Mission Operations Engineer

Mission Operations Engineer

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in mission operations, launch systems, or a related aerospace field.
• Proven experience in vehicle automation, telemetry analysis, and operational command and control.
• Strong problem-solving skills, especially in high-stakes, real-time environments.
• Excellent communication skills to effectively interact with multidisciplinary teams and provide guidance under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and refine automation systems to support real-time mission operations and streamline launch day processes.
• Own the Nova Vehicle CONOPS from launch pad evacuation through lift off.
• Build systems for and, on launch day, to monitor telemetry from the Nova launch vehicle and assess real-time launch commit criteria.
• Own the implementation of mission specific challenges like downrange vehicle telemetry, hardware change implementation and operations improvements.
• Work with Kent and Moses Lake teams to streamline integrated vehicle testing as a continuation into Launch Site processing and Launch Operations.
• Aggregate and synthesize engineering inputs from subject matter experts to enable and inform critical decision-making.
• Collaborate closely with the Vehicle Controller, advising on launch sequence adjustments and anomaly resolution when needed.
• Lead the monitoring of vehicle stages through the flight phase, coordinating smooth handoff to orbital operations or recovery teams.
• Drive the continuous improvement of launch day CONOPS to increase operational efficiency and mission success.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise in reusable launch systems.
• Familiarity with mission control software and systems integration.
• Experience in developing launch commit criteria and real-time response protocols.