Ground Systems Engineer - Mission Planning

Job Description

Job Description

Who we are :

EOI Space specializes in developing and deploying a network of satellites in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) to provide ultra-high-resolution Earth imagery.  We aim to deliver timely and actionable data for commercial and defense applications.

We are on our way to achieving many industry firsts.  This demands an ambitious team that revels in leaning into challenges, getting hands on, and working together.  Does this sound like you?  EOI Space is looking for a talented Ground Systems Engineer – Mission Planning to define, architect, and validate the mission planning system for our next-generation electro-optical (EO) imaging satellite constellation.

What you will do :

You will own the overall mission planning system, working closely with the software team in its implementation. This system is the “brain” that determines how and when each satellite collects imagery to meet customer demand — optimizing satellite tasking, downlink scheduling, and resource utilization across the constellation. You’ll develop requirements, architecture, complete various performance analyses, and extensively test the system. This role bridges operational concepts, constellation modeling, and algorithmic scheduling logic to ensure the system delivers high-throughput, high-value tasking decisions in real-world operations.

Responsibilities :

Define the mission planning system architecture — from input data flows (customer imaging requests, satellite states, ground contact plans) to tasking outputs

Develop user stories and operational objectives; translate into system requirements, interfaces, and performance metrics for the mission planning tool and its supporting services

Model and analyze constellation operations, including orbital dynamics, ground station access, slew / time constraints, and downlink throughput

Collaborate with the software development team to guide implementation of planning and scheduling algorithms, ensuring they meet system-level requirements and edge-case behaviors

Validate and verify system performance, including simulation-based analysis of tasking efficiency, coverage completeness, and throughput under realistic request loads

Develop and maintain ICDs and interface specifications between the mission planning system, flight dynamics, command & control, and data management systems

Support operational concept (CONOPS) development, helping define end-to-end imaging task flows and operator interactions

Contribute to system trades across scheduling logic, data priority schemes, and task optimization strategies (e.g., greedy vs. global optimization)

Required Qualifications :

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, or related field

5+ years experience working on space systems; 3+ years of experience explicitly in space mission operations, mission planning systems, or system architecture for LEO constellations or similar complex systems

Familiarity with EO imaging mission concepts, tasking constraints, and satellite scheduling optimization

Deep understanding of orbital mechanics, satellite attitude dynamics, and satellite subsystems impacting operations

Experience writing system requirements, interface control documents, and performing requirements verification / validation

Proven ability to collaborate with software development teams implementing mission or scheduling software

Preferred Qualifications :

Experience with commercial EO constellations

Knowledge of constraint-based optimization, integer programming, or AI / ML-based scheduling approaches

Experience  with STK, GMAT, or custom constellation modeling tools

Experience with cloud-based or microservice architectures supporting mission systems

Experience using Agile development environments and DevOps pipelines (JIRA, Confluence, Git)

Compensation :

The salary range for this role is $145,000 - $185,000 per year, depending on previous experience.  Pay ranges are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data.  Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations : interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.

Work Location :

This onsite role is based in Louisville, CO.

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