• 6 weeks Work from Anywhere
• Home Office Budget
• Learning and development allowance
• Life insurance
• Wellbeing days
• Yulife perks and rewards
• Generous parental leave policies
• Family friendly policies
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Workplace Nursery Benefit scheme
• Contribution towards switching to a renewable energy provider at home
• Regular lunch & learn sessions
• Office perks; regular team lunches

As part of our pre-employment screening process, we may undertake background checks on applicants who receive an offer of employment. We have in place appropriate policies and safeguards which we are required by law to maintain when processing vetting data.

SatVu in the news:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67010377

Equality, diversity and inclusion at SatVu

SatVu is committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity within our team. We strive to provide equality and fairness for all job applicants and employees, and never discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, age, race, ethnicity, religion, or physical differences. We are opposed to all forms of unlawful treatment and discrimination.

Our ambition is for our team and its Board to be representative of the diversity in society, and for every employee to feel respected and able to bring their best selves to work.