Manager, Mission Design & Analysis Engineering (Clearance Required)

Sierra Space•Centennial, CO

1d•$157,512 - $216,579

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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-2016-6105, 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
Requires current/active Top Secret with SCI eligibility U.S. Security Clearance.
U.S. Citizenship status is required as this position needs an active U.S. Security Clearance for employment.

Nice To Haves

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 processes
Demonstrated success in technical risk identification and management
Experience supporting system-level trade studies and cost-benefit analysis
Familiarity with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) approaches and digital engineering initiatives
Experience with spacecraft systems and subsystems, space mission sensors, payloads, and ground systems
Experience with DoD modeling environments (Brawler, Suppressor, AFSIM, EADSIM, ESAMS, etc.)
Strong understanding of electronic warfare, space domain awareness, electro-optical sensing, and mission communications
Experience supporting business development, proposal preparation, and program cost and schedule management
Track record of building and developing high-performing technical teams
Demonstrated ability to drive process improvements and implement organizational changes
Proven ability to work collaboratively across organizational boundaries and build strong stakeholder relationships

Responsibilities

Leads a team of mission design and analysis engineers responsible for defining mission parameters and deriving driving mission requirements for novel spacecraft developments.
Provides technical leadership and people management for engineers who model, simulate, and analyze system and system-of-systems performance parameters.
Ensures mission design activities are properly integrated with broader systems engineering processes, requirements management, and verification & validation efforts.
Translates mission design functional plans into operational plans, manages resources and budgets, and collaborates across organizational boundaries to ensure mission design constraints are properly incorporated into spacecraft and ground system designs.
Leads and manages multiple mission design sections or teams, providing direct supervision to engineers performing trajectory analysis, mission planning, and performance assessments across various spacecraft projects.
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.
Translates top-level mission requirements into specific trajectory, orbit, and performance requirements for subsystems, and collaborates with hardware and software engineering teams to ensure mission design constraints are properly incorporated into spacecraft and ground system designs.
Identifies, assesses, and mitigates technical risks related to mission design and trajectory analysis that could impact overall system performance.
Establishes and tracks mission-related technical performance measures that align with systems engineering management plans.
Develops and implements mission design processes that optimize spacecraft trajectories, propellant usage, and mission timelines while meeting science or operational objectives.
Supports digital engineering initiatives that connect mission design tools and data with broader systems engineering digital environments.
Manages budgets for mission design projects, analysis tool investments, and computational resources.
Effectively communicates complex mission concepts to diverse stakeholders including systems engineering, operations, and science teams.
Builds and maintains collaborative relationships across organizational boundaries.
Supports organizational changes within mission design teams including implementation of new analysis methodologies and simulation tools.
Upholds company values while holding teams accountable to both values and technical standards.