Sr. Director Mission Management

Virgin Galactic; Truth or Consequences (NM); On-site; USD 154,900 - 247,750; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement plans

Dental and vision coverage

Job summary

Virgin Galactic is seeking a Senior Director of Mission Management in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. This role leads the organization accountable for planning and executing missions, requiring over 20 years of operational experience in mission and flight execution. The ideal candidate must have a Bachelor's degree in management or a related field, showcasing leadership in complex systems. The compensation ranges from $154,900 to $247,750 annually, coupled with a comprehensive benefits package, ensuring holistic support for employees.

Qualifications

• 20+ years in mission operations, aviation/airline operations, aerospace, or spaceflight operations.
• Experience leading complex operational teams with mission/flight execution responsibility.
• Strong background in mission control or command-and-control environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mission integration process connecting all mission elements.
• Own mission execution rhythm including reviews and post-mission analysis.
• Serve as the senior mission authority for decision-making.

Skills

Mission operations

Aviation/airline operations

Decision-making under pressure

Cross-functional alignment

Strategic planning

Real-time operations

Education

Bachelor's degree in management, engineering, or finance

Job description

We are looking for a senior operational leader who can unite planning, integration, payload readiness, and mission execution into a single, reliable, future‑focused mission management system. Maintain focus on timeliness and execution of tasks and deliverables every day. Support the company strategy by holding ourselves and one another accountable for getting the work done.

The Senior Director of Mission Management leads the organization responsible for the planning, integration, execution, and monitoring of all Virgin Galactic missions. You will manage the teams that prepare each mission, integrate payloads, and operate the Mission Control Center and simulation environments.

You will shape the end‑to‑end mission lifecycle, from long‑range planning to real‑time execution to post‑mission analysis, while ensuring safe, predictable, and scalable operations.

This role requires a seasoned aviation, aerospace, or space operations leader who can blend strategic planning with operational discipline, cross‑functional integration, and strong mission leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mission integration process, connecting planning, vehicle readiness, payload needs, crew readiness, airspace access, and operational constraints into a unified mission baseline.
• Own the mission execution rhythm, including readiness reviews, mission rehearsals, mission day execution, and post‑mission analysis.
• Serve as the senior mission authority for cross‑functional integration and operational decision‑making.
• Drive improvements in mission throughput, schedule reliability, payload readiness flow, and MCC performance.
• Ensure lessons learned from simulations, rehearsals, IROPs, and mission execution feed into planning cycles and system improvements.
• Champion data‑driven decision‑making through performance metrics, dashboards, and operational analysis.
• Partner closely with Technical Operations, Safety, Astronaut Operations, Engineering, and Spaceflight Systems on all mission‑critical processes.
• Ensure all mission dependencies and readiness elements are integrated early, clearly, and consistently.
• Coach,train, and transferexpertiseto your team todriveprojects to completion.
• Foster a culture of open/honest communication, transparency, and accountability.
• Demonstrate management and development skills, ability to manage large projects, prioritize effectively, and communicate with stakeholders.

Required Skills And Experience

• 20+ years in mission operations, aviation/airline operations, aerospace or spaceflight operations, or other high‑reliability operational environments.
• Bachelor's degree in management (esp. operations), engineering, finance, or other quantitative discipline or equivalent experience.
• Experience leading complex operational teams with direct responsibility for mission/flight execution, operational control, or integration.
• Strong background in mission control, operations centers, or command‑and‑control environments.
• Proven success building cross‑functional alignment and driving large operational systems.
• Excellent communication, synthesis, and decision‑making skills under pressure.
• Ability to lead both strategic planning and real‑time operations with equal proficiency.
• Demonstrate willingness to adjust thinking and behavior.

Compensation

The annual U.S. base salary range for this full‑time position is $154,900.00–$247,750.00. The base pay actually offered will vary depending on job‑related knowledge, skills, location, and experience and take into account internal equity. Other forms of pay (e.g., bonus or long term incentive) may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and other benefits, dependent on the position offered.

Benefits

Full range of medical, financial, and other benefits, including but not limited to health, dental, vision, retirement plans, and other applicable benefits. For more information regarding Virgin Galactic benefits, please visit https://vgcareers.virgingalactic.com/global/en/benefits

EEO Statement

Virgin Galactic is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Virgin Galactic is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.