Ground Systems engineer (Ground Operations)

ispace is looking for Ground System Engineer to join our growing team in Tokyo.

The Ground Systems team forms the backbone of ispace’s Test and Flight Operations, delivering the infrastructure, systems, and tools required to support mission testing and operational activities across the full mission lifecycle. This includes the design, development, and maintenance of the Mission Control Center, Mission Control Software, operational toolchains, and end-to-end test environments that ensure mission readiness.

As a Ground Systems Engineer, you will be responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of Mission Control Software supporting ispace’s global operations. You will oversee the end-to-end data flow between users and the spacecraft, ensuring reliable, secure, and efficient handling of telemetry and telecommand data. This includes defining and implementing data encoding, processing, and encryption mechanisms across the ground segment and its interfaces.

• Type: Full-time Position
• Location: Hybrid (Tokyo, Japan) On site at least twice a week with remote option
• Experience Level: See Qualifications below
• Group: JP Ground Systems Group, JP Test and Flight Operations Division

Why this role matters?

As a Ground Systems Engineer, your work directly enables communication with the spacecraft and underpins every phase of mission test and execution. You play a pivotal role in ensuring that missions are conducted safely, reliably, and efficiently-designing and maintaining the infrastructure, software, and operational workflows that make real-time spacecraft operations possible. Your contributions not only ensure mission success, but also streamline operations and empower flight teams to perform at their best.

Key responsibilities

Ground Segment Design

• Collaborate with customers and internal stakeholders (System and Subsystem Engineers, AIT, Mission Operations, etc.) to gather requirements, and design, develop, document, procure, maintain, and deploy ground segment systems.
• Develop automation tools to streamline and optimize mission operations.
• Scale the mission control ecosystem to support new missions and evolving operational needs, including make-or-buy analyses and proposal contributions.

System Integration & Testing

• Oversee the integration of software components within the virtual infrastructure hosting the ground segment, ensuring proper interfacing with spacecraft systems and external ground elements (e.g., EGSE, PIL components).
• Develop and execute test plans, procedures, and configurations, including end-to-end validation of communication and control links.
• Support CI/CD activities across the ground segment.

Operations Support

• Develop, test, and validate operational procedures.
• Participate in training activities and mission rehearsals to achieve certification for on-console operations.
• Own and maintain Ground-to-Ground Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and contribute to Space-to-Ground ICDs with ground station providers.
• Support on-console operations, including 24/7 shift work and on-call duties during critical mission phases.

Compliance

• Collaborate with IT to ensure that the Mission Control Center and ground segment comply with security, data protection, and relevant policies and certifications, as defined by the Chief Information Officer and Information Security Officer.

Required skills

• Language: Professional level English (written and verbal); Business level Japanese for non Japanese candidate will be a plus
• Experience: 3+ years of experience in ground operations for space missions (LEO, MEO, Deep Space, etc.)
• Simulation & Integration: Experience with SIL, PIL, HIL, or mixed hardware-software environments
• Software Skills: Proficiency using Python and Bash; strong expertise in CI/CD tools such as Ansible, Gitlab
• Operative systems: Solid knowledge of Linux and Windows operating systems.
• Self-driven: Be organized and capable of planning and executing complex technical work with little oversight. Be driven, continuously self-improving, and proud of her/his work.

Preferred skills

• Experience with mission control systems (e.g., Yamcs, Grafana)
• Familiarity with CCSDS protocols, telemetry processing, and commanding chains
• Full-stack engineering experience developing high-availability tools in a production environment
• Experience with Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience with relational and non-relational databases (SQL, MongoDb, Influx, etc.)
• Familiar with network protocols and tools
• Familiar with AWS Tools
• Experience in the space industry