--- title: 'Senior Operations Specialist (Flight Engineer) at ICEYE' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-operations-specialist-flight-engineer-iceye-valencia-2k99z1mgykxr' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-11-05' --- # Senior Operations Specialist (Flight Engineer) at ICEYE - **Company:** [ICEYE](https://feeny.ai/companies/iceye) - **Location:** Valencia, Spain - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-11-04 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-05 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/iceye/655f4071-2346-4b8d-bcc2-49fe3712a380 ## Job description ## ROLE HIGHLIGHTS - Role: Senior Operations Specialist (Flight Engineer) - Department: HAPS - Location: Valencia, Spain - Working type: On site, with limited remote working - Employment is subject to applicable security screening (incl. SUPO, where required) THE MISSION OF THE SENIOR OPERATIONS SPECIALIST (FLIGHT ENGINEER) As Senior Operations Specialist (Flight Engineer) on the HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station) program, you will help keep ICEYE's stratospheric, solar-powered electric aircraft safe, healthy and productive throughout its flights. In flight, you will be the crew's reference for the aircraft's technical condition: monitoring its systems, managing its energy and thermal balance, and turning what the aircraft tells you into clear, timely recommendations for the Mission Planner and the Autopilot Operator. The role is deliberately broad. Beyond flight engineering, you will contribute across the Operations team: preparing and executing flight test campaigns, supporting ground control station operations, assessing flight results and feeding them back into the aircraft's development, and helping build the procedures and tools of an operations capability that will scale as the program grows. WHO ARE WE? ICEYE delivers space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to governments and allied nations. This includes sovereign and turnkey ISR missions leveraging ICEYE's world-leading synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite technology, as well as access to data from the world's largest SAR satellite constellation. These capabilities enable partners to detect and respond to critical changes anywhere on Earth with unprecedented speed and accuracy, day or night and in any weather, supported by ultra high-resolution imagery and high-frequency revisits. As a trusted partner for defense, intelligence, security, and maritime domain awareness, ICEYE's near real-time data creates a tactical advantage for mission-critical operations. ICEYE operates internationally with offices in Finland, Poland, Spain, Japan, the UAE, Greece, Germany, and the US. The company has more than 900 employees, inspired by the shared vision of improving life on Earth by becoming the global source of truth in Earth Observation. ## KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Flight operations - Monitor the health and status of the aircraft and its on-board systems in flight, detect developing anomalies or degradation early, and assess their impact on the mission. - Manage the aircraft energy balance: battery state of charge, solar power availability and the power budget, ensuring enough stored energy to safely operate through the night. - Monitor and manage the aircraft thermal condition to keep its systems within operating limits. - Advise the Mission Planner and Autopilot Operator on aircraft health, available power and thermal status, and coordinate technical decisions with them throughout the flight. Wider operations support - Contribute to the planning, preparation and execution of flight test campaigns, including site preparation, pre-flight checks, launch and recovery activities. - Take on other crew positions or ground control station duties as operational needs require, building versatility across the Operations team. - Analyse flight data after each flight, report results and translate findings into improvements for the aircraft, its systems and operating procedures. - Develop and maintain operational procedures, checklists, emergency procedures and operations documentation. - Develop and improve monitoring, analysis and planning tools used by the flight crew, such as telemetry dashboards and energy or thermal estimation tools. - Support aircraft integration, ground testing and simulation activities, and contribute to the training and qualification of crew members. - Support safety and risk assessments for operations and, when needed, coordination with aviation authorities and external partners. ## REQUIREMENTS Must have skills - 5+ years of relevant experience in UAS or aircraft testing and operations. - Solid understanding of aircraft systems, in particular avionics, electrical power and propulsion. - Experience monitoring live telemetry, interpreting system data and diagnosing anomalies under time pressure. - Good understanding of electrical energy systems such as batteries, solar power and power budgets. - Clear communication and the ability to work as part of a flight crew, including during long-endurance operations. - Programming or scripting skills for data analysis and tooling (e.g. Python; C/C++ a plus). - Ability to drive large vehicles or convoys (within limits of B license). - Good command of the English language, both oral and written. ## Nice to have skills - Aerospace, electrical or electronics/avionics engineering background, being able to debug and/or implement quick SW/HW solutions. - Experience with solar-powered, electric or long-endurance aircraft, or with high-altitude platforms. - Knowledge of thermal management of electronics and batteries in cold, low-pressure environments. - Experience with safety analysis in the SORA framework. - Good knowledge of meteorology (turbulence formation, thermal