SVP, Spacecraft Operations

Job description

What Success Looks Like (Objectives)

Strategic Flight Leadership & Innovation Fleet Roadmap: Architect and execute long-term strategies for fleet health, propellant management, and maneuver planning to maximize asset longevity.

Modernization

Lead the transition toward AI-driven telemetry analytics to move from reactive to predictive maintenance.

Policy Ownership

Define the "Gold Standard" for operational protocols, ensuring the fleet operates with 99.999% reliability.

Mission Control & Ground Operations 24/7/365 Oversight

Direct the real-time operations of the satellite fleet, serving as the final authority on anomaly resolution and risk mitigation.

Ground Segment Integration

Manage global earth station infrastructure, optimizing antenna systems and data processing to support high-throughput payloads.

Integration & Test (I&T)

Oversee the seamless handover of new spacecraft from manufacturers into the operational fleet.

Organizational Mastery & Stakeholder Management Talent Development

Mentor and scale a high-performing team of engineers and controllers, fostering a culture of technical rigor and psychological safety under pressure.

Cross-Functional Liaison

Partner with Regulatory, Business Development, and Network Planning to align orbital capabilities with commercial growth.

External Advocacy

Represent the company before the FCC, ITU, and international space traffic bodies. Core Skills, Competencies, and Key Experiences (What you’ll bring)

Experience

15+ years in spacecraft ops or aerospace leadership; proven track record of managing large-scale satellite constellations.

Crisis Management

Demonstrated & flight-controller; temperament—the ability to lead high-stakes anomaly resolution without hesitation.

Technical Depth

Mastery of orbital mechanics, TT&C, and ground-to-space network protocols (LEO/MEO/GEO experience preferred).

Fiscal Oversight

Experience managing multi-million dollar OPEX/CAPEX budgets and complex vendor contracts.

Education

BS in Aerospace, Electrical Engineering, or Physics. MS/PhD or MBA (Highly Preferred).

Regulatory

Expert-level knowledge of ITU/FCC licensing and space debris mitigation guidelines.

Future-Tech

Familiarity with high-throughput satellites (HTS) and automated station-keeping systems.

Salary Range Compensation

$300,000.00/Year - $400,000.00/Year About Our Company The Senior Vice President of Spacecraft Operations is the chief steward of our orbital fleet and ground infrastructure. This role demands a rare blend of deep technical mastery and executive poise, overseeing the lifecycle of assets from launch integration to decommission. You will lead a mission-critical organization comprising spacecraft controllers, engineers, and ground systems experts to ensure 24/7/365 broadcast continuity and operational excellence.

Benefits

We offer meaningful health perks, including flexible spending accounts, HSA, a 401(k) plan with company match, employee stock purchase plan, career opportunities, and a flexible time away plan.

Review a benefits summary here

EchoStar 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. Candidates need to successfully complete a pre-employment screen, which may include a drug test and DMV check. Our company is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace where every individual has the opportunity to succeed.

We are dedicated to providing individuals with criminal or arrest records a fair chance of employment in accordance with local, state, and federal laws. This job posting will be active for a minimum of 3 days and will continue to extend by 3 days until the position is filled. We pride ourselves on developing and promoting talent as an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

EchoStar will accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs of employees if such accommodations are not undue hardships and are otherwise within the bounds of applicable law. All qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with local, state, and federal law. You may redact any information that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of school/graduation from your application documents before submission and throughout our application process.

EchoStar will provide reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified job applicants and employees with known physical or mental disabilities, unless doing so poses an undue hardship on the Company, poses a direct threat of substantial harm to others, or is otherwise not required by law. EchoStar has a more detailed Accommodation Policy that applies to employees. EchoStar endeavors to make echostar.com and jobs.echostar.com accessible to users.

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