Senior Mission Operations Engineer
Lead mission operations development, integration, and execution for spacecraft. Coordinate across engineering, software, and flight teams; define constraints and procedures; support real-time ops and mentor junior engineers.
About the job
Key Responsibilities
- Provide senior-level technical and operational expertise across all mission operations activities, serving as a subject-matter expert during testing, rehearsals, anomalies, and on-call operations.
- Plan and coordinate cross-team project and mission execution activities, ensuring alignment between operations, systems engineering, GNC, software, and ground teams.
- Define, evaluate, document, and validate operational constraints across mission phases; drive updates when requirements, risks, or design changes dictate.
- Lead development, improvement, and validation of operational procedures, flight rules, and operator workflows to ensure accurate, consistent, and reliable execution.
- Conduct and contribute to mission risk assessments, supporting identification of hazards, proposing mitigations, and ensuring risks influence design and operational decisions.
- Support tactical operational execution with minimal oversight, including command sequencing, real-time decision-making, and interface with cross-disciplinary technical teams.
- Maintain mission readiness by identifying prep risks early, coordinating closures, validating tools and processes, and ensuring teams are prepared for rehearsals and flight.
- Drive closure of operational gaps such as constraint updates, procedure improvements, workflow issues, and readiness blockers.
- Coordinate interfaces with adjacent teams, ensuring operational implications are captured in system interfaces, requirements, and mission planning products.
- Contribute to operator training, certification processes, onboarding materials, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Mentor Mission Operations Engineers, providing guidance, technical development, and constructive feedback to elevate the broader operations team.
Minimum Qualifications
- 3+ years' experience in mission operations, spacecraft operations engineering, or related aerospace operations roles.
- Deep understanding of mission operations concepts including constraints, procedures, ground systems, anomalies, and test-to-flight workflows.
- Strong cross-disciplinary communication skills with the ability to interface effectively between engineering and operations teams.
- Demonstrated ability to work autonomously and solve complex technical and operational issues.
- Experience leading operational activities, rehearsals, or real-time operations.
- Ability to obtain a TS/SCI clearance.
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience across the full lifecycle of a space mission (design → integration → testing → rehearsals → commissioning → operations).
- Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or related field, or equivalent work experience.
- Hands-on experience with mission operations systems, ground software, or operations simulation environments.
- Experience contributing to or developing procedures, flight rules, or constraints.
- Familiarity with mission risk frameworks (hazards, FMEA, fault trees) or readiness assessments.
- Scripting experience (Python, MATLAB) for operations automation, analysis, or workflow improvements.
- Experience with mission planning, console operations, or operations process development.
- Enthusiasm for working on small, fast-paced teams in rapidly evolving mission environments.
Compensation and Benefits
- Base salary: $140,000–$190,000
- Equity in Turion Space
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- 401(k) plan with 3% Employer Direct Contribution
- Generous vacation, personal, sick days, and holidays
- Paid parental leave
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Professional development opportunities
- Team building activities
Skills
Mission Operations, Spacecraft Operations, Operational Procedures, Flight Rules, Risk Assessment, Cross-Team Coordination, Python, MATLAB, Ground Systems, Ts/Sci Clearance
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