Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer

Department Summary

DISH is a Fortune 250 company with more than $14 billion in annual revenue that continues to redefine the communications industry. Our legacy is innovation and a willingness to challenge the status quo, including reinventing ourselves. We disrupted the pay-TV industry in the mid-90s with the launch of the DISH satellite TV service, taking on some of the largest U.S. corporations in the process, and grew to be the fourth-largest pay-TV provider. We are doing it again with the first live, internet-delivered TV service – Sling TV – that bucks traditional pay-TV norms and gives consumers a truly new way to access and watch television. 

Now we have our sights set on upending the wireless industry and unseating the entrenched incumbent carriers. 

We are driven by curiosity, pride, adventure, and a desire to win – it’s in our DNA. We’re looking for people with boundless energy, intelligence, and an overwhelming need to achieve to join our team as we embark on the next chapter of our story. 

Opportunity is here. We are DISH.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

DISH is looking for a Senior Spacecraft Engineer who will plan, support, execute, and oversee TT&C and spacecraft subsystem operations, including spacecraft commanding and stationkeeping activities according to scheduled and dynamic operational requirements.  Perform trending and analyzing spacecraft health data, prepare reports, and communicate the status of spacecraft, projects, and operational activities to all levels of the organization while focusing on customer service.  Conduct and manage activities to increase team and personal job skills and professional knowledge.

Location: This job can be located Onsite in either Cheyenne, WY or Gilbert, AZ

Key responsibilities:

• Evaluate spacecraft performance and troubleshoot the operation of all spacecraft subsystems to optimize quality of service and extend spacecraft mission life.
• Maintain and re-enforce situational awareness of spacecraft and broadcast operations, company objectives, and advances in the spacecraft and communication industry.
• Provide direction and support to spacecraft controllers during operational activities.
• Perform 24x7 on-call engineering support on a rotating basis.  Respond to anomalies, provide direction to controllers, and initiate and support anomaly resolution efforts.
• Create, review, manage, evaluate quality, and optimize spacecraft procedures, tools, and processes needed for the safe and efficient execution of operational activities.
• Review, edit, and publish the operations activity schedule.
• Update and review spacecraft status reports.
• Plan and direct complex payload reconfigurations to support broadcast operations.
• Support new spacecraft development efforts.  Analyze design documentation to verify requirements, participate in ground testing of new spacecraft, and manage in-orbit test and evaluation activities.
• Investigate and analyze long- and short-term spacecraft performance trends. 
• Establish standards used for monitoring all spacecraft subsystems.
• Oversee, plan, and execute spacecraft maneuvers and perform maneuver reconstruction, orbit determination, and prepare long-term orbit strategies.
• Direct planning and execution of spacecraft orbital relocation operations, as necessary.
• Research, develop, and present intermediate-level training materials to meet initial or recurring requirements.
• Conceptualize, develop, and review new processes, methods, scripts, and other tools used by both the engineering and operations teams.
• May assist with hiring, onboarding, and mentoring interns or junior-level engineers including guiding and assigning work on occasion.
• Apply experience and professional judgment to evaluate, create, and implement innovative strategies to support dynamic operational needs.
• Organize projects involving multiple subsystems or functional areas.
• Coordinate with external parties.

Work attire: Business casual

Working conditions: The dedicated workspace is adjacent to a 24x7 operations center. Typically works M-F during normal business hours, but must be able to support work and on-call duties during off hours, weekends, and holidays as dictated by the needs of a 24x7 operation. Up to 10% travel.

Skills, Experience and Requirements

Education: Bachelor's degree (B. S.) in engineering, physics, or math from an accredited four-year college or university

Experience: 6+ years of spacecraft engineering experience working directly with or on a spacecraft within satellite industries.

Skills and requirements:

• Must be a U.S. Person (a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident) as the position requires access to U.S. export-restricted materials.

• Able to fulfill a 24x7 on-call rotation and respond onsite within 30 minutes.

• Mathematical Skills—Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability, statistical inference, calculus, differential equations, and fundamentals of plane/solid geometry and trigonometry. 

• Uses and applies concepts such as integration, fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to solve problems and reach conclusions.

• Engineering Skills—Ability to apply engineering principles and scientific methods, such as laws of mechanics of particles and solid bodies, and application of these laws to real-world engineering problems.

• Reasoning Skills—Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, apply visual and spatial reasoning, and draw valid engineering conclusions. 

• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

• Ability to utilize mathematical and computational tools to solve engineering problems.

• Spacecraft engineering experience with MAXAR FS1300 or Lockheed Martin A2100 spacecraft is highly desired.

• Experience working with Kratos ISI EPOCH TT&C and OASYS, MATLAB, and AGI STK software a plus.

• General or specialized knowledge in one or more of the following spacecraft subsystems: Attitude Control, Propulsion, Power, Data Handling/Onboard Processing, Thermal, Mechanisms, TT&C, Payload, Flight Dynamics, and Orbit Mechanics a plus.

• Attentive to details, proactive, and confident personality with good communication skills.

• Able to collaborate in a multi-team environment to plan and accomplish tasks and meet objectives.

• Communication Skills—Ability to understand, analyze and interpret business periodicals, technical procedures, or government policy. 

• Able to write reports, correspondence, and operations procedures. 

• Uses effective written, visual presentation, and oral strategies to communicate technical problems and concepts to a range of technical and non-technical audiences.

Salary Range

Compensation: $110,000.00/Year - $143,000.00/Year
Compensation and Benefits

We also offer versatile health perks, including flexible spending accounts, HSA, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, career opportunities, and a flexible time away plan; all benefits can be viewed here: DISH Benefits.   

The base pay range shown is a guideline. Individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, and competencies; compensation is based on the role's location and is subject to change based on work location. Candidates need to successfully complete a pre-employment screen, which may include a drug test and DMV check.