Senior Systems Support Engineer

Job description

Simera Sense is a leading provider of Earth observation camera solutions for the global small satellite market. Committed to excellence and innovation, we deliver superior products and services to our worldwide customer base. Are you an Optical Systems Engineer who enjoys solving complex imaging-system problems and wants to work more directly with customers and spacecraft missions? We are seeking a Senior Systems Support Engineer to bring strong optical and imaging systems expertise into a customer-facing technical role, supporting the integration, operation, and performance of advanced Earth-observation payloads. You will combine hands-on engineering and performance analysis with system-level investigation, customer interaction, and increasing technical ownership of complex mission challenges. Position Type: Fulltime Remote Opportunity : Onsite / Remote / Hybrid Report To: Systems & Mission Support Manager Location : Glasgow, United Kingdom Job Purpose : Apply strong optical and imaging systems engineering expertise to support the successful integration, operation, and performance of Simera Sense optical payloads within customer missions. The role owns complex technical investigations, imaging performance analysis, and system-level integration activities, acting as a key technical interface between customers and Simera Sense engineering teams. The role combines hands-on optical systems engineering with increasing customer-facing technical responsibility, translating complex payload behaviour and imaging performance into clear engineering guidance and successful mission outcomes. Responsibilities : Financial Support customer satisfaction and retention through effective technical leadership and resolution of complex engineering issues. Contribute to reducing the cost of support and engineering rework by resolving issues efficiently and identifying recurring technical problems. Support efficient use of internal engineering resources through effective technical investigation, clear problem definition, and appropriate escalation. Customer Integration & Technical Leadership Act as a primary technical interface for customers on optical payload integration, imaging performance, operation, and complex technical investigations. Lead technical discussions with customers on imaging-system performance and integration topics, representing Simera Sense with confidence and technical credibility. Apply optical and imaging systems engineering expertise to understand and resolve complex customer technical issues. Support customers in correctly interpreting and implementing Simera Sense payload requirements within their spacecraft and mission architectures. Translate detailed optical and payload performance into practical system- and mission-level implications for customers. Identify incorrect assumptions, integration risks, and potential performance limitations early. Present technical analysis, findings, risks, and recommendations clearly to customers across a range of technical backgrounds. Constructively challenge technically incorrect assumptions while maintaining productive customer relationships. Develop increasing ownership of complex customer technical engagements, escalations, and mission-critical discussions. Customer Integration & Technical Leadership Act as a primary technical interface for customers on optical payload integration, imaging performance, operation, and complex technical investigations. Lead technical discussions with customers on imaging-system performance and integration topics, representing Simera Sense with confidence and technical credibility. Apply optical and imaging systems engineering expertise to understand and resolve complex customer technical issues. Support customers in correctly interpreting and implementing Simera Sense payload requirements within their spacecraft and mission architectures. Translate detailed optical and payload performance into practical system- and mission-level implications for customers. Identify incorrect assumptions, integration risks, and potential performance limitations early. Present technical analysis, findings, risks, and recommendations clearly to customers across a range of technical backgrounds. Constructively challenge technically incorrect assumptions while maintaining productive customer relationships. Develop increasing ownership of complex customer technical engagements, escalations, and mission-critical discussions. Optical & Imaging Systems Engineering Analyse and interpret the performance of electro-optical imaging systems at instrument and mission level. Investigate imaging-system behaviour across optical, detector, electronic, firmware, thermal, mechanical, calibration, and operational domains. Interpret imaging performance characteristics including MTF/OTF, spatial resolution, SNR, radiometric performance, detector response, spectral response, focus, distortion, and field-dependent performance. Analyse engineering, calibration, and test data to determine whether measured behaviour is consistent with expected system performance. Understand the relationships between optical design, detector characteristics, thermal environment, mechanical alignment, calibration, and operational configuration. Interpret and critically assess optical performance models, verification results, and measured payload performance. Translate instrument-level performance into practical implications for spacecraft integration, mission operation, and image-product performance. Support the investigation and resolution of anomalous or unexpected imaging-system behaviour. System-Level Problem Solving Understand the optical payload as an integrated system, recognising interactions between optical, detector, electronic, firmware, mechanical, thermal, calibration, operational, and customer spacecraft domains. Diagnose complex performance and operational issues across system and subsystem boundaries. Develop structured technical investigations based on available evidence, engineering analysis, and targeted testing. Clearly distinguish between observed facts, engineering interpretation, working hypotheses, and conclusions supported by evidence. Identify the additional evidence, testing, or specialist analysis required to progress an investigation. Interpret technical and performance data and translate it into actionable engineering insight. Develop a strong understanding of how Simera Sense products behave within real customer spacecraft and mission environments. Technical Investigation & Escalation Independently own complex or high-impact technical investigations from initial problem definition through analysis, recommendation, and closure. Establish clear investigation structures covering known facts, open questions, engineering hypotheses, required evidence, risks, and next actions. Determine when specialist