activity, etc., and how to identify it). - Understanding of control engineering, aero or aeroelastics basics. - Familiarity with autopilot/GPS stack calibration and ground software like QGroundControl. - Experience with aircraft prototyping, systems integration and ground testing, including lightweight composite airframes. - EASA-valid remote pilot license up to specific category standard scenarios. - Proactive can-do attitude and love for aerospace are expected. ## APPLICATION PROCESS - Talent Acquisition Interview - Hiring Manager Interview - Technical Interview (onsite or virtual), including a Technical Challenge - Hiring Team Interview - Offer Decision ## WORKING AT ICEYE At ICEYE, you'll join a diverse and highly engaged team united by the ambition to make the impossible possible. As a global scale-up, we combine speed and ambition with the opportunity to take real ownership from day one. Your growth, wellbeing, and success are a priority, with continuous professional development, training opportunities, and a culture where collaboration is how we win. ## HOW WE WORK (OUR VALUES) Make the impossible possible: We set ambitious goals and stay calm under pressure. We bring grit, optimism, and ownership when things get hard, and we keep moving until we find a way. - Be curious: Go deep, ask questions, listen carefully, and think critically. Understand the "why" behind decisions. - See the big picture: Stay close to what's happening across the company so you can make better decisions. Consider how your work affects others. - Drive effective teamwork: Create psychological safety, invite different perspectives, and build inclusive teams. There are no bad questions. - Act as one team: We win together. We match tasks to the right owner and stay agile as priorities shift. - Have fun: What we do matters, and it should be enjoyable. Celebrate progress, take pride in results, and share the wins. ## BENEFITS Our benefits are designed to support your health and wellbeing, at work and beyond. We keep improving them based on employee feedback, and offerings vary by location. Talent Acquisition will confirm what applies for this role and location during the process. ## OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION We want ICEYE to be a place where people can be themselves and do great work. Different backgrounds and perspectives make us stronger, which is why we work to create an environment where people feel included, respected, and able to speak up. Whatever your background, we want you to bring your authentic self to the table. We're committed to fair, inclusive hiring and equal opportunity. Everyone is welcome to apply. If you need any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, tell us; we'll do our best to help. Apply now to start your ICEYE journey, and help us continue to make the impossible possible together. Read more about ICEYE and working with us at [iceye.com](http://iceye.com). ## About ICEYE ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: ICEYE builds and operates the world’s largest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation, delivering persistent, day-and-night, all-weather Earth observation data and sovereign intelligence capabilities to governments and commercial customers. - **Entity Type**: Private (raised over €1B in total funding, latest round led by a €1B funding announcement) - **Headquarters**: Espoo, Finland - **Founded**: 2014 - **Founders**: Rafal Modrzewski (CEO) and Pekka Laurila (Chief Strategy Officer) ## Core Business - **Primary industry/industries**: Space & Satellite Technology, Earth Observation, Defense & Intelligence, Insurance, Natural Disaster Response, Environmental Monitoring - **Target customers**: B2G (governments, defense, intelligence agencies), B2B (insurance companies, emergency management, environmental agencies, commercial enterprises) - **Mission or purpose statement**: “We enable fast decisions that contribute to a safer future.” ICEYE believes in unlocking the potential of SAR data to make it more accessible for governments, companies, organizations, and people. ## Products & Services - **SAR Satellite Constellation**: The world’s largest and most advanced synthetic aperture radar satellite constellation, providing imagery and data in any weather, day or night, with daily and sub-daily revisit times. - **Sovereign Intelligence Systems**: ICEYE offers governments the ability to operate their own dedicated constellation as a sovereign system, providing proven capability for defense and national security. - **Government Solutions – Flood Insights & Wildfire Insights**: Near real-time building-level impact assessments that blend SAR data with damage analysis, enabling emergency teams to quickly assess damage, deploy resources, and improve recovery outcomes. - **Natural Catastrophe Solutions for Insurance**: Building-level data enabling insurers to rapidly evaluate risks and respond effectively to floods, wildfires, and other extreme events. - **Defense & National Security Intelligence**: Actionable intelligence for strategic responses to emerging threats, empowering nations to safeguard their people and national interests. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total Funding raised — over **€1 billion** (as of the latest funding round, which ICEYE describes as a €1B funding round leading a new era of sovereign intelligence from space). Additionally, ICEYE secured a **€300 million revolving credit facility** to support continued growth. