Manager, Mission Design & Analysis Engineering; Clearance Required

About the Role

The Manager, Mission Design & Analysis Engineering (Clearance Required) leads a team of mission design and analysis engineers responsible for defining mission parameters and deriving driving mission requirements for novel spacecraft developments. This role provides technical leadership and people management for engineers who model, simulate, and analyze system and system-of-systems performance parameters. The Manager ensures mission design activities are properly integrated with broader systems engineering processes, requirements management, and verification & validation efforts.

They translate mission design functional plans into operational plans, manage resources and budgets, and collaborate across organizational boundaries to ensure mission design constraints are properly incorporated into spacecraft and ground system designs.

The Manager, Mission Design & Analysis Engineering is responsible for leading and managing multiple mission design sections or teams, providing direct supervision to engineers performing trajectory analysis, mission planning, and performance assessments across various spacecraft projects. This leader integrates mission design and analysis activities with broader systems engineering processes, including requirements management, interface control, and verification & validation, while supporting system-level trade studies and alternatives analysis that impact mission design parameters.

The role involves translating top-level mission requirements into specific trajectory, orbit, and performance requirements for subsystems, and collaborating with hardware and software engineering teams to ensure mission design constraints are properly incorporated into spacecraft and ground system designs. The Manager is responsible for identifying, assessing, and mitigating technical risks related to mission design and trajectory analysis that could impact overall system performance, while establishing and tracking mission-related technical performance measures that align with systems engineering management plans.

This position develops and implements mission design processes that optimize spacecraft trajectories, propellant usage, and mission timelines while meeting science or operational objectives, and supports digital engineering initiatives that connect mission design tools and data with broader systems engineering digital environments. The Manager exercises financial acumen by managing budgets for mission design projects, analysis tool investments, and computational resources, while effectively communicating complex mission concepts to diverse stakeholders including systems engineering, operations, and science teams.

The role requires building and maintaining collaborative relationships across organizational boundaries, supporting organizational changes within mission design teams including implementation of new analysis methodologies and simulation tools, and upholding company values while holding teams accountable to both values and technical standards.

Our mission is driven by an unyielding commitment to advancing space-based technology in service of our customers and safeguarding national security. We seek individuals who are passionate about innovating beyond boundaries and relentlessly pursuing solutions that protect, preserve and empower — to join us in this critical mission.

• Requires Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Astronautical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Physics, or related field (or equivalent work experience in lieu of degree)
• Typically 8+ years of relevant work experience in mission design and analysis
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in a managerial or leadership role
• Comprehensive knowledge of orbital mechanics, trajectory design, mission analysis techniques, and space mission concepts
• Experience with mission design and analysis tools (e.g., STK, GMAT, Free Flyer, Cameo EA, SysML, Matlab, Python) for trajectory optimization, orbit determination, and mission performance analysis
• Demonstrated ability to integrate mission design activities with broader systems engineering processes
• Knowledge of systems engineering standards (e.g., NASA/SP-, INCOSE SE Handbook) and mission design alignment with these frameworks
• Proven experience translating mission requirements into operational plans and procedures
• Strong leadership and people management skills
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with ability to effectively communicate technical concepts to diverse stakeholders
• Financial acumen with experience managing budgets and resources

• Master's degree or Ph.D. in Engineering, Physics, or related field
• Experience managing mission design teams supporting spacecraft and launch vehicle programs
• Knowledge of industry standards and regulations related to space operations, orbital debris mitigation, and planetary protection requirements
• Experience with requirements management, interface control, and verification & validation…