Mission Flight Director: Real-Time Spaceflight Leader

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

NASA's Flight Director Office at Johnson Space Center seeks experienced leaders to plan, direct, and control multi-discipline teams in real-time mission operations. The role emphasizes risk management, high-stakes decision making, and ensuring crew and vehicle safety across complex spaceflight activities.

Responsibilities include leading flight operations, developing objectives and flight plans, coordinating with programs and international partners, and certifying readiness during mission

Qualifications

• Performing duties such as technical operations including risk management and decision making.
• Integrating ground, crew, and spacecraft capabilities.
• Conducting pre-flight planning, developing integrated procedures/rules, preflight training, or real time mission execution.
• Leading design or technical operations, including hardware, software, flight control, orbital mechanics, launch services, or ground support systems.
• Providing technical and team leadership of ground, crew, or spacecraft capabilities which includes preflight design/planning, development of integrated procedures/rules, preflight training, or real time mission execution.
• Building coalitions and working with organizations and stakeholders including Commercial Crew/Cargo entities, payload and science representatives, International Space Agencies, or other external organizations.

Responsibilities

• Lead a flight operations team and make decisions which can have consequences for human lives and multi-billion dollar space assets.
• Manage risk in building a mission and resolving issues pre-flight and real-time.
• Develop mission objectives according to programmatic guidelines and constraints.
• Develop and execute flight plans according to programmatic mission requirements.
• Develop and enforce mission rules to ensure crew and vehicle safety.
• Chair Flight Techniques Panel/Joint Operations Panel in development of spaceflight missions.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physical Science, Mathematics, or Computer Science

Job description

NASA's Flight Director Office at Johnson Space Center seeks experienced leaders to plan, direct, and control multi-discipline teams in real-time mission operations. The role emphasizes risk management, high-stakes decision making, and ensuring crew and vehicle safety across complex spaceflight activities.

Responsibilities include leading flight operations, developing objectives and flight plans, coordinating with programs and international partners, and certifying readiness during mission