Lead Mission Director

Are you passionate about shaping the future of humanity's presence in space? Lunar Outpost, an industry leader in space robotics and planetary vehicles, invites you to join our team! Lunar Outpost is dedicated to creating a permanent presence in space, while also driving positive impacts here on Earth. Currently, we are seeking a Lead Mission Director to contribute to our mission in a dynamic startup environment. The Lead LTV Mission Director is responsible for planning, preparation and execution of LTV missions and controlling all the activities of a multi-discipline, integrated team. The LTV Mission Director role is critical to the success of LTV missions. It requires leadership, extensive expertise in mission operations, and ability to manage risk in a high stress, real-time environment. 

Take the #NextLeap with Lunar Outpost and work on the Pegasus LTV, which will carry NASA astronauts farther than they've ever been before on the lunar surface!  

Working Conditions / Schedule: This position is required to be onsite Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Where applicable, employees may work remotely on Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Additional hours may be required based on business needs.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Make real-time mission execution decisions during the LTV ops portions of Artemis missions to manage vehicle and ground resources to ensure crew and vehicle safety and mission success in coordination with the NASA FOD Artemis Mission Director and other NASA personnel. 

• Lead a flight operations team and make decisions regarding the safety and success of human spaceflight missions with significant value levels of space hardware assets. Manage risk in building a mission and resolving issues pre-flight and real-time. 

• Lead cross-functional coordination as the primary Mission Operations POC between Systems Engineering, AI&T, and the Program Office to ensure seamless coordination and communication. 

• Develop and evaluate mission objectives according to programmatic guidelines and constraints. 

• Develop and execute Flight Plans according to programmatic mission requirements.  

• Develop and enforce Flight Rules to ensure crew and vehicle safety. 

• Lead development of Lunar Outpost mission plans through coordination with NASA Flight Operations Directorate (FOD) personnel, Lunar Outpost LTV IPTs, technical discipline experts, the NASA Astronaut Office, safety organizations, and other mission-specific stakeholders. 

• Determine and implement a course of action for contingency situations in the areas of crew and vehicle systems and ground systems to resolve malfunctions and restore the mission to a normal operational state. 

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with a major in Engineering, Physical Science, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, or other fields of physical science.  

• Candidates must have at least 15 years of experience in spaceflight mission operations.  This experience should include technical leadership with knowledge of spacecraft design and operations, as well as demonstrated leadership involving the integration of preflight design/planning, development of integrated procedures/rules, preflight training, and real time mission execution.   

• Candidates must be able to work and lead in a collaborative environment with multi-disciplinary engineering and mission operations teams.  

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, leadership, teamwork, technical, and administrative skills are mandatory.  

• Position will periodically require working on nights, weekends, and holidays during active mission operations.  

• Candidates must be a U.S Person 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience as a certified Mission Director on a crewed and/or uncrewed spaceflight mission operations program 

• Experience performing duties such as leading design or technical operations, including aspects related to hardware, software, flight control, flight design, orbital mechanics, launch services, or ground support systems 

• Experience building coalitions and working with organizations and stakeholders 

• Ability to rapidly work with minimal supervision on projects involving both small and large teams 

• Ability to decompose a large, complicated problem into manageable pieces, understand such problems from different points of view, and explain issues and solutions to other engineers 

• Prior human spaceflight experience, preferably in leadership positions (flight/mission director, flight/increment lead for a given discipline, etc.) 

• Strong technical writing skills, including technical review and operations product development experience 

• Experience in testing across multiple spacecraft systems 

Compensation & Benefits: Compensation level and base salary are competitively structured and thoughtfully determined based on factors such as relevant skills, experience, education, and the scope of the role.

• Comprehensive health coverage: Medical, dental, and vision benefits, with 70% of premiums covered by the employer
• Paid time off: Three (3) weeks per year of vacation
• Retirement plan: Up to 4% employer match on 401(k) contributions
• Paid holidays: 11 company-recognized holidays
• Parental leave
• Educational reimbursement opportunities to support company objectives, continued learning, and career development

Lunar Outpost Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Lunar Outpost Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. All employees, including executives and human resources personnel, are expected to conduct themselves with professionalism and treat others with dignity and respect in accordance with this policy.