Spaceflight Operations Project Officer

Terms: Full Time, Fixed-term post until 31^st March 2025

Closing Date: 18^th April 2024 - 12:00 noon

Interview date: Teams interviews will be held on 30^th April 2024. It is expected that the successful candidate will work full time in the research environment at Milton Keynes.

Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education.

The role 

The role holder will contribute to the Faculty’s research objectives by having responsibility for the operation/maintenance of spaceflight instruments both in operation and in planning. The Open University has a major role in the operations of multiple future spaceflight instruments. This role will support those activities by developing and using specialist software to operate spaceflight instruments and to ensure optimum acquisition of high data products that meet the requirements of the research applications. The role holder will also support the scientific exploitation of the data through calibration activities. The post holder will work sometimes on their own initiative, and sometimes as part of a team to coordinate spaceflight operations with other instruments where needed and on other missions led by international partners. The postholder will join the vibrant Atmospheric Research and Surface Exploration group within the School of Physical Sciences, making use of the group’s specialist expertise in mission observation planning and instrument operations as well as liaise with the groups researchers.   

Skills and experience

• The role holder will have at minimum a PhD in physics or astronomy
• Experience in processing and manipulating large spaceflight datasets
• Excellent knowledge of use of SPICE kernels for orbit analysis and operations planning;
• Experience in spaceflight data downlink processes

More information and further essential and desirable skills/experience are provided via the link to the Job Description.

To further understand the technical aspects of the role prior to applying please contact Manish Patel (manish.patel@open.ac.uk).

If you would like to discuss the application or recruitment process before making an application, please contact Marion Child at Resourcing Hub on 01908 655544 or Marion.child@open.ac.uk quoting the reference VRF 21573

What you get in return

We have a strong commitment to providing training and development in and beyond your current role. This includes thorough induction into the organisation and regular reviews of your training and development needs.

We also offer a great range of benefits that support our employees and their families for the long term. Staff Benefits include an attractive pension proposition and 33 days holiday per annum pro rata, plus Bank Holidays and Christmas closure days.

How to apply

Unless otherwise stated in the advert, all applications are completed online via the instructions on The OU Job’s page. Applications submitted via 3^rd party websites will not be received.

Access details for disabled applicants are available from the Resourcing Hub, telephone: 01908 655544, quoting the vacancy reference above.

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