Satellite Operations Lead

About Intuitive Machines 

Intuitive Machines is an innovative and cutting-edge space company making cislunar space accessible to both public and private customers. Our mission is to further science and exploration, communications, and economic progress from the Earth to the Moon and beyond. With the first commercial lunar landing in history, multiple NASA lunar missions in development, and additional private missions on our manifest, we pride ourselves in supporting our customers and the nation in paving the way to return humans to the surface of the Moon. Our world-class team includes experts in all aspects of spacecraft subsystems design, development, and test, on-orbit operations, and safety.

We are seeking a talented and experienced Satellite Operations Lead to join our Science Operations Center. The Satellite Operations Lead will play a key role in the planning, targeting, and processing of data from lunar orbit and help coordinate and oversee all operations activities.

Job Description

The primary role of this position is to plan daily satellite imaging observations, monitor real-time and stored telemetry to ensure nominal instrument operation, and process daily delivery of science and supporting data files. Daily operations are time critical to ensure proper uplink and instrument operations. This role will also assist with a variety of research and data analysis projects, and will perform other duties as assigned.

Responsibilities:

• Interact with science team to coordinate with target planning
• Oversee the operations team to ensure goals are being met
• Track targeting campaigns and plan for campaign changes
• Perform observation planning for lunar orbiting instruments and submit those plans to the mission operations center for uplink to spacecraft.
• Interact with the mission operations center and other instrument teams to negotiate observation times when conflicts arise.
• Work with instrument Principal Investigator and the science team to ensure mission goals, as they relate to acquisition and processing of images, are being met.
• Perform daily data processing tasks to convert incoming instrument science files into validated archive products.
• Monitor real-time and stored instrument telemetry to generate base-line performance plots to ensure nominal instrument operations.
• Generate statistics from instrument and data processing operations to ensure optimal and timely delivery of generated products.
• Generate new or update existing documentation that describes operational and data processing procedures.
• Generate daily, weekly and monthly reports as needed.
• Assist with a variety of research and data analysis projects.
• Respond to mission critical events that impact instrument operation; requires being on call outside of normal working hours.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Principal Investigator or Science Operations Center Manager.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field AND three years of experience in research, information analysis or program evaluation; OR, Master's degree in a related field AND one year of experience in research, information analysis or program evaluation; OR, Any equivalent combination of education and/or experience from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.  

Preferred Requirements:

• Knowledge of, or experience with operation of a remote sensing instrument (camera, spectrometer, radar, etc).
• Working knowledge in the use of Linux and MacOS X operating system for data analysis.
• Basic knowledge of scripting languages: Ruby, Python, bash, awk, sed
• Working knowledge of any remotely sensed image processing software package: JMars, ArcGIS, QGIS, ENVI/IDL, ISIS3, etc.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and resolve problems.  

US EEO Statement

Intuitive Machines is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, medical condition, marital or domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression and transgender status, mental disability or physical disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, citizenship, low-income status or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable law.