Spacecraft Proximity Operations Engineer

Anduril Industries; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 146,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries' Space team seeks a Spacecraft Operations Systems Engineer for RPO to own how we plan, rehearse, and fly close approaches with other objects. You will design mission plans, validate procedures, and run day‑in‑the‑life simulations before launch, tying together AI&T, GNC, flight software, and ground software.

You’ll work with mission partners and government agencies to meet DoD timelines, produce training materials, and implement procedure or design changes based on test

Qualifications

• Active U.S. Top Secret clearance is required.
• Background in Aerospace Engineering, Astrodynamics, Computer Science or related field.
• 4+ years of professional spacecraft operations, mission planning, or flight dynamics.
• Direct RPO experience on flown or near-flight missions.
• Experience with AI&T support, procedure validation, rehearsals and readiness reviews.
• Strong problem solving and clear written communication.

Responsibilities

• Design and own RPO mission plans and delta‑V budgets.
• Ensure passive safety to avoid collision trajectories.
• Write flight rules and procedures for close approach.
• Own mission operations plans across LEOP to on‑orbit operations.
• Drive pre‑launch campaign with day‑in‑the‑life rehearsals and simulations.
• Validate procedures on flatsats and hardware‑in‑the‑loop tests.
• Feed operational constraints back into GNC, flight software, and comms design.
• Create metrics to debug vehicle and campaign performance.
• Triage anomalies and coordinate next steps under time pressure.
• Train operators and mission crews.
• Support schedules during ground testing and launch windows.
• Coordinate licenses with FCC, NOAA and other agencies.

Skills

Top Secret clearance

Aerospace engineering

RPO experience

Spacecraft operations

Mission planning

Flight dynamics

Python

Linux

Strong written communication

Education

Bachelor or higher in Aerospace Engineering / Astrodynamics / Computer Science

Tools

STK

Astrogator

ODTK

MATLAB

Simulink

Python

Linux

Job description

Anduril Industries' Space team seeks a Spacecraft Operations Systems Engineer for RPO to own how we plan, rehearse, and fly close approaches with other objects. You will design mission plans, validate procedures, and run day‑in‑the‑life simulations before launch, tying together AI&T, GNC, flight software, and ground software.

You’ll work with mission partners and government agencies to meet DoD timelines, produce training materials, and implement procedure or design changes based on test