Mission Manager

Northwood Space; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Unlimited vacation

Health care

Retirement savings

Professional development

Job summary

Northwood Space is seeking a Mission Operations professional to lead customer success through effective integration with our ground station network. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills and a proven ability to navigate technical challenges.

This role is integral to enhancing customer satisfaction and operational efficiency, involving regular collaboration with engineering teams and continuous improvement of processes.

Competitive compensation includes base salary, equity, and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in customer-facing operational and/or technical roles.
• Demonstrated success in independently leading projects from concept through execution.
• Experience navigating unstructured scenarios at the intersection of hardware, software, and networking.

Responsibilities

• Ensure mission success and oversee customer onboarding.
• Serve as primary interface between customers and engineering teams.
• Drive continuous improvement through customer feedback.

Skills

Leadership in projects

Customer-facing operations

Complex problem resolution

Outstanding written and verbal communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science

Job description

About Northwood Space:

Northwood is on a mission to transform connectivity between earth and space and bring the benefits of space to the masses through innovations in space communications technologies. If you are energized by building at a high‑velocity company and seeing your work deployed in locations around the globe with real impact, we want you at Northwood.

Job Level:

The level of this position will be determined based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. We are open to considering candidates of varying experience levels, from mid‑career to principal.

Role:

Mission Operations at Northwood is responsible for leading new mission success with our ground station network customers. This person will be the bridge between our customers and product teams, ensuring successful integration and ongoing utilization of Northwood's network while developing a deep understanding of customer needs to drive both technical and business outcomes.

Responsibilities:

• Above all, ensure mission success – oversee end‑to‑end customer onboarding, drive successful product implementations, and ensure ongoing SLA compliance and mission reliability.
• Serve as the primary interface between customers and Northwood's engineering teams.
• Develop and own the strategy and frameworks for integrating customer systems with Northwood's ground station network.
• Drive continuous improvement by designing and implementing robust processes for customer feedback, using insights to inform product enhancements and operational efficiencies.
• Proactively work with customers to ensure they are maximizing the value and capabilities of Northwood's ground station network.
• Partner with Engineering and Business Development to identify and support new revenue opportunities and expansion initiatives.

Basic Qualifications:

• Demonstrated success in independently leading projects from initial concept through execution without requiring external guidance.
• 8+ years of experience in customer‑facing operational and/or technical roles
• Proven capability and skilled at navigating unstructured scenarios at the intersection of hardware, software, and networking, with a track record of resolving complex and ambiguous technical challenges; startup experience is a plus
• Outstanding written and verbal communication abilities
• Willingness to travel up to 30%

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
• Experience in the satellite or space communication industry
• Familiarity with ground station operations
• Background in customer solution architecture or systems engineering
• Experience managing technical customer relationships
• Experience with continuous integration/deployment practices
• Ability to maintain or obtain TS/SCI clearance

Compensation and Benefits:

Compensation is determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a base‑by‑case basis and may vary based on job‑related skills, education, experience, and technical capabilities. In addition to base salary, Northwood Space offers long term incentives such as company stock, stock options, and cash awards, as well as discretionary bonus for performance. Northwood Space benefits include equity, health care, unlimited vacation, retirement savings and professional development.

Additional Information:

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.

Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space is governed on the basis of 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.