Satellite Operations Center Director

Summary

T2S Solutions is seeking to hire a Satellite Operations Center Director to lead day-to-day operations of a mission-critical satellite operations center. This mid-level management role is responsible for operational scheduling, operator training and certification, 24/7 (or mission-driven) center operations, and maintenance of ground infrastructure, including antenna farms and supporting systems. The ideal candidate blends hands-on satellite operations experience with strong people leadership, process discipline, and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Operations Center Leadership
• Direct daily operations of the satellite operations center, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient mission execution
• Manage shift schedules, staffing plans, and workload balancing across multiple missions, payloads, or spacecraft
• Establish and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs), checklists, and escalation paths
• Serve as the primary operational authority during nominal operations and off-nominal events

Scheduling & Mission Planning Support

• Oversee mission scheduling execution, including pass planning, payload tasking coordination, and resource allocation
• Coordinate with systems engineering, payload teams, and external partners to align operational schedules with mission priorities
• Ensure operational readiness for new satellites, payloads, and mission phases

Training & Certification

• Develop and manage operator training programs, certification standards, and recurring proficiency requirements
• Lead simulation, rehearsal, and readiness activities for operators and mission controllers
• Maintain training documentation, qualification records, and audit readiness

Ground Systems & Antenna Farm Operations

• Oversee operations and maintenance of ground systems, including antennas, RF chains, networking, power, and monitoring systems
• Coordinate preventive maintenance, calibration, upgrades, and anomaly response for the antenna farm and supporting infrastructure
• Work closely with RF engineers, technicians, and vendors to maintain system availability and performance

Process, Safety, & Continuous Improvement

• Drive operational metrics, reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Lead incident response, root-cause analysis, and corrective action implementation
• Ensure compliance with safety, security, and regulatory requirements
• Support operational reviews, audits, and mission readiness assessments

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in a related filed or Operations Center equivalent experience
• Experience in satellite operations, mission operations, or ground systems environments
• Prior experience leading or supervising technical teams
• Experience managing shift operations, on-call rotations, or 24/7 operational teams
• Understanding of mission planning, scheduling, and execution workflows
• Familiarity with operator training programs, certification systems, and readiness metrics
• Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills under time pressure
• Active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) is required

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience operating spacecraft constellations or multi-mission operations centers
• Background in antenna farm operations, RF ground infrastructure, or network operations centers (NOCs)
• Experience building or scaling an operations center from early operations through steady-state
• Experience working with government or commercial mission partners

What We Offer

• Leadership role with direct impact on mission success
• Opportunity to shape operational culture, processes, and training
• Fast-paced, high-responsibility environment
• Competitive compensation and benefits

T2S Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veteran/Disability