Senior Manager, Spacecraft Operations & Mission Execution

Vast; City of Long Beach (NY); On-site; USD 170,000 - 242,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision coverage

Equity

Extensive paid time off

401(k) retirement plan

Onsite meals and snacks

Job summary

Vast is looking for a Senior Manager, Spacecraft Operations to lead the crewed and uncrewed mission operations teams from its Long Beach location. You will own operational readiness and develop concepts of operations for Haven missions, guiding the team to safe, reliable, and scalable spaceflight operations.

This on-site role demands cross-disciplinary collaboration, strong leadership, and 24/7 console coverage, with a focus on mentoring engineers and delivering mission success.

Qualifications

• University degree in aerospace, mechanical engineering, or equivalent.
• 10+ years operating complex spaceflight or high-reliability systems.
• Experience in human spaceflight mission operations.
• Proven leadership of diverse teams of engineers.

Responsibilities

• Own operational readiness for multiple missions, ensuring safety and success.
• Turn customer requirements into robust mission timelines and ops.
• Lead the mission operations team and ensure crisp execution.
• Grow the team and mentor Mission Operations Engineers.
• Define flight rules, procedures, and go/no-go criteria.
• Identify improvements to mission operations software and systems.
• Maintain console certification.
• Monitor on-orbit performance, triage anomalies, drive resolutions.
• Support 24/7 console shifts during critical milestones.

Skills

Leadership experience

Experience briefing senior leadership

Flight controller / console operator

Experience leading mission operations

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, or another engineering discipline

Job description

Vast is looking for a Senior Manager, Spacecraft Operations to lead the crewed and uncrewed mission operations teams from its Long Beach location. You will own operational readiness and develop concepts of operations for Haven missions, guiding the team to safe, reliable, and scalable spaceflight operations.

This on-site role demands cross-disciplinary collaboration, strong leadership, and 24/7 console coverage, with a focus on mentoring engineers and delivering mission success.