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not fully detailed in provided sources, but the company has closed multiple large funding rounds and credit facilities from institutional investors. Key partners include governments in defense, intelligence, insurance, and emergency management across Finland, Poland, Spain, Germany, the UK, Australia, Japan, the UAE, Greece, and the US. - **Growth Signals**: - Over **1,000 employees** globally, from more than 45 (or 75) nationalities. - Offices across Finland, Poland, Spain, Germany, the UK, Australia, Japan, the UAE, Greece, and the US. - Appointed **Eric Jensen** as Chief Operating Officer. - ISO 27001:2022 (information security) and ISO 9001:2015 (quality management) certified. - Satellites can be launch-ready within 15–24 months, enabling rapid constellation expansion. ## Competitive Advantages - **World’s largest SAR constellation**: Unmatched scale and revisit frequency (daily/sub-daily) compared to competitors. - **All-weather, day/night capability**: SAR technology pierces through clouds, smoke, and darkness, providing reliable data regardless of conditions. - **Sovereign offering**: Unique ability to sell entire constellations as sovereign systems to governments, creating deep, long-term partnerships. - **Proven commercial traction**: Deep integration with insurance and emergency management workflows, delivering quantifiable, building-level impact assessments. - **Strong certifications**: ISO 27001:2022 and ISO 9001:2015 provide customer assurance on security and quality. - **Speed to orbit**: Small, agile satellites enable rapid deployment (15–24 months from order to launch), a key differentiator in the space industry. ## Strategic Focus - **Scaling the constellation**: Continuing to expand the SAR satellite fleet to improve revisit times and global coverage. - **Sovereign intelligence**: Growing the “constellation-as-a-service” model for governments seeking independent space-based intelligence capabilities. - **Natural catastrophe resilience**: Deepening partnerships with insurers and emergency management agencies to improve community resilience and disaster response. - **National security**: Enhancing defense and intelligence offerings for governments worldwide. - **Global expansion**: Growing regional presence and operations across Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, and the Middle East. - **Commercial diversification**: Expanding into new verticals beyond defense and insurance, such as environmental monitoring and critical infrastructure. ## Why Work Here - **Mission-driven impact**: Employees work on challenges that matter — enabling faster disaster response, protecting communities, and strengthening national security. - **Fast-paced ownership culture**: “At ICEYE, you take ownership early. You move fast, solve hard problems, and work alongside driven experts who care deeply about impact.” — ICEYE Careers page. - **Multicultural & diverse**: Colleagues from over 45 (or 75) nationalities, creating a truly international “NewSpace” environment. - **Values-driven**: Culture built on curiosity, collaboration, acting as one, seeing the big picture, driving effective teamwork, and having fun. - **Hybrid & remote flexibility**: Many roles are hybrid (combining office time with remote work), and some are fully remote within specific countries or time zones. Exact setup depends on the role and team. - **Benefits**: - Occupational healthcare, occupational and accident insurance - Time for self-development, research, training, conferences, or certification schemes - Relocation support (flight tickets, accommodation, relocation agency) - Yearly benefit budget (sport, transport, bike, wellness, lunch, etc.) - Inspiring office spaces with silent workspaces for focus - **Growth & learning**: Opportunity to work across engineering, software, data, product, and business roles — space/aerospace background not required for many positions as long as core skills are strong. - **Recruitment process**: Transparent and structured — recruiter call, hiring manager deep-dive, technical task (for relevant roles), team collaboration conversation, leadership discussion, and offer. Relocation and visa support available for most roles. ## Sources 1. [iceye.com](https://www.iceye.com/company) — Company overview, leadership, certifications, mission 2. [iceye.com](https://www.iceye.com/careers) — Careers page, culture, benefits, values 3. [iceye.com](https://www.iceye.com/careers/recruitment) — Recruitment FAQ, hybrid/remote policy, interview process 4. [iceye.com](https://www.iceye.com/) — Homepage, news on €1B funding, €300M credit facility, COO appointment ## Other roles at ICEYE - [Engineering Operations Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/engineering-operations-coordinator-iceye-warsaw-x3rd5meyss37) — Warsaw, Poland - [Senior People Generalist](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-people-generalist-iceye-athens-5a9p70cznndg) — Athens, Greece - [Senior Operations Specialist (Solar Stratospheric Aircraft Mission Planning)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-operations-specialist-solar-stratospheric-aircraft-mission-planning-9x9a8dtj5xam) — Valencia, Spain - [Spacecraft Analysis Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/spacecraft-analysis-engineer-iceye-espoo-tzvhd2kjfqpy) — Espoo, Finland - [Senior Talent Attraction Partner](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-talent-attraction-partner-iceye-espoo-7h74drydpr6m) — Espoo, Finland - [Senior Electric Propulsion Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-electric-propulsion-engineer-iceye-espoo-38na0emcgcbr) — Espoo, Finland - [Legal Counsel - Commercial (procurement focus)](https://feeny.ai/job/legal-counsel-commercial-procurement-focus-iceye-espoo-ea1caewh2f9y) — Espoo, Finland - [Buyer (Electronics & Comms)](https://feeny.ai/job/buyer-electronics-comms-iceye-espoo-b925b9bx1fvk) — Espoo, Finland - [Software AIT Engineer - Japan](https://feeny.ai/job/software-ait-engineer-japan-iceye-tokyo-a3sxswxp21ga) — Tokyo, Japan - [Mechanical AIT Engineer - Japan](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-ait-engineer-japan-iceye-tokyo-8gpwfs0zdmm9) — Tokyo, Japan