Mission Operations Planning Engineer

Relative Dynamics; Greenbelt (MD); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Life insurance

401(k) match

Paid time off

Company holidays

Community engagement

Job summary

Relative Dynamics seeks a Mission Operations Planning Engineer to work on-site with NASA GSFC in Greenbelt, MD. You will lead cross-functional working groups, define activation sequences, and ensure coordination across instrument, spacecraft, flight ops, science, and IT security teams.

The role requires 5+ years in mission operations or spaceflight operations, plus experience developing flight procedures and handling data flows from Level 0 upward.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field.
• At least 5+ years of experience in Mission Operations Planning or satellite/spaceflight operations.
• Experience developing and verifying flight operations procedures.
• Familiarity with spacecraft-to-ground data flow concepts, including telemetry routing and science data processing levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead Mission Operations Working Groups to define instrument-specific activation sequences and resolve resource conflicts.
• Define post-launch calibrations and confirm support for pointing, timing, power, and data needs.
• Document activation, calibration, and contingency procedures for ground testing and rehearsals; lead pre-launch verification.
• Define processes for developing and validating new procedures after launch.
• Define OPSCON and document staffing, shifts, and facility implications.
• Trace data flow from spacecraft vendor to GSFC SDPF and coordinate with IT Security on networking.

Skills

Cross-functional coordination

Leadership in meetings

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace/Systems/Electrical Engineering or related field

Job description

Career Opportunities with Relative Dynamics

A great place to work.

Current job opportunities are posted here as they become available.

Department: ESES IV - Electrical Systems Engineering Services

At Relative Dynamics we value knowledge as a process rather than knowledge as an answer. Founded in 2011 our goal is to define the new space era by continuously pushing the boundaries of engineering services and technology development. Visit us at www.relativedynamics.space.

Relative Dynamics is a subcontractor supporting the ESES IV Contract. In this role, you will be employed by Relative Dynamics and assigned to work on projects in support of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).

Relative Dynamics is seeking a Mission Operations Planning Engineer to work on-site at NASA GSFC in Greenbelt, MD. This is a full-time, on-site position and is not eligible for remote work.

What You’ll Get to Do:

Lead Mission Operations Working Groups (MOWGs) to define instrument-specific and mission-level activation sequences, resolving dependencies and resource conflicts (power, thermal, data bus, ground contact).

Work with instrument teams to define post-launch and periodic calibrations, and confirm with the spacecraft team that pointing, timing, power, and data needs can be supported.

Document activation, calibration, and contingency procedures for validation during ground testing and mission rehearsals; lead pre-launch procedure verification and testing.

Define the process for developing and validating new or updated procedures after launch.

Define the flight operations OPSCON (centralized, distributed, or hybrid) and document its staffing, shift, and facility implications.

Define data flow from the spacecraft vendor to the GSFC SDPF, work with the science team to trace each instrument's data path from Level 0 to Level N, and coordinate with IT Security on networking requirements.

Act as the integrating point of contact across instrument, spacecraft, flight ops, science, and IT Security teams, and drive working group action items to closure.

What You’ll Need:

Required & Desired Skills

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field.

At least 5+ years of experience in Mission Operations Planning or satellite/spaceflight operations.

Required & Desired Experience

Demonstrated experience in spacecraft or instrument mission operations planning, commissioning/activation planning, or flight operations for a satellite/space mission.

Experience developing and verifying flight operations procedures.

Familiarity with spacecraft-to-ground data flow concepts, including telemetry routing and science data processing levels (Level 0 through higher-level products).

Strong cross-functional coordination skills; demonstrated ability to lead working groups across engineering, science, and operations stakeholders.

Experience supporting or interfacing with NASA GSFC programs, SDPF, or similar science data processing environments strongly preferred.

Who You Are:

Effective communicator who can translate complex technical concepts across multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders

Customer-focused, with the ability to support government and agency partners while maintaining high service standards

Dependable and accountable, consistently meeting commitments in regulated and deadline-driven environments

Productive and results-oriented, balancing quality, efficiency, and innovation across projects

Collaborative team player who contributes to shared goals and overall organizational success

What You'll Enjoy:

Grow your career with mobility, continuous learning, tuition reimbursement, and a personal development program in a culture that rewards innovation and impact

Join a high-performing team that works together on meaningful, mission-driven work and support each other.

Enjoy comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, life/disability coverage, 401(k) with match, PTO, company holidays, and community engagement opportunities

Relative Dynamics conducts a comprehensive background check that includes drug testing. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability status.