VN 26/52 Junior Copernicus Spacecraft Operations Engineer
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 2, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 30, 2026.
VN 26/52 Junior Copernicus Spacecraft Operations Engineer
The successful candidate is a highly motivated and forward-thinking junior professional, keen to develop innovative solutions for satellite operations and contribute to the efficient and reliable exploitation of Copernicus satellite missions. The successful candidate will become a member of a dynamic and collaborative team within the Copernicus programme, engaged in the design, development, maintenance and continuous improvement of operational support tools and automation solutions for satellite operations. The role includes close collaboration with satellite operations engineers, mission planning teams, ground segment specialists and other technical stakeholders.
Reporting to the Sentinel-3 Spacecraft Operations Manager, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to work across the full development lifecycle, from understanding operational requirements and prototyping solutions to software implementation, testing, documentation and integration into operational environments. Emphasis will be placed on developing robust, maintainable and user-oriented solutions that improve the efficiency, reliability and automation of Copernicus satellite operations.
Duties
- Provision of expertise in spacecraft databases to the spacecraft analyst and engineering teams.
- Coordination of the evolution of the spacecraft databases, on-board control procedures and action sequences for all Copernicus missions operated by EUMETSAT.
- Coordinating the validation of deliveries of operational Flight Operations Segment tools from external developers, including the simulator and procedure editors.
- Alignment and improvement of processes related to space segment operations across the Copernicus missions.
- Support the operations and maintenance teams in the definition and prototyping of automated systems for ground processes (e.g. alarm monitoring).
- Responsible for the definition and execution of simulation campaigns for all Copernicus Flight Control Teams.
LOCATION
Darmstadt, Germany
QUALIFICATIONS
University degree (or equivalent professional experience) in engineering, science, computer science or other relevant discipline.
LANGUAGES
Candidates must be able to work effectively in English and have some knowledge of French.
DEADLINE
4 January 2027
Duties
- Provision of expertise in spacecraft databases to the spacecraft analyst and engineering teams.
- Coordination of the evolution of the spacecraft databases, on-board control procedures and action sequences for all Copernicus missions operated by EUMETSAT.
- Coordinating the validation of deliveries of operational Flight Operations Segment tools from external developers, including the simulator and procedure editors.
- Alignment and improvement of processes related to space segment operations across the Copernicus missions.
- Support the operations and maintenance teams in the definition and prototyping of automated systems for ground processes (e.g. alarm monitoring).
- Responsible for the definition and execution of simulation campaigns for all Copernicus Flight Control Teams.
Skills and Experience
- Curious and explorative mindset, with an appetite for implementation and learning from experimentation;
- Strong work discipline combined with persistence and commitment to bring initiatives to meaningful outcomes despite challenges or setbacks;
- Readiness to autonomously learn and expand their own knowledge combined with excellent interpersonal skills and the proven ability to work in a team;
- Solid understanding of spacecraft design and operations fundamentals.
For this role some of the following knowledge would be advantageous:
- Familiarity with spacecraft operations procedures and databases, and mission control systems e.g. SCOS 2000;
- Familiarity with satellite simulations, python and automation;
- Some knowledge of operations tools such as MOIS, PROTOS, DABYS, SCOPE.
Employment Conditions
The initial contract will be of 2 years’ duration, with subsequent 5 year contracts being awarded thereafter, subject to individual performance and organisation requirements. There is no limit to the amount of follow-up contracts a staff member can receive up to the EUMETSAT retirement age of 63 and there are certainly opportunities to establish a long career perspective at EUMETSAT.
This post is graded A1 on the EUMETSAT salary scales. The starting basic salary for this post is EURO 5,912 per month (net of internal tax but excluding pension contribution and insurances) which may be negotiable on the basis of skills and experience. The salary scale provides for increments on the anniversary of taking up employment, and scales are reviewed by the EUMETSAT Council with effect from 1 January each year. In addition to basic salary, EUMETSAT offers attractive benefits. Further information, including salary details, is available on the EUMETSAT web site.
EUMETSAT is committed to providing an equal opportunities work environment for men and women.
Please note that only nationals of EUMETSAT Member States may apply. The EUMETSAT Convention requires that Staff shall be recruited on the basis of their qualifications, account being taken of the international character of EUMETSAT.
About EUMETSAT
EUMETSAT is Europe’s meteorological satellite agency. Its role is to establish and operate meteorological
satellites to monitor the weather and climate from space - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This information
is supplied to the National Meteorological Services of the organisation's Member States in
Europe, as well as other users worldwide.
EUMETSAT also operates several Copernicus missions on behalf of the European Union and provide data services to
the Copernicus marine and atmospheric services and their users.
As an intergovernmental European Organisation, EUMETSAT has 30 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.)