Lead Mission Director

lunaroutpost; Golden (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health coverage

Paid time off

401(k) matching

Paid holidays

Parental leave

Educational reimbursement

Job summary

Lunar Outpost is looking for a Lead Mission Director in Golden, Colorado, to make critical mission decisions during Artemis missions and ensure the safety of spacecraft and crew. The ideal candidate will have at least 15 years of experience in spaceflight mission operations, leadership skills, and a relevant degree.

Benefits include comprehensive health coverage, paid time off, and retirement plans. Join us at Lunar Outpost to help shape the future of space exploration!

Qualifications

• 15 years of experience in spaceflight mission operations.
• Technical leadership and knowledge of spacecraft design and operations.
• Ability to work in a collaborative environment with multi-disciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Make real-time mission execution decisions during Artemis missions.
• Lead flight operations team and manage mission success.
• Develop and evaluate mission objectives according to guidelines.

Skills

Leadership in mission operations

Excellent communication skills

Team collaboration

Technical writing

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Physical Science, Mathematics, Physics, or Computer Science

Job description

Are you passionate about shaping the future of humanity's presence in space? Lunar Outpost, an industry leader in space robotics and planetary vehicles, invites you to join our team! Lunar Outpost is dedicated to creating a permanent presence in space, while also driving positive impacts here on Earth. Currently, we are seeking a Lead Mission Director to contribute to our mission in a dynamic startup environment.

Take the #NextLeap with Lunar Outpost and work on the Pegasus LTV, which will carry NASA astronauts farther than they've ever been before on the lunar surface!

Key Responsibilities

• Make real-time mission execution decisions during the LTV ops portions of Artemis missions to manage vehicle and ground resources to ensure crew and vehicle safety and mission success in coordination with the NASA FOD Artemis Mission Director and other NASA personnel.
• Lead a flight operations team and make decisions regarding the safety and success of human spaceflight missions with significant value levels of space hardware assets. Manage risk in building a mission and resolving issues pre-flight and real-time.
• Lead cross-functional coordination as the primary Mission Operations POC between Systems Engineering, AI&T, and the Program Office to ensure seamless coordination and communication.
• Develop and evaluate mission objectives according to programmatic guidelines and constraints.
• Develop and execute Flight Plans according to programmatic mission requirements.
• Develop and enforce Flight Rules to ensure crew and vehicle safety.
• Lead development of Lunar Outpost mission plans through coordination with NASA Flight Operations Directorate (FOD) personnel, Lunar Outpost LTV IPTs, technical discipline experts, the NASA Astronaut Office, safety organizations, and other mission‑specific stakeholders.
• Determine and implement a course of action for contingency situations in the areas of crew and vehicle systems and ground systems to resolve malfunctions and restore the mission to a normal operational state.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with a major in Engineering, Physical Science, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, or other fields of physical science.
• Candidate must have at least 15 years of experience in spaceflight mission operations. This experience should include technical leadership with knowledge of spacecraft design and operations, as well as demonstrated leadership involving the integration of preflight design/planning, development of integrated procedures/rules, preflight training, and real‑time mission execution.
• Candidates must be able to work and lead in a collaborative environment with multi‑disciplinary engineering and mission operations team(s).
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, leadership, teamwork, technical, and administrative skills are mandatory.
• Position will periodically require working on nights, weekends, and holidays during active mission operations.
• Candidates must be a U.S. Person.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as a certified Mission Director on a crewed and/or uncrewed spaceflight mission operations program.
• Experience performing duties such as leading design or technical operations, including aspects related to hardware, software, flight control, flight design, orbital mechanics, launch services, or ground support systems.
• Experience building coalitions and working with organizations and stakeholders.
• Ability to rapidly work with minimal supervision on projects involving both small and large teams.
• Ability to decompose a large, complicated problem into manageable pieces, understand such problems from different points of view, and explain issues and solutions to other engineers.
• Prior human spaceflight experience, preferably in leadership positions (flight/mission director, flight/increment lead for a given discipline, etc.).
• Strong technical writing skills, including technical review and operations product development experience.
• Experience in testing across multiple spacecraft systems.

Compensation & Benefits

• Comprehensive health coverage: Medical, dental, and vision benefits, with 70% of premiums covered by the employer.
• Paid time off: Three (3) weeks per year of vacation.
• Retirement plan: Up to 4% employer match on 401(k) contributions.
• Paid holidays: 11 company-recognized holidays.
• Parental leave.
• Educational reimbursement opportunities to support company objectives, continued learning, and career development.

Lunar OutpostInc.is an equal opportunity employer.Lunar Outpost Inc. doesnot discriminateon the basis ofrace,color,religion, sex (including pregnancy,sexual orientation,and gender identity),national origin, ethnicity,age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Allemployees,including executives andhuman resources personnel, are expectedtoconduct themselves with professionalism andtreat others withdignityandrespect in accordance with this policy.