Director, Satellite Ground Station Development and Operations at Geoscience Australia

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The Australian Government has announced it will partner with the United States in its flagship Landsat Next Earth satellite program. Underpinned by new investment of $207.4m over the next 4 years, Australia will become the first country to join the Landsat 2030 International Partnerships Initiative.

Australia’s contributions to this partnership will be delivered by Geoscience Australia and will involve investment in new science to take full advantage of Landsat Next’s advanced capabilities, including an up to nine-fold increase in spatial resolution for key bands, more than twice the number of spectral bands, and increased frequency of data collection.

The Satellite Land Imaging Coordination Branch (SLIC) will be at the forefront of Australia’s delivery of the Landsat Next partnership. A small but rapidly growing branch, SLIC comprises experts from a range of disciplines including data science, engineering, programmatics, Earth observations and remote sensing science, quality, and technical assurance.Geoscience Australia will also deliver significant improvements to our satellite ground station in Alice Springs, our data processing and distribution, quality assurance and integrity monitoring, and Digital Earth and Digital Atlas capabilities.

The Director, Satellite Ground Station Development and Operations is responsible for operating Geoscience Australia’s existing Alice Springs Satellite Ground Station and managing the planning, construction, development, and operation of future satellite ground station infrastructure.

In this role you will:

  • Oversee the operation of Geoscience Australia’s Alice Springs Ground Station providing ground station support including the United States’ (US) Earth observation satellite programs in accordance with the agreements between Geoscience Australia and the United States Geological Survey.

  • Consult with the United States Geological Survey and other relevant stakeholders to identify and document technical and operational requirements for Geoscience Australia’s future ground station capabilities and infrastructure.

  • Manage the design, development and construction of Geoscience Australia’s future ground station capabilities and infrastructure including overseeing relevant native title, heritage, zoning and planning regulation, and government public works processes.

  • Develop and oversee procurements, contracts, and relationships with service providers, including research institutions, legal experts, and ground station facility suppliers.

  • Provide professional, trusted, and strategic advice to the Branch Head, Satellite Land Imaging Collection, and other internal and external stakeholders.

  • Collaborate with the Satellite Land Imaging Collection executive to ensure technical complementarity and integration between Satellite Ground Station Development and Operations-lead projects, other GA’s Landsat Next partnership projects, and internal and external Landsat Next-related initiatives.

  • Contribute to the strategic planning of Satellite Land Imaging Collection branch and Landsat Next partnership objectives. Set the strategic direction for the Ground Station Development and Operations section, develop long-term business plans and budgets, and monitor workflow and performance.

  • Establish and manage a diverse team of engineering, technical, and project delivery staff including ongoing workforce planning.

Applications close 1 May 2024.