Systems Operations Engineer - Ground Segment

Thorn SDS Ltd•Darmstadt, IN

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

Thorn SDS is a specialist Managed Service Provider supporting organisations across Space, Defence, and Security sectors. We partner with customers on mission-critical programmes where reliability, expertise, and operational excellence are essential. We are seeking a Systems Operations Engineer (Ground Segment) to support operations for the MTG GEO (Meteosat Third Generation Geostationary) Earth Observation mission, comprising imaging and sounder spacecraft, delivering critical weather and climate data across Europe and worldwide. Working within an international operations environment, you will support the ground segment responsible for receiving, processing, storing, and distributing satellite data from space to end users such as meteorologists, scientists, and forecasting agencies. This role sits at the centre of the space-to-ground data chain, ensuring reliable mission data delivery that supports weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and disaster prevention.

Requirements

Minimum 1–2 years’ experience in satellite operations, mission control, or ground segment environments
Understanding of telemetry monitoring, data acquisition, or processing workflows
Strong coordination and communication skills
Fluent in English

Nice To Haves

Experience with Earth observation missions
Familiarity with telemetry or mission control tools
Experience with Jira or Confluence

Responsibilities

Support routine ground segment operations for satellite data acquisition, processing, archiving, and dissemination.
Monitor operational systems, telemetry streams, and data processing chains to ensure continuous and reliable mission data delivery.
Analyse operational outputs and system performance to maintain end-to-end data flow across the space-to-ground chain.
Participate in operations planning and preparation, including routine scheduling, maintenance activities, and special operations campaigns.
Monitor system alerts and investigate operational anomalies, coordinating with engineering and specialist teams to support resolution.
Contribute to operational coordination across ground segment teams and stakeholders to ensure consistent system performance.
Produce operational reports, performance summaries, and mission status updates.
Maintain operational procedures, documentation, and knowledge repositories.
Track operational activities, incidents, and changes using collaboration tools such as Jira and Confluence.