Engineer II, Ground System Operator

Company Overview

Iridium is an award-winning satellite communications company operating the world's only truly global voice and data network, delivering reliable connectivity anywhere on Earth. For more than 20 years, Iridium has powered mission-critical communications for governments, businesses, aviation, maritime, and the rapidly expanding Internet of Things.

Now part of Iridium, Aireon is the world’s only space-based air traffic surveillance system, providing real-time visibility of aircraft over oceans, the poles, and remote regions. Together, Iridium and Aireon are helping build a safer, more connected, and more efficient future for global aviation.

Join our team and help shape how the world stays connected. We foster a collaborative, inclusive culture where employees are empowered to innovate, grow professionally, and make a meaningful impact.

If you are a science and space enthusiast who is excited about working on cutting‑edge technology and with a talented team of professionals, then you will be excited about the Ground System Operator II opening with Iridium for a Space Development Agency (SDA) project. As a Ground System Operator II, you will participate in monitoring and controlling ground systems at one of the SDA Operations Centers.

You will work 12-hour shifts with a team in a 24/7, multi‑satellite operations environment. You will thrive in this role if you have a desire to learn and execute new technical skills and are highly motivated and passionate about engineering and space systems.

This position requires an active/current Secret Security Clearance (A U.S. Security Clearance that has been active in the past 24 months is considered active).

• Perform real‑time monitoring of the ground system in support of the SDA mission
• Analyze operational data and execute first level troubleshooting to resolve issues
• Support data‑driven investigations and troubleshooting of software and system logs
• Monitor spacecraft fleet‑level health and status
• Work collaboratively with the team to detect and recover from issues within the Iridium ground system applications, and for a global network of remote teleport antennas and Wide Area Network (WAN)
• Assist in validating fixes and confirming system stability following recovery actions
• Support real‑time anomaly investigation and resolution and follow established Fault Escalation policies and procedures
• Participate in deeper technical analysis of anomalies and contribute operational insight to factory teams
• Support process improvement initiatives by properly documenting all events through an anomaly and issue reporting process
• Create accurate, timely, and descriptive event logging for all ground system outages or system events
• Participate in testing and evaluating new software releases, patches, and configuration changes prior to operational rollout
• Execute operational test cases and provide structured feedback to developers and system engineers
• Assist with rollout activities for new tools, capabilities, or ground system applications, including integration checks and post‑deployment monitoring
• Help develop and refine updated procedures, troubleshooting documentation, and operational best practices for newly introduced capabilities

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field OR equivalent relevant experience in a network operations or spacecraft operations environment in lieu of degree
• 2+ years of related engineering experience
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly present information and ideas to others
• Have confidence and be able to easily build meaningful relationships with your manager and members of your team
• Must be able to prioritize your tasks, be self‑aware enough to identify and correct your mistakes, and not be afraid to ask for help when needed
• Be active in seeking out ways to improve yourself and gain new knowledge, and be enthusiastic in sharing knowledge with others
• Interest or experience in technical troubleshooting, software testing, or scripting to support evolving operational tools is beneficial

• Pr…