What are the responsibilities and job description for the Network Operations Engineer position at Intuitive Machines LLC?
Network Operations Engineer
Houston, TX
About Intuitive Machines
Intuitive Machines is an innovative and cutting-edge space company making cislunar space accessible to both public and private customers. Our mission is to further science and exploration, communications, and economic progress from the Earth to the Moon and beyond. With the first commercial lunar landing in history, multiple NASA lunar missions in development, and additional private missions on our manifest, we pride ourselves in supporting our customers and the nation in paving the way to return humans to the surface of the Moon. Our world-class team includes experts in all aspects of spacecraft subsystems design, development, and test, on-orbit operations, and safety.
About the Position
The Network Operations Engineer will be responsible for real-time monitoring, configuration, and operational support of the Intuitive Machines lunar data network via relay satellites and Earth ground stations. A Delay Tolerant Network (DTN) is a networking model designed for environments with frequent disruptions, long delays, or limited connectivity, using a store-and-forward approach where data is stored at intermediate nodes until a path to the destination becomes available, rather than requiring continuous end-to-end connections like the traditional Internet. This role will execute live network configuration changes driven by customer needs, mission timelines, and orbital dynamics. The Network Operations Engineer will play a key role in maintaining network availability, performance, and responsiveness across mission phases. When not supporting operations, the Network Operations Engineer will assist in development.
Responsibilities
- Become an expert on the Delay Tolerant Network (DTN) used for data transfer from lunar and cislunar space to Earth
- Execute live changes to network configuration in support of customer needs and regular relay satellite maintenance
- Respond to real-time network events and anomalies to minimize service impacts
- Respond to critical and emergency network service requests from customers
- Communicate network status, impacts, and timelines to internal stakeholders and customers as required
- Maintain awareness of trends and recurring issues to improve network reliability
- Participate in simulations and operational rehearsals
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, or a related field and a minimum 3-5 years of experience in network operations or design, NOC (Network Operations Center) environments, or real-time operational support
- Familiarity with IP networking, routing, switching, and network modeling tools
- Ability to support shift work and off-hours operations as required
- Strong operational discipline and attention to detail
- Good verbal and written communication skills
- This role requires in-office presence in Houston, Texas
Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of or exposure in one of the following technical disciplines is highly desired:
- Experience supporting mission-critical or customer-facing network services
- Experience in satellite communications, space relay networks, or ground station operations
- Experience working in a real-time console or operations center environment
- Experience with automation, scripting, or network configuration management tools
EEO Statement
Intuitive Machines is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.