Flight Dynamics Operations Lead

SpaceNav; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 110,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceNav seeks a Flight Dynamics Operations Lead in Boulder, CO to manage orbit determination, maneuver planning, and automation tooling for a multi-satellite constellation.

You will own the readiness of the flight dynamics team, mentor engineers, and serve as the primary interface to customers, while performing testing and validation of software tools. This hands-on leadership role requires shift work and on-call rotation, with onsite work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field.
• 4+ years in flight dynamics or satellite operations with hands-on MATLAB and Python scripting.
• Expertise in state estimation, probability and statistics, and maneuver planning.
• Experience with satellite mission operations and conjunction assessment.
• Experience mentoring or training engineers, and leading or senior staff.
• Comfort working directly with customers including briefing technical results to non-specialists.
• Willingness and ability to support shift work and an on-call rotation.
• Must be a U.S. person, eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Perform orbit determination and generate daily flight dynamics products across multiple satellites and orbital regimes.
• Create and validate maneuver plans, including station-keeping and orbit adjustment.
• Perform collision risk assessment and develop collision avoidance strategies.
• Develop and maintain automation scripts that produce error-free mission products.
• Perform testing and validation of flight dynamics software tools, and support analyses that define mission concepts of operations.
• Own the training and certification process for the flight dynamics team, ensuring operators are qualified for the console positions they staff.
• Serve as the primary flight dynamics interface to internal and external customers.
• Maintain operational console procedures and keep them current as missions and tooling evolve.
• Build and maintain the shift schedule, ensuring coverage commitments are met.
• Mentor flight dynamics engineers, raising technical depth and operational discipline.

Job description

SpaceNav is looking for a Flight Dynamics Operations Lead to support numerous satellites across different orbital regimes. In this role, you are responsible for accurate orbit determination, creation of maneuver plans, and development of automation scripts that produce error-free mission products.

This is the right role for a flight dynamics engineer ready to take on a first leadership assignment. You will perform the analyses that define a given mission's concept of operations, and you will own the readiness of the flight dynamics team — ensuring every operator is trained, certified, and current. You will serve as the primary flight dynamics interface to internal and external customers, and you will perform testing and validation of the software tools the team depends on.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You will sit console alongside the team you lead, and you will set the standard by example. As our constellation and customer base grow, the scope of this position grows with them. Shift work and on-call support are required.

Responsibilities

• Perform orbit determination and generate daily flight dynamics products across multiple satellites and orbital regimes.
• Create and validate maneuver plans, including station-keeping and orbit adjustment.
• Perform collision risk assessment and develop collision avoidance strategies.
• Develop and maintain automation scripts that produce error-free mission products.
• Perform testing and validation of flight dynamics software tools, and support the analyses that define mission concepts of operations.
• Own the training and certification process for the flight dynamics team, ensuring every operator is qualified for the console positions they staff.
• Serve as the primary flight dynamics interface to internal and external customers.
• Maintain operational console procedures and keep them current as missions and tooling evolve.
• Build and maintain the shift schedule, ensuring coverage commitments are met.
• Mentor flight dynamics engineers, raising the technical depth and operational discipline of the team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or a related field.
• 4+ years of experience in flight dynamics or satellite operations, including hands-on development of complex MATLAB and Python scripts.
• Expertise in state estimation, probability and statistics, and maneuver planning.
• Previous experience with satellite mission operations and analysis.
• Experience with conjunction assessment and collision avoidance operations.
• Experience mentoring or training engineers, whether in a formal lead capacity or as a senior member of an operations team.
• Comfort working directly with customers, including briefing technical results to non-specialist audiences.
• Willingness and ability to support shift work and an on-call rotation.
• Must be a U.S. person, and eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

This is a full-time, onsite position based in Boulder, Colorado.

The salary range for this role is $110,000 - $135,000 per year.