Mission Director (Secret Clearance)

Vantor; Longmont (CO); On-site; USD 93,000 - 136,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Mental health resources

Student loan repayment assistance

Adoption reimbursement

Pet insurance

Job summary

Vantor is seeking a Mission Director in Longmont, CO to lead 24/7 Mission Operations, overseeing ground and flight operations, planning, and production for satellite constellation and ground infrastructure. The role ensures mission success, operational readiness, and cross‑functional coordination.

You will manage an eight+ person shift team, drive incident management, training, and procedures while coordinating with engineering, IT, and planning teams to meet customer requirements in a

Qualifications

• U.S. citizen with active Secret clearance able to obtain TS/SCI w/poly
• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering or related field; 4 years of experience may substitute for a degree
• Minimum of 5 years in Operations Management or Technical Project Management
• Minimum of 3 years of troubleshooting technical issues
• Ability to accommodate 24/7 rotational shift work

Responsibilities

• Lead a ground/flight operations planning and production shift team of eight or more
• Ensure mission success and systems performance in a 24/7 environment
• Draft, validate, support, and enforce operational procedures and required training
• Maintain situational awareness of mission planning and operations in the Mission Operations Center
• Build relationships with spacecraft support and planning teams including IT and training
• Coordinate daily with operations leadership and regional planning teams
• Communicate operational status, milestones, and incident management to stakeholders
• Act as incident commander for anomalies from prioritization to recovery
• Communicate capabilities and mitigations to external customers
• Interview, train, evaluate, coach staff for career development

Skills

Leadership

Operations management

Technical project management

Troubleshooting

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

AWS

Job description

Vantor is forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence, helping decision makers and operators navigate what’s happening now and shape what’s coming next. Vantor is a place for problem solvers, changemakers, and go-getters—where people are working together to help our customers see the world differently, and in doing so, be seen differently. Come be part of a mission, not just a job, where you can: Shape your own future, build the next big thing, and change the world.

To be eligible for this position, you must be a U.S. Citizen. This position requires an active U.S. Government security clearance; applicants who do not currently hold the required clearance will not be eligible for consideration. Employment for cleared roles is contingent upon verification of clearance status.

Export Control/ITAR: Certain roles may be subject to U.S. export control laws, requiring U.S. person status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Please review the job details below.

Vantor is seeking a Mission Director in Longmont, CO to lead mission execution within our 24/7 Mission Operations Center, supporting ground operations, flight operations, mission planning, and production for our satellite constellation and ground infrastructure. This role ensures mission success, operational readiness, and clear cross‑functional coordination across mission‑critical operations.

Responsibilities

• Manage an integrated ground / flight operations, planning, and production shift team of eight or more operators and engineers in support of our satellite constellation and ground infrastructure, along with other support teams as directed by management.
• Responsible for mission success and systems performance necessary to meet customer requirements in a 24/7 environment.
• Draft, validate, support, and enforce operational procedures and completion of required training.
• Maintain a high level of situational awareness of all mission planning and operations activities within the Mission Operations Center (MOC).
• Develop and maintain relationships with various spacecraft support teams, such as spacecraft and operations engineering, management, training, production, IT, and planning teams.
• Daily coordination with the operations and engineering leadership and regional collection planning teams.
• Provide effective communication with team members, cross‑departmental staff, and leaders regarding operational status, mission milestones, and incident management of business impacts and resolution.
• As a designated incident commander, focus on an anomaly from prioritization to recovery by managing resources, communicating with stakeholders and leadership, and adhering to the Incident Management policy.
• Communicate with external customers regarding operational capabilities to include mission‑impacting anomalies, planned and unplanned maintenance activities, the impacts of the activities, and the mitigations in place to minimize the impacts.
• Interview, train, evaluate, coach, support career development and corrective actions and preventative solutions for team members.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen and possess a current/active Secret security clearance with the ability to obtain a TS/SCI w/poly
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, engineering, or a related field. Four additional years of experience may be substituted for a degree
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Operations Management or Technical Project Management
• Minimum of 3 years of experience troubleshooting technical issues
• Ability to accommodate 24/7 rotational shift work and support outside of regular shifts as required

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of leadership experience
• Experience with aerospace and/or satellite ground systems
• Troubleshooting experience for AWS-based systemsAbility to engage with crew members and adjacent teamsMust possess/demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skillsCalm disposition in stressful situationsProficiency in Windows and Linux environmentsAbility to support time-sensitive requirements

  Pay Transparency

  To support pay transparency, Vantor includes salary ranges in all U.S. job postings. Starting pay for this role will fall within the listed range and will be based on factors such as experience, qualifications, skills, location, and market conditions. Candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the role should not expect to receive compensation at the top of the range. The listed range reflects the expected pay for this position, and final offers will be determined based on each candidate’s experience, expertise, and alignment with the role.

  • The base pay for this position within Colorado is: $93,000.00 - $123,500.00 - $135,850.00 annually.

  Benefits

  Vantor offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond the standard, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement and pet insurance to support all aspects of your life. You can find more information on our benefits at: https://www.Vantor.com/careers

  Additionally, this position is incentive eligible with a target based on contribution, company performance, and/or individual results achieved; the specific incentive plan and target amount will be determined based on the role and breadth of contributions.

  EEO Policy

  Vantor is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace. We believe in fostering an environment where all team members feel respected, valued, and encouraged to share their ideas. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.