Optical, Electronics, Firmware, Mechanical, Systems, Production, or Product Engineering input is required. Coordinate specialist engineering inputs while retaining ownership of the overall technical investigation and customer-facing technical narrative. Escalate appropriately when required, providing clear problem definition, supporting evidence, analysis, and specific technical questions. Take technical leadership during complex customer investigations and drive activities towards a defensible conclusion or clearly defined next step. Cross-Functional Collaboration Work closely with Optical, Systems, Mechanical, Electronics, Firmware, Production, AIT, Product, and Commercial teams to investigate and resolve customer technical issues. Translate customer observations and mission-level concerns into clear engineering problem statements for internal teams. Integrate inputs from multiple specialist disciplines into coherent system-level conclusions and recommendations. Ensure technical findings, uncertainties, risks, and limitations are accurately communicated between customers and internal stakeholders. Support alignment between customer mission needs, product capability, and available engineering evidence. Process & Knowledge Development Contribute to improving structured approaches for technical investigation, customer support, escalation, and engineering knowledge management. Capture and document technical solutions, investigation findings, lessons learned, and recurring system behaviour. Support development and improvement of customer-facing technical documentation, engineering guidance, product information, and internal support materials. Identify recurring customer or integration challenges that could be addressed through improved documentation, product capability, verification, or engineering processes. Help convert individual engineering investigations into reusable organisational knowledge Team Contribution & Development Provide technical leadership within the Systems & Mission Support team, particularly on optical, imaging-performance, and complex system-level topics. Act as a senior technical point of escalation for complex customer and mission-support activities. Support and mentor other team members in structured technical investigation, systems thinking, and customer-facing engineering communication. Provide continuity of technical leadership for complex customer issues when the Systems & Mission Support Manager is unavailable. Contribute to building team capability and shared ownership of customer technical activities. Develop increasing ownership of high-impact customer engagements, technical escalations, and mission-support activities Continuous Improvement Maintain and develop knowledge of optical and imaging systems engineering, remote-sensing applications, detector technology, calibration, and relevant spacecraft integration topics. Develop broader system- and mission-level understanding beyond individual optical engineering disciplines. Contribute to a culture of structured engineering learning from customer engagements and technical investigations. Ensure lessons from real-world payload integration and operation are captured and shared with Engineering and Product teams. Use customer and mission experience to identify opportunities to improve product robustness, technical documentation, engineering tools, and customer outcomes. Continue developing customer-facing technical leadership, communication, and stakeholder-management capability. Required Qualifications : Bachelor’s Degree or Postgraduate Diploma in Optical Engineering, Photonics, Physics, Applied Physics, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Systems Engineering, or another closely related engineering or scientific discipline, with relevant professional experience in optical or imaging systems. Required Experience : Typically, 5–10 years of professional engineering experience, including significant experience in optical, electro-optical, or imaging systems engineering. Hands-on experience analysing the performance of optical or imaging systems at instrument or system level. Experience working with relevant imaging-system performance characteristics such as MTF/OTF, spatial resolution, SNR, radiometry, detector performance, spectral response, focus, distortion, and/or calibration. Experience interpreting engineering requirements, optical or system performance models, verification evidence, test results, and measured performance data. Experience investigating complex or unexpected optical or imaging-system behaviour. Experience working across multiple engineering disciplines, particularly optics, detector/electronics, mechanical, thermal, firmware, or systems engineering. Demonstrated experience communicating directly with customers, partners, suppliers, or other external technical stakeholders within an engineering environment. Experience presenting technical analysis, findings, and recommendations to multidisciplinary stakeholders. Experience taking ownership of technically ambiguous problems and driving them towards resolution. Experience contributing to technical reviews, integration activities, anomaly investigations, or similar multidisciplinary engineering activities. Recommendations: Postgraduate qualification (e.g. MSc, MEng, or equivalent) in Optical Engineering, Photonics, Physics, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field. Experience with Earth-observation, remote-sensing, scientific, or spaceborne imaging systems. Experience with line-scan, push-broom, multispectral, or hyperspectral imaging systems. Understanding of detector technology and electro-optical detector behaviour. Experience with radiometric and/or geometric calibration. Experience with optical performance modelling, verification, and test. Experience using Python, MATLAB, or similar engineering-analysis tools Experience with spacecraft payload integration, environmental testing, commissioning, or operations. Familiarity with spacecraft thermal, electrical, mechanical, and data interfaces. Experience leading customer technical discussions, design reviews, integration activities, anomaly investigations, or technical workshops. Experience within aerospace, space, defence, scientific instrumentation, or other high-reliability engineering environments. Special requirement(s): Willingness to travel locally and internationally for customer meetings, technical reviews, integration activities, and other engineering support as required. Flexibility to support time-critical customer, mission, or technical issues when necessary. What we offer : The opportunity to work in the fast-growing space industry. Niche global market for optical payloads for microsatellites. Cutting-edge technology at your fingertips A competitive salary A friendly working environment. Ready to make an impact? Apply now by submitting your CV.