Safety & Mission Assurance Director

Astrolab; Hawthorne (CA); Hybrid; USD 203,000 - 226,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity ownership

Comprehensive health benefits

401(k) plan with company match

Flexible PTO and parental leave

Home office set up reimbursement

Weekly lunch stipend

Complimentary snacks and beverages

Monthly social hour with food and drinks

Job summary

Astrolab in Hawthorne, California, is seeking a Director of Safety and Mission Assurance who will ensure proper safety processes for the LTVS program. This leadership role involves coordinating with NASA and subcontractors while overseeing mission success and risk management protocols.

The ideal candidate will hold a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, have over 5 years of spaceflight experience, and demonstrate expertise in systems safety and hazard analysis. Astrolab offers equity ownership, comprehensive health benefits, and a flexible working environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience in spaceflight programs.
• Preference to 5+ years’ experience in NASA projects and programs.
• Preference to candidates with systems engineering experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the safety and mission assurance team at Astrolab.
• Coordinate consistency in safety and mission assurance across teams.
• Collaborate with NASA for safe program implementation.

Skills

Systems safety

Hazard analysis

Risk management

Fault tree analysis

Reliability modeling

Probabilistic risk analysis

Mission assurance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or physical sciences

Job description

Compensation: $203,000 - $226,000 / year

Department: Program Management

Location: Hawthorne, California

Description: Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) is pioneering new ways to explore and operate on distant planetary bodies. We are singularly focused on designing, building, and operating a fleet of multi‑purpose commercial planetary rovers to extend and enhance humanity’s presence in the solar system. We are seeking motivated, creative, and exceptional people to join our world‑class team. The Director of Safety and Mission Assurance is responsible for ensuring that the proper safety process, analysis and protocols are set in place for the LTVS program in the factory, at the launch site and in lunar operations consistent with the risk tolerance set by NASA and Astrolab and the appropriate regulatory agencies. The Director of Safety and Mission Assurance will provide technical expertise and recommendations on the appropriate tools and techniques to be used at all locations within the Astrolab LTVS Program consistent with the program’s risk tolerance and applicable regulations.

• Systems safety
• Hazard analysis
• Risk management
• Fault tree analysis
• Reliability modeling
• Probabilistic risk analysis
• Mission assurance

Employment in this role is contingent on Astrolab being selected as a winner of NASA’s LTVS program.

What you’ll do

• Lead the safety and mission assurance team at Astrolab and with our subcontractors’ teams to analyze and develop procedures and processes to assure safety and mission success consistent with the risk tolerance of NASA, Astrolab and the appropriate regulations
• Coordinate among all Astrolab and subcontractor elements to ensure a consistent safety and mission assurance approach across the various members of the team
• Collaborate with NASA and our Program Manager to ensure there is safe implementation of program interfaces and that hazards cannot progress across system interfaces
• Lead the integrated analysis of hazards, probabilistic risk analysis and other S&MA deliverables on the LTVS contract
• Guide the team in developing analyses, procedures and protocols for the LTVS program
• Serve as counterpart to the appropriate NASA leads for Safety and Mission Assurance

What’s Prepared You

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or physical sciences
• 5+ years’ experience in spaceflight programs
• Preference to 5+ years’ experience in NASA projects and programs
• Preference to candidates with systems engineering experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • Systems safety
  • Hazard analysis
  • Risk management
  • Fault tree analysis
  • Reliability modeling
  • Probabilistic risk analysis
  • Mission assurance
• Preference to candidates with detailed knowledge of NASA’s Systems Safety Handbook and Safety Culture Handbook
• Preference to candidates with experience with commercial spaceflight programs
• Preference to candidates with experience in factory, prelaunch and in-space operations

What We Offer:

• Join a team of best‑in‑class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
• Equity ownership in the company
• Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Flexible PTO and parental leave
• Home office set up reimbursement
• Fully flexible and remote friendly work environment
• Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on‑site
• Once a month social hour on‑site with food and drinks