Senior Satellite Systems Engineer
Join us in safeguarding the sustainability of space operations through advanced space situational awareness (SSA) technologies. As part of our team, you will develop cutting-edge collision avoidance algorithms, enhance space situational awareness, and innovate tools for satellite operators. Your expertise in data science and physics will help us detect, predict, and mitigate orbital risks, ensuring safe and sustainable space exploration.
About the role
Key responsibilities
- Reviewing and coordinating reviews of Product Assurance & Safety Plan (PASP) and Product Assurance Requirements Documents (PARD)
- Performing of end-to-end mission designs tailored to customer needs
- Assessing customer mission requirements and designing tailored solutions
- Identifying customer needs and ideating new solutions
- Shape our end-to-end mission design software development
- Reviewing of hardware designs at system and subsystem level
- Support launch preparation, environmental test campaigns planning, and readiness reviews ahead of launch
- Compute system budgets (link, power, data) and track margins against requirements throughout development
What you bring
Must have
- M.Sc. or higher in Aerospace/Space Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or another relevant technical field.
- 5+ years of experience in satellite systems engineering with responsibility for system-level engineering activities across major spacecraft development phases, including development, integration, verification, qualification, and launch preparation.
- 2+ years of experience working within ECSS-compliant development programmes, including technical documentation, formal reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, QR, AR), and certification activities.
- Experience contributing to at least one satellite mission that successfully entered operational service.
- Growth mindset and expanding your horizon
- Willingness to travel and to work in concentrated review campaigns.
- English proficiency C1 or better.
- Valid EU work authorization.
Nice to have
- Familiarity with ECSS product assurance practices (FMEA/FMECA, fault tree analysis, critical items lists, RAMS, ECSS-Q-ST-80C)
- Experience in Earth observation missions
- Experience with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging
What we offer
A permanent contract, a real budget to learn, and a team that reviews its own benefits with the people who use them. Flexible core hours, 30 days of holiday, a subsidized pension, Hansefit, a BahnCard, and workation for more than a month a year.
Who you’ll work with
“You will own a slice of the platform end to end. Nobody here hands you a ticket and walks away.”
Engineering
How we work
How we work
- Reality over abstractionReal catalogues, real physics, real orbital data. Demos run on the same engine that flies for customers.
- Clarity over decorationOperational tools earn their place by what they let you decide, not by what they look like at trade shows.
- Audit by defaultEvery decision is stamped, versioned, and exportable. There is no undocumented path.
- No conflict of interestWe do not operate satellites. Our only incentive is the accuracy of the assessment.
- Calm in the roomOperations work is high-stakes. The platform lowers the stress level, not amplifies it.
About OKAPI:Orbits
Space Situational Awareness, built for operations
OKAPI:Orbits is a Braunschweig-based Space Situational Awareness (SSA) company. We build the operational layer that satellite operators, governments, and institutions rely on to keep spacecraft safe in increasingly congested orbits.
More about OKAPI:OrbitsApply for Senior Satellite Systems Engineer.
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