Mission Software & Protocol Engineer

Spacecraft | Software | Mission Technology

About the Role

Ever wondered what happens after an operator clicks “Send Command” in Mission Control?

This role sits right in the middle of that journey. We are looking for a recent engineering graduate or a candidate with 1–2 years of relevant experience who is excited to work at the intersection of spacecraft systems, flight software and Mission Control software.

You will help connect the software used to operate the satellite on the ground with the flight software running onboard the spacecraft, making sure commands are correctly built, transmitted and interpreted, and that acknowledgements and telemetry are received and understood.

What You’ll Work On

• Bridge the gap between Mission Technology and spacecraft/flight software teams.
  

• Understand the flow of telecommands and telemetry from Mission Control to the ground station, satellite and subsystems, and back.
  

• Work with CCSDS packets and frames, command encoding and decoding, acknowledgements, CRCs and telemetry formats.
  

• Understand command and telemetry interfaces for EPS, ADCS, OBC/CDH, Payload, Communication and Thermal systems.
  

• Translate spacecraft and mission requirements into clear software and interface requirements.
  

• Work with ICDs, command dictionaries, telemetry definitions and communication data flows.
  

• Test Mission Control–spacecraft interfaces using SIL, FlatSat, simulators and integration environments.
  

• Debug issues across software, communication protocols and spacecraft interfaces alongside multiple engineering teams.
  

Bonus Skills

Exposure to any of these will give you an edge: Python, C/C++, Linux, Git, TCP/IP, UDP, APIs, binary and hexadecimal data, packet parsing, embedded systems, software architecture, and SIL/HIL/FlatSat testing.

Why This Role Is Interesting

You’ll understand the entire operational chain of a satellite: how a command is created on Earth, reaches a spacecraft in orbit, gets executed by flight software, and comes back as telemetry. If you want to build a career around spacecraft systems, flight software, mission operations and satellite-ground integration, this role gives you exposure to all of them from day one.

Requirements

• Recent graduate or engineer with 1–2 years of relevant experience in Aerospace, Aeronautical, Avionics, Electronics or a related field.
  

• Basic understanding of LEO satellites and spacecraft subsystems.
  

• Interest in satellite flight software, TT&C, Mission Control and Ground Segment systems.
  

• Familiarity with CCSDS or spacecraft communication protocols is a plus.
  

• Comfortable understanding technical interfaces, system architecture and data flows.
  

• Strong curiosity, problem-solving ability and communication skills.
  

Benefits

Work on real satellite missions – Help define and validate the commands, telemetry and software connections used to operate satellites in orbit.

Meaningful ownership – Take responsibility for technical definitions, test cases and issue resolution that affect mission readiness.

Career growth – Develop toward greater technical ownership as the Mission Technology team grows.

Hands-on learning – Gain experience with CCSDS protocols, flight software, ground stations, FlatSat testing and mission workflows.

Competitive compensation – Salary aligned with your experience and responsibilities.

Collaborative team – Work closely with spacecraft, flight software, ground software and mission operations engineers.