Mission Manager, Rideshare

SupportFinity™; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid vacation and holidays

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Disability insurance

Job summary

SpaceX is looking for a Mission Manager to support Rideshare satellite missions, ensuring reliable access to space. This role requires managing all mission aspects from pre-contract negotiations through post-launch reviews.

Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Physics, along with significant aerospace experience and project management skills. The position involves collaboration across teams to achieve on-schedule missions.

Compensation ranges from $125,000 to $175,000 annually, along with comprehensive benefits including medical coverage and stock options.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in aerospace, aviation, or defense industry.
• 3+ years of technical project management experience.
• Experience with government, NASA, or commercial launch contracts.

Responsibilities

• Manage customer requirements and deliverables.
• Lead technical projects from proposal through completion.
• Coordinate all customer mission reviews.

Skills

Project management

Technical knowledge in aerospace

Written and verbal communication skills

Detail-oriented

Cross-functional team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Physics

Tools

SQL

PowerBI

Job description

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

Mission Manager, Rideshare

The Commercial and Government Mission Management team at SpaceX is looking for an exemplary individual capable of supporting our Smallsat Rideshare satellite missions. This team is focused on providing affordable and reliable access to space for our customers, which includes missions for commercial telecommunications, national security, earth observation, and interplanetary satellites. The Mission Manager serves as the primary customer interface and is responsible for the entire life‑cycle of a mission from pre‑contract negotiations, through mission design reviews, to the launch campaign, and post‑launch data review. The Mission Manager also works closely with disciplines across SpaceX, such as vehicle engineering, production, flight reliability, and launch integration to ensure a safe, successful, and on‑schedule mission. Team members also have opportunities to support other missions on the Government Mission Management team and the Commercial Mission Management team.

Responsibilities

• Lead new technical projects from proposal through completion
• Manage customer requirements, deliverables, schedule, and changes
• Understand all aspects of one’s assigned launch service contract and ensure proper execution thereof
• Work with launch operations group to get all range and range related documentation submitted with payload inputs, and ensure that customer launch site processing runs smoothly
• Work with production group to understand vehicle readiness
• Generate all content for launch license applications (FAA and ITAR), submit FAA license and facilitate ITAR submittal
• Generate and manage the project’s master schedule and regularly report modifications to customer
• Coordinate and chair all customer reviews and ensure that contract deliverables are delivered on time and per the customer’s expectations
• Run all payload‑to‑launch vehicle integration meetings and generate and own the Interface Control Document
• Help technical staff understand mission effort so that they can plan their tasks appropriately to maintain schedule
• Ensure all mission related ITAR processes are adhered to
• Serve as the primary interface for SpaceX in customer led mission reviews

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline or physics
• 5+ years of experience in aerospace, aviation, or defense industry
• 3+ years of technical project management experience

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Master’s degree
• Experience working with SQL and PowerBI
• Experience working with launch vehicles or spacecraft
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience working with cross‑functional teams and external customers
• 3+ years of experience working with government, NASA, or commercial launch contracts
• Highly detail oriented, diligent, hard working with excellent customer interface skills

Additional Requirements

• Must be willing to travel, up to 25%, to customer and other SpaceX locations
• Must be willing to work extended hour and/or weekends as needed
• Ability to pass Air Force background checks for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg

Compensation and Benefits

Mission Manager: $125,000.00 – $175,000.00 per year. Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job‑related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long‑term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long‑term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long‑term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

ITAR Requirements

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX 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. Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s affirmative action plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].