Flight Operations Lead

Flight Operations Lead

Requirements

• Bachelor’s of Science degree in System Engineering or related discipline and typically 14 or more years of relevant experience
• Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of education
• Demonstrated knowledge of engineering principles and practices
• Experience working in multi-disciplinary design and development teams
• Thorough understanding of requirements management, functional requirements parsing, derivation, and allocation; systems design, systems integration, technical risk identification and management strategies, and Verification and Validation (V&V) principles
• An active Top Secret with SCI eligibility U.S. Security Clearance is required

Responsibilities

• Lead the Mission Operations and Sustainment team with technical expertise and strong leadership qualities
• Manage mission operations requirements, including decomposition, allocation, verification, and validation
• Develop and validate mission operations products, tools, and operator training material
• Formulate comprehensive operational plans covering all mission phases, from pre-launch to mission conclusion
• Create and maintain a pre-launch simulation environment to verify operational procedures and subsystem functionality
• Plan spacecraft operations, including launch and on-orbit activities
• Guide rehearsals, test events, and early operations, while tracking technical progress
• Verify and validate mission operations through various testing methods and provide leadership and guidance within project teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in mission operations, spacecraft commissioning, and payload or subsystem design
• Strong background in mission management, command and control, and mission data processing
• Knowledge of ground systems, terminals, and infrastructure
• Experience in mission integration, operations readiness, rehearsals, and launch support
• Familiarity with systems engineering processes, including requirements development and change management
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively within a team
• Additional experience in developing mission operations products and ground system artifacts
• Background in software, hardware engineering, integration, test engineering, or related disciplines
• Proficiency with simulation tools, test benches, or FlatSats
• Experience with Atlassian Tools such as Confluence and Jira
• Ability to train Spacecraft Engineers and Online Operations Engineers effectively
• Proficiency with Command and Control (C2) and mission planning software
• Experience with NASA and US government spacecraft and mission requirements
• Familiarity with commercial satellite communications networks and ground systems
• Demonstrated ability to translate requirements into design and to solve complex technical challenges
• A record of successful product and mission management
• A combined 10 years’ experience in spacecraft operations, mission profile design, and/or systems engineering
• Capacity to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced collaborative environment