Director of Mission Management, KSAT USA

KSAT USA
590 Burbank Street, Suite 255
Broomfield, Colorado 80020
www.ksat.no

Contact:

Bert Sadtler
Boxwood Strategies
[email protected]
410-274-6707

Click here to apply 

Introduction

With headquarters in Tromsø, Norway, Kongsberg Satellite Services AS (KSAT) supplies services for the operation of and acquisition of data from satellites, as well as for the applications of satellite-based information in global services. KSAT is the world’s largest supplier of services for providing telemetry, tasking and control access to and acquiring data from non-geostationary spacecraft satellites.

Please click for KSAT video

Founded in 1968, KSAT has grown to over 200 employees and an annual revenue of approximately $100M. About 50% of the annual revenue comes from the US. The KSAT USA offices are located in Broomfield, Colorado. The KSAT USA office is growing by adding customer facing talent.

Summary of Position

KSAT USA is focused on building and maintaining long-term customer relationships. The Director of Mission Management (DMM) would be a direct report to Ms. Katherine Monson, Head of KSAT USA. The DMM would be local to the Greater Denver region and would work out of the Broomfield, Colorado Office. Relocation assistance to the Greater Denver region is available for the right candidate. The DMM would actively seek out and build relationships with program teams operating space missions in the national security domain. The DMM would become a trusted advisor on ground communications solutions, and work jointly with the customer to close a contract for ground communications support for the current mission, setting the stage for supporting future missions, as well. The DMM would represent KSAT USA as a best in class organization, and generate revenue for the company.

Joining the KSAT Team means:
– Opportunity to work with majority of industry players
– Opportunity to actively grow and directly contribute to the success of the space industry
– Flexible work environment
– Engaging teammates who are passionate about space, business, and pushing the technical frontier

The Top Priorities During the First 12 Months:

1. Identify new leads within the national security domain (focusing on U.S. defense prime partners).
2. Further develop business relations with existing prime and government partners, raising general awareness levels of KSAT capabilities and services.
3. Take lead to prepare proposals, in close cooperation with the KSAT USA bid team, and possible prime partners.
4. Negotiate and close profitable new contracts.
5. Actively work to ensure sales targets and budgets are met, in close coordination with the existing KSAT USA sales team.

Compensation

The target compensation is a combination of a base salary plus a discretionary bonus with
total on-target earnings range of $120K -$145K.

Breakdown of Compensation: 
The On-Target base salary range is between $110K-125K.
The On-Target bonus is between $10K-$20K.
The pay cycle is every two weeks.

Details of the Role

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

– Work with U.S. defense prime companies (e.g., Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Harris, Northrop Grumman)

– Contracting for USG missions (including FAR flow-downs)

– Closing profitable contracts (as a Sales or Business Development team member)

– Working in a National Security domain – including familiarity with major players in the space sector

– Working with technical team – including asking questions to understand, and explaining technical concepts to customers

– Working in a matrixed organization

Requirements

Required: Current US Citizenship

Must be clearable for US DoD Security Clearance

Qualifications and Skills

– Demonstrated ability to develop long-lasting, genuine relationships within the customer segment and with fellow employees

– Demonstrated experience working in a highly self-motivated and matrixed organization

– Demonstrated ability to close profitable contracts

– Demonstrated passion for the Space Sector

– A “People Person” who enjoys social interaction and gets the most out of everyday

– (Preferred) Demonstrated experience in the space sector, working with or at a defense prime

– (Preferred) Demonstrated experience with USG sub-prime contracting documents

– (Preferred) Established network in the defense prime space community

Travel

– Travel is estimated at 25%

– Travel will be necessary to customer sites

– Travel will be necessary to Tromsø, Norway several times per year

Education

– Undergraduate education, though not a hard requirement

The Recruitment Process

KSAT USA has retained Boxwood to conduct a different kind of recruitment. We have selected Boxwood because we are believers in Boxwood’s unique approach to candidate selection and qualification.  While this process is different, we feel that it genuinely offers both candidates and the company the best opportunity to get to know each other at a deeper level than is typical with the conventional interview approach.

Please click for a short video on the Boxwood Process.

To Apply

Interested and qualified candidates are first asked to view the Boxwood short video and thoroughly review the following detailed position description. Interested and qualified candidates should then APPLY HERE 

More About KSAT

KSAT has grown in the last 20 years to become the dominant player in the Ground Communications sector. KSAT USA focuses on supporting NGSO spacecraft (including launch vehicles) and has recently expanded from RF communications to include optical communications platforms, as well. KSAT USA supports the majority of NGSO spacecraft launched in the last two years, and is a key partner to NASA on the Near Earth Network. KSAT USA also is working closely with national security organizations to provide a similar type of support for defense missions.

