Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer

Localização: Portugal, PT

Perfil profissional: PyS Defesa e segurança

Experiência requerida:

Modalidade do cargo:

Indra Group, Tech for the future

Indra Group is a global leader in technology and consulting, driving innovation across defense, aerospace, air traffic, and digital transformation. We are strengthening our Space Engineering team by hiring Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer.

Responsibilities:

Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer to develop and evolve a Flight Dynamics System (FDS) capable of supporting scalable, highly automated LEO constellation operations. The role focuses on building robust algorithms, automation, and ground-segment integrations that enable operations teams to plan and execute orbit determination, prediction, maneuvering and conjunction mitigation at constellation scale with minimum operator intervention.

General tasks:

• Design, develop and validate Flight Dynamics functions and software components to enable safe control of LEO constellation (up to thousands of satellites) across the mission lifecycle (commissioning to routine phase and disposal).

• Develop and deliver end-to-end capabilities for orbit determination, prediction, maneuver planning, and constellation-level strategy (station-keeping, phasing reconfiguration, and replenishment), including automation and verification logic.

• Work with Ground Segment, Spacecraft Systems Engineering and Mission Analysis to translate mission needs into FDS requirements, operational concepts, interfaces, procedures, and automated pipelines.

Navigation:

• Configure and run OD pipelines using GPS/GNSS, ranging, and/or tracking data. Tune force models and estimation parameters. Validate OD quality and covariance.

• Define and implement robust, automated procedures to pre-process and clean tracking data (outlier detection, consistency checks, weighting strategies) and/or dynamically configure OD (arc, measurement selection, parameter tuning) to maximize solution quality and reliably guarantee convergence.

• Assess sensitivity to environment modelling (Earth gravity, drag, SRP), data quality, and maneuver execution errors.

• Assess and monitor collision risk, both, within the constellation and with third-party objects.

Maneuver and Constellation Control:

• Compute and validate maneuver plans, including station-keeping, collision avoidance support, geometry maintenance, and disposal.

• Develop strategies and tools for constellation deployment and phasing, including drift-orbit management and slot assignment.

• Optimization of collision avoidance strategies to minimise the impact on constellation-level services.

Automation:

• Design and implement an automation framework and orchestration layer for constellation-scale Flight Dynamics, enabling operations teams to schedule, execute, monitor and report routine activities with minimal manual effort.

• Develop robust, configurable procedures that simplify operators’ work by turning high-level intents into safe, validated spacecraft activities.

• Build scalable orchestration pipelines for multi-satellite operations, including automatic fallbacks and re-processing strategies.

• Provide configurable monitoring, alerting, and KPI reporting features that reduce manual checks through automated consistency and sanity checks.

FDS – Ground Segment integration:

• Lead/perform the integration of the Flight Dynamics System (FDS) with the Ground Segment, defining interfaces, data models, and end-to-end operational workflows.

• Typical elements to integrate with include:

  • Mission Control System (MCS) for telecommand/telemetry interfaces, procedure execution, commanding constraints.
  • Mission Planning System for activity planning, timeline management.
  • TT&C chain and Ground Stations for tracking data ingestion, pass planning.
  • Scheduler for batch processing and procedure automation and Ground Segment scale.

Validation:

• Support system V&V, end-to-end integration tests, and operational rehearsals to validate FDS performance and automation at constellation scale.

Produce and maintain Flight Dynamics engineering and operational documentation (requirements, interfaces/ICDs, procedures)

What are we looking for?

• A recognized engineering or master’s degree (Aerospace, Telecommunications) or a related degree (e.g., Physics, Maths)

• 5+ years in flight dynamics / mission analysis, with significant experience in numerical algorithms and software development. Satellite operations experience, especially in Flight Dynamics, is a plus to transport operator expectations into FDS product.

• English C1 or above Fluent Spanish or Portuguese is a plus.

• Analytical, rigorous, and quality-focused, able to independently validate results and communicate assumptions clearly. · Self-motivated, high proactivity and curiosity toward complex engineering systems, team player and goal oriented. · Special abilities in managing complex deliveries under pressure, time and cost constraints.

• Technical requirements :

  • Strong knowledge of astrodynamics and orbital mechanics for LEO missions: perturbations, relative motion and orbit maintenance.
  • Experience developing and validating numerical algorithms (e.g., numerical integration, optimization, root finding, filtering/estimation, and numerical stability/error analysis) for engineering applications.
  • Experience with high-fidelity force modelling (Earth gravity models, atmospheric drag and density models, SRP) and understanding of model impacts on orbital mechanics.
  • Hands-on experience with orbit determination and maneuver planning concepts.
  • Satellite operations experience (especially Flight Dynamics), including understanding of operational constraints, and operator needs, is a strong plus.
  • Experience designing robust and configurable automation: clear failure modes, retries, automatic fallbacks.
  • Proficiency in Python and C++ for engineering and automation and good software engineering practices (version control, testing, CI/CD).
  • Backend/service implementation skills: design and implementation of REST APIs in Python (FastAPI), including authentication/authorization, data validation, and API versioning.
  • System integration experience across ground segment components (interfaces, data exchange formats, API contracts)
  • Familiarity with common flight dynamics tools and formats (e.g., OEM/OPM, TLE, CCSDS standards)

What We Offer

• Work-life balance: Our working model is built on flexibility and autonomy, helping you balance your professional and personal life.

• Career development: We offer career opportunities aligned with your skills, experience, and professional aspirations.

• Continuous learning: Grow your expertise through on-the-job training and access to our learning platform, designed to develop your skills and unlock your full potential.

Our Commitment

We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. We promote professional growth, ensure equal opportunities throughout recruitment, development, and career progression, and provide a working environment free from discrimination based on gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, ethnicity, or any other protected characteristic.