Spacecraft Operations Engineer

Job ID: 2618417

Location: Chantilly, VA, US

Date Posted: 2026-10-26

Category: Engineering and Sciences

Subcategory: Systems Engineer

Schedule: Full-Time

Shift: Day Job

Travel: Yes - 10% of the time

Minimum Clearance Required: TS.SCI_wPoly

Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None

Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE

Description

SAIC is seeking a Spacecraft Operations Engineer to join the Air Force, Space, and Intelligence Business Group providing systems engineering and technical advisory services to a Government Intelligence Community (IC) customer. The customer is developing the next generation of space and ground systems, architectures, and hardware and software solutions.
The Spacecraft Operations Engineer will serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in support of an Intelligence Community Space Demonstration program focusing on the enablement of on-orbit experimentation activities in collaboration with program partners. The Spacecraft Operations Engineer will support the System Program Office (SPO) in the planning, executing, monitoring, and oversight of developmental industry partners as they field the demonstration system and train Government end-users on daily management of the system, to include the evaluation of mission CONOPs, Use Cases, and experimentation activities in relation to the Space Vehicle capabilities.
The Spacecraft Operations Engineer responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Ensures mature operations procedures are developed, system limitations and constraints are factored into ground system activity planning, and the fielded system meets Government demonstration objectives.
• Evaluates operational activities to ensure Government CONOPs is satisfied.
• Applies operations expertise to requirements evaluation, system design and test activities, systems integration, and developmental test activities.
• Collaborates with program partners to ensure demonstration objectives are properly factored into vehicle management procedures.
• Collaborates with satellite operators, mission planners, and supporting entities to ensure operations procedures are aligned to organizational requirements and processes.
• Evaluates operations products and develops recommendations for Government and industry partners consideration.
• Uses tools, models, and system functionality to evaluate vehicle tasking, management, and sustainment activities.
• Supports the daily management of satellite activities as the SPO operations SME.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field and a minimum of 9 years of relevant experience.
• Experience in satellite operations and the development of operations products.
• Current Top Secret SCI w/ Polygraph and enrolled in the Continuous Vetting program.
• Must be willing to be nominated for SCI and SAP accesses.

Desired:

• 5+ years on-console satellite operations and/or space operations engineering experience
• Experience with MATLAB, STK, and other math-based analytical software suites.
• Experience in the development of operational procedures.
• Experience in the development and/or implementation of satellite anomaly management processes and procedures.
• Experience working on compartmented DoW and/or IC space systems.

Target salary range: $160,001 - $200,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.