Spacecraft Mission Operations Director

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACE

As an end-to-end space transportation company, Firefly Aerospace is on a mission to Launch, Orbit, and Land in the space regime. Our launch vehicles, orbital utility vehicles, and lunar landers provide civil, defense, and commercial customers with full mission services from Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond. Headquartered in North Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for experienced and enthusiastic innovators to join our team and fuel our successful trajectory in space.

SUMMARY

We are seeking an experienced and motivated individual to lead our Spacecraft Mission Operations organization. As Director of Spacecraft Mission Operations, you will oversee all aspects of mission planning, execution, and analysis for our fleet of spacecraft, including our upcoming lunar lander mission, the first US lander to land on the moon on over 50 years! This role requires extensive breadth and depth understanding of spacecraft systems, mission operations, ground systems from mission formulation through on-orbit execution. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in mission operations development, ground system implementations and have exceptional leadership skills with the ability to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership and Management

• Lead and manage the Firefly Spacecraft Mission Operations organization, including mission operations engineers, systems engineers, ground engineers, software developers, system administrators, and mission analysts.
• Lead and develop a collaborative and innovative team environment, encouraging continuous improvement and professional development.
• Lead cross-functional technical collaboration with chief engineers, spacecraft mission system engineers, assembly integration and test engineers, and flight software engineers to achieve mission requirements and ensure mission success.
• Lead development of organizational operational plans, policies, procedures, and best practices to ensure mission success.
• Develop and manage mission operations development, integration, and test schedules and milestones from mission formulation through on-orbit execution.
• Develop the spacecraft mission operations vision, ensuring alignment with the company’s overall goals and objectives.

Mission Planning and Execution

• Oversee the development of mission concept-of-operations, requirements, trade studies, and implementation of ground and space detailed mission plans, timelines, and operational procedures for all missions.
• Ensure the successful execution of spacecraft missions including prelaunch, launch, in-orbit operations, lunar landing, surface operations, and end-of-life disposal.
• Coordinate with internal directorates and external partners to ensure mission requirements are met.
• Lead development of mission simulation/rehearsal campaigns from initial planning through execution.

Technical Oversight

• Oversee concept of operations, trade studies and derivation of mission, spacecraft, and ground system requirements.
• Develop work breakdown structures, staffing profiles, basis-of-estimates, and bill-of-materials for mission operations and ground system development.
• Develop and execute mission operations and ground system verification and validation plans and procedures.
• Lead cross-organizational technical interchanges with national and international partners
• Provide technical leadership and ownership for all spacecraft operations, including system performance, anomaly resolution, and risk management.
• Ensure the development and maintenance of robust spacecraft operations software and tools.
• Lead mission readiness reviews, post-mission analysis, and lessons learned activities.

Strategic Planning

• Contribute to the strategic planning and development of future space missions and capabilities.
• Identify and implement innovative technologies and methodologies to enhance mission operations efficiency and effectiveness.
• Support business development activities by providing technical expertise and operational insights.

Compliance and Safety

• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations, standards, and best practices for space mission operations.
• Promote a culture of safety and reliability within the mission operations team.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• B.S. Engineering in aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, physics, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in spacecraft mission operations or a related field, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Proven record of successful mission planning and execution for satellite or spacecraft missions.
• Domain expertise in spacecraft bus and subsystem characteristics– Command & Data Handling, Propulsion, Thermal, Power, Flight Software, Avionics, and Guidance Navigation & Control.
• Domain expertise in ground system and mission operations center design and development – Telemetry and Command, Mission Planning & Scheduling, Flight Dynamics, Ground Stations, Automation & Monitoring, Product Distribution, and Payload Operations.
• Domain expertise in space and ground interface definitions, requirements, implementation, verification, and validation (e.g., IDDs, ICDs, IRDs).
• Experience in space-to-ground and space-to-space satellite communications including interfaces, protocols, data rates, and link analysis.
• Experience in managing software development lifecycles from requirement or user story derivation through verification and deployment.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Experience with regulatory compliance and safety standards in space operations.
• Familiarity with ground and space encryption solutions and implementations.

Desired

• Master of Science degree
• Proposal development experience for both technical and cost
• Experience with NASA, NOAA, and/or DoD satellite mission development and operations.
• Experience with lunar lander missions, deep space missions, human spaceflight, or large satellite constellations.
• Experience in lights-out mission operations concept of operations and implementations.
• Experience in scripting languages – Python, Spacecraft Test & Operations Language or Perl
• Experience with multiple Telemetry & Command, Flight Dynamics, and Mission Planning COTS or GOTS software products
• Knowledge of international space regulations and standards (e.g. CCSDS).
• Agile development methodologies (e.g., Sprint, Kanban, SAFe)
• Advanced project management skills

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short term disability, and flexible PTO options.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firefly is governed based on merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.