Satellite Ground Station Technician

Description:

Geoscience Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Cultures, and to elders past and present.
About us
Geoscience Australia is Australia's pre-eminent public sector geoscience organisation. We are the nation's trusted advisor on the geology and geography of Australia. We apply science and technology to describe and understand the Earth for the benefit of Australia. We apply our diverse professional expertise, our deep and trusted knowledge, our national-scale Earth observation infrastructure and our strong partnerships to the opportunities and challenges that face our nation.
Geoscience Australia has a long history of bringing the benefits of space down to Earth. Importantly, Earth observation data is used to respond to natural disasters such as bushfires, cyclones and floods, monitor land use, develop agriculture, discover new mineral and energy resources and ensure our water security. By providing Australian industries, governments and researchers better access to Earth observation data, our Space Division is helping create jobs, drive economic growth, support disaster response and recovery, and sustainably make use of our land and marine environments to overcome several challenges to meet the needs of the future. Earth observation data underpins the delivery of over 170 government programs.
Our team
Within Space Division, the Satellite Land Imaging Collection Branch is comprised of a team of highly skilled professionals in diverse disciplines such as systems engineering, Earth observation science and data processing, cloud workflow and infrastructure development, and strategic program and project management. The branch plays a key role in supporting Geoscience Australia's Earth observation program, which has collaborative agreements with a number of international satellite operators.
One of these agreements is the Landsat Program in partnership with the United States Geological Survey. By collaborating in the Landsat Program, Geoscience Australia has secured Australia's access to more than 40 years of Earth observations from space, the longest continuous space-based record of Earth in existence. The Australian Government also announced in 2024 that it will partner with the United States in its flagship Landsat Next Earth satellite program, and the branch will play a critical role in delivering capability elements in support of this program.
Within this branch, the Ground Station Development and Operations team is responsible for the operation and lifecycle management of the in-service Geoscience Australia Alice Springs satellite ground station and associated infrastructure to ensure that the agency meets satellite data (including earth observation and satellite health) collection performance metrics that are required by our international partnerships. The team is also responsible for the delivery of an upgraded satellite ground station to meet the requirements of the Landsat Next program.
Geoscience Australia has operated its Alice Springs satellite ground station since 1979. The facility currently consists of four full motion antennas (9 metre and 2.4 metre) and station automation systems to meet the requirements as a Landsat Ground Network station and downlink land imagery data from satellites for users. This ground station allows the United States Geological Survey Mission Operation Centre, located at NASA, to send and receive command, telemetry and tracking information to monitor satellite telemetry and 'state of health' as the Landsat satellites orbit over Australia. The antennas enable Geoscience Australia to collect data from a number of Earth monitoring satellites, including Landsat 8 and 9, which provide information to detect changes in land use over time and other useful environmental data. The collected data is processed into images using United States Geological Survey-provided software and further value-added by Geoscience Australia before being made available to users via free and open access. Further information on the Landsat program and the use of satellite data is available here .
The key duties of the position include
The Satellite Ground Station Technician supports the operation of Geoscience Australia's Alice Springs satellite ground station. In this role, you will contribute to the operation, maintenance and modernisation of the ground station systems in conjunction with the ground operations team, contracted service providers and our United States Geological Survey partners. This position is one of two technician roles on site, with a majority of the ground station team working at Geoscience Australia's Symonston premises in Canberra. The role involves some outside work, working at heights and the operation of elevated work platform equipment. Some occasional travel to Canberra is also required.
In this role you will:

• Monitor ground station performance against performance indicators.
• Manage maintenance activities to ensure that they are deconflicted from satellite passes.
• Investigate, evaluate and report on ground station operational issues.
• Work with stakeholders to resolve technical issues promptly and maintain service standards.
• Manage and implement integration of new equipment and systems.
• Provide input to requirements and support requirements verification activities.
• Develop, review and maintain technical documentation including work instructions, technical specifications, site and asset records, schematics and change requests.
• Manage administration and procurement activities.
• Supervise one APS subordinate.

Desirable skills, knowledge, experience and/or qualifications

• Experience in satellite ground station systems maintenance and operations.
• Experience in Linux operating systems, network switching/routing and/or remote monitoring systems.
• Possess a broad understanding of systems at a satellite ground station such as antennas, power systems and HVAC.
• Demonstrate strong technical and analytical skills to troubleshoot issues.
• Experience in producing system serviceability and availability reports, maintenance plans and forecasting maintenance activities.
• Ability to work with limited direction.
• Ability to collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Experience in project management, administration, procurement and/or contracting.
• As a minimum, a Certificate III (AQF Level 3 or above) in electronics, electrical or IT from an Australian educational institution OR comparable qualifications that have been assessed by an accreditation body such as Engineers Australia or Trades Recognition Australia.
• A current working at heights certificate and elevated work platform licence, or the ability to attain these.

What we can offer you
When you work at Geoscience Australia you will have access to a range of benefits and the opportunity to experience a workplace culture that truly values and promotes diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging. To learn more about our competitive salary, secure onsite parking, generous flexible working arrangements and the role you can play in growing our culture click here . As this role is in Alice Springs, you will also have access to financial relocation assistance and remote localities allowance.
Our culture
Our strength lies in our people, including our diversity in backgrounds, skills and experiences, and the way we work together to respond to the emerging needs of our work. We value diversity in gender, backgrounds, culture, and experiences of our employees and are committed to providing an inclusive workplace culture that ensures everyone has equal opportunity to contribute, participate and progress. Applications from people who reflect this diversity are encouraged.
Our workplace is committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees and offers a variety of flexible working arrangements to enhance flexibility, including remote working arrangements.
To Apply
Please visit the careers page of our website to submit your application via our e-Recruit system. Your application should include:

• Your resume (no more than 3 pages)
• A brief statement (no more than 700 words) outlining your transferable skills, experience and capabilities related to the role and the value you would bring to Geoscience Australia.

If you have any questions regarding the role, please contact Roger Melton on (02) 6249 9338 or email Roger.Melton@ga.gov.au.
To learn more about applying for roles within the Australian Public Services please review, ' Applying for an APS job: cracking the code '.