Mission Manager

MISSION MANAGER

SpaceX services a diverse range of customers across our programs and is looking for exemplary individuals capable of supporting our missions. The Mission Management teams manage Commercial, Rideshare, National Security Space Launch (NSSL), NASA Scientific Missions, Dragon Crew & Cargo, and Starship Crew & Cargo Programs, including NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS).

As a member of our team, you will serve as the main interface between SpaceX and our customers from early capabilities studies through mission execution. Members of the team develop many capabilities and excel across a breadth of functions, including systems engineering, mission management, project and contract management, proposal and sales development, requirements verification, and regulatory coordination.

Mission Managers also work together with customer program managers to ensure successful execution of the program, including all contract, flight and flight test milestones. Team members have the opportunity to work with groups and technology from all areas of SpaceX, providing a critical integration role across the company and with our customers. SpaceX is opening the new space age, and we need a meticulous and persuasive self-starter to jump in and help pave the way!

 RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work with internal and external stakeholders to develop and certify missions
• Collaborate with and help integrate SpaceX and customer teams to consider all necessary design and implementation trades to ensure end-to-end mission success
• Collaborate with engineering, production, and operations to drive readiness of vehicles, cargo, and crew while recognizing how changes impact requirements, vehicle risk, and launch dates
• Understand, develop, and summarize technical content on complex designs, trade studies, risks, and issues
• Present content to internal, customer, and executive audiences
• Coordinate and chair customer forums, boards, and reviews to ensure that deliverables are delivered on time and per the customer’s expectations including taking responsibility for payment milestones
• Influence and steer programmatic and technical development to meet the end objectives of current and future customer contracts and missions
• Work with the SpaceX mission operations team and customers to develop integration and operations plans
• Serve as the Mission Manager for major flight tests and/or milestones, including carrying end-to-end responsibility for mission success
• Lead new technical projects and contracts from proposal through completion
• Ensure regulatory coordination is kept on schedule and facilitate generation of materials as required (such as export compliance, FAA launch license applications, FCC special temporary authorizations, DOT transport licenses etc.)
• Manage execution of sub-contracts, collaboration activities, and task agreements between customers
• Develop and improve program management processes to ensure successful and efficient execution of future missions
• Understand program master schedules and contracts to provide input for their creation, updates, and maintenance

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or physics
• 5+ years of industry experience
• 5+ years of technical project management experience
• 4+ years of experience working hands-on with hardware or software technical projects

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with direct experience negotiating technical deliverables or scope
• Diplomacy, strong interpersonal skills, and experience working with cross-functional teams and customers
• Highly detail-oriented, diligent, and hardworking
• Passion for advancing the commercial space industry
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, autonomously driven, and demanding start-up atmosphere
• Experience working with government, NASA, or commercial space programs
• Experience working with launch vehicles, spacecraft, or astronauts
• Coding or other automation experience (SQL, Excel, Python, etc.)
• Experience working with CAD tools

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to work extended hours and weekends as needed to support critical efforts and operations
• Must be willing to travel to other SpaceX sites, test sites, vendors, and customer locations as necessary