Spacecraft Mission Operations Engineer jobs in United States
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Firefly Aerospace · 1 week ago

Spacecraft Mission Operations Engineer

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables our world to launch, land, and operate in space. They are seeking a Mission Operations Engineer to contribute to the planning, testing, and execution of real-time spacecraft operations for their lunar lander and on-orbit vehicles.

AerospaceAir TransportationSatellite Communication
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Hiring Manager
Rachael Frederick
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Responsibilities

Design and test ground system architectures for mission ops execution
Develop mission operations plans across all subsystems and ground assets
Create and validate on-console procedures, processes, and scripts for nominal and contingency scenarios
Build and support mission simulation campaigns that mirror in-space timelines and events
Lead or support execution of flight operations from console, during prelaunch, transit, and landing
Participate in end-to-end mission testing: Ground Readiness Tests, Scenario Testing, Day-in-the-Life, Simulations
Apply systems engineering approaches to ensure traceability of mission objectives to operational readiness

Qualification

Real-time spacecraft operationsMission planningExecutionGround system architecturesFlight/ground software toolsCross-functional collaborationPython scriptingJiraConfluenceAutomation frameworks

Required

BS in Engineering or related field with 5+ years of experience
Experience in real-time spacecraft operations (LEO, GEO, lunar preferred)
Demonstrated mission planning and execution across flight and ground assets
Familiarity with ground system architectures and spacecraft comms
Experience across key subsystems: T&C, C&DH, GN&C, EPS
Proficient in flight/ground software tools: T&C systems, planning tools, Flight dynamics, etc
Cross-functional collaboration with engineering and mission teams

Preferred

8+ years of professional experience in ground system design, development, verification, deployment, and validation
Experience with lunar or interplanetary operations
Deep understanding of spacecraft integration and 'test like you fly' principles
Lead roles in mission testing campaigns (Ground Readiness testing, Flight Readiness, Ground Service Provider Testing, etc.)
Familiarity with tools like Jira, Confluence, scripting (Python/bash), and automation frameworks
Active U.S. Government security clearance (Secret, TS, or TS/SCI)
Experience supporting secure flight or mission operations (e.g., DoD, NRO, NASA classified missions)
Experience in operations involving cross-domain solutions (CDS) and managing workflows across classified/unclassified boundary systems

Benefits

Generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles
Parental leave
Educational reimbursement
Short term disability
Flexible PTO options

Company

Firefly Aerospace

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Firefly Aerospace is a space company that develops and operates launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles for commercial mission.

Funding

Current Stage
Public Company
Total Funding
$796.56M
Key Investors
Northrop GrummanRPM VenturesAE Industrial Partners
2025-08-07IPO
2025-05-29Corporate Round· $50M
2024-11-12Series D· $175M

Leadership Team

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Jason Kim
Chief Executive Officer
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Eric Salwan
Co-Founder
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Company data provided by crunchbase