Please click here for Company Overview

Please click here for KSAT 2018 Annual Report

KSAT is a company with fifty years of operational experience in providing ground communication services for spacecraft. Many KSAT employees have been with the company for 10-20 years, which speaks to the good workplace culture and customer-focused atmosphere. To be successful at KSAT, employees need to be self-motivated and comfortable working in matrixed teams of functional, technical, and business support team members. KSAT USA operates with a lean, highly-leveraged team, so comfort balancing multiple priorities is also key – with successful employees thriving in a “better busy than bored” mindset. Supporting the majority of NGSO spacecraft, KSAT USA truly works across the industry and our team enjoys contributing our expertise to each of these mission’s success story.

KSAT US Benefits Summary

Please click here for Summary of Benefits

 

Company History – Key Milestones:

2018 – Satellite passes: 36,000+ (pr. month)
2017 – 50 year anniversary
2015 – Satellite passes: 24,000 (pr. month)
2015 – KSATLITE installed at SvalSat and Trollsat
2009-2011 – Mid-latitude network established
2007 – Troll Satellite Station operational
2005 – Satellite passes: 5,000+ (pr. month)
2002 – KSAT established by NRS and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace
1997 – Svalbard Satellite Station established
1990s – Dedicated personnel working hard to brighten the situation – TSS becomes a part of the Norwegian Space Centre (NRS)
1980s – Changes in the market leads to cut downs
1968 – First contact ever with an operational satellite (ESRO-2B)
1967 – Tromsø Telemetry Station inaugurated by The Royal Norwegian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

For KSAT news please click here

Executive Leadership

ROLF SKATTEBOE, President
Rolf Skatteboe is president/CEO of Kongsberg Satellite Services AS (KSAT).

Rolf is one of the founders of KSAT and has been CEO since the start 2002. He worked with at the Norwegian Space Agency for 10 years. He was responsible for the development of the Svalbard ground station

Rolf is MSc, Medical Physics and Biomedical engineering, Norwegian Institute of Technology, 1984 and MSc, GeoPhysics, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, 1994. He has management courses at Norwegian University of Business and Economics. He holds various board positions.

ARNULF KJELDSEN, COO
Arnulf Kjeldsen is the Chief Operating Office for Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT). Arnulf has been with KSAT for 18 years, and has seen the company double in size several times during his tenure. As an engineer, Arnulf brings his technical leadership to the daily operations of KSAT, focusing on continuing the operational excellence that provides the communications foundation for the vast majority of the commercial space industry. Arnulf lives in Tromsø, Norway and is an avid cross-country skier.

ARILD JOSE JENSEN, VP Global Sales
Arild Jose Jensen is the VP of Global Sales for Kongsberg Satellite Service (KSAT). Arild has been with KSAT for 19 years, and has contributed to the growth of KSAT missions from a regional player to the world leader in satellite communications services. Arild lives in Oslo, Norway and enjoys snowboarding in the winter months, and spending time boating and swimming in the Oslo fjord during the summer months.

KATHERINE MONSON, (HIRING MANAGER), Head of KSAT USA
Katherine Monson is the Head of KSAT USA for Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT). Katherine began her career in aerospace as an early member of Spire Global. During her tenure at Spire, Katherine led the Ground Station department, building out a global network of infrastructure to download data from the constellation of over forty spacecraft.

Prior to her work in aerospace, Katherine was a consultant for C-suite executives at Fortune 500 companies, specializing in high-stakes negotiations and high-impact strategic partnerships. Her recent clients include The Coca-Cola Company, Deloitte, Thomson Reuters, and GlobalFoundries. Katherine began her career as a Fellow at the U.S. Department of Defense, where she supported International Negotiations around joint research and development efforts.

Katherine is an avid hiker, and enjoys learning new languages and exploring new places. She lives in the Denver, Colorado Region.

FREDRIK LANDMARK, VP of Government Services
Fredrik Landmark is the SVP, Head of Government Programs for Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT). Fredrik has been with KSAT for 19 years and has previously led the Business Development teams, as well as Sales and Marketing, before developing the Government Programs division – focused on providing services for sensitive National Security missions. Fredrik lives in Tromsø, Norway and after spending years training in sky-diving, has now settled on a much safer hobby of competing in off-road mountain biking races across the arctic tundra.

 

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