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 leads and manages mission design sections or teams responsible for defining mission parameters and deriving mission requirements for spacecraft development. The role provides technical leadership and direct people management for engineers conducting trajectory analysis, mission planning, modeling, simulation, and performance assessments across spacecraft projects. The Manager integrates mission design and analysis with systems engineering processes, including requirements management, interface control, and verification and validation. The role translates top-level mission requirements into trajectory, orbit, and performance requirements for subsystems; supports system-level trade studies and alternatives analysis; and collaborates with hardware and software engineering teams to incorporate mission constraints into spacecraft and ground-system designs. The Manager identifies and mitigates technical risks, establishes and tracks mission-related technical performance measures, and develops processes to optimize trajectories, propellant usage, and mission timelines while meeting operational or science objectives. The position also supports digital engineering initiatives and communicates mission concepts to systems engineering, operations, science, and other stakeholders. The Manager translates functional plans into operational plans, manages resources and budgets for projects, analysis tools, and computational resources, and supports organizational changes such as new analysis methodologies and simulation tools. The role builds collaborative relationships across organizational boundaries and holds teams accountable to company values and technical standards. An active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility and U.S. citizenship are required.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Astronautical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Physics, or a related field, or equivalent work experience in lieu of a degree.
Typically 8 or more years of relevant work experience in mission design and analysis.
At least 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 such as STK, GMAT, Free Flyer, Cameo EA, SysML, MATLAB, or 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 such as NASA/SP-2016-6105 and the INCOSE SE Handbook, and of 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, including the ability to explain technical concepts to diverse stakeholders.
Financial acumen and experience managing budgets and resources.
An active Top Secret U.S. Security Clearance with SCI eligibility is required.
U.S. citizenship is required because the role requires an active U.S. security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree or Ph.D. in Engineering, Physics, or a 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.
Experience with requirements management, interface control, and verification and validation processes.
Demonstrated success identifying and managing technical risks.
Experience supporting system-level trade studies and cost-benefit analysis.
Familiarity with model-based systems engineering approaches and digital engineering initiatives.
Experience with spacecraft systems and subsystems, space mission sensors, payloads, and ground systems.
Experience with DoD modeling environments such as Brawler, Suppressor, AFSIM, EADSIM, or ESAMS.
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 collaborate across organizational boundaries and build strong stakeholder relationships.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage multiple mission design sections or teams, providing direct supervision to mission design and analysis engineers.
Provide technical leadership for trajectory analysis, mission planning, modeling, simulation, and performance assessments across spacecraft projects.
Define mission parameters and derive mission requirements for novel spacecraft developments.
Integrate mission design activities with systems engineering, requirements management, interface control, and verification and validation processes.
Translate top-level mission requirements into trajectory, orbit, and performance requirements for subsystems.
Support system-level trade studies and alternatives analysis that affect mission design parameters.
Collaborate with hardware and software engineering teams to incorporate mission design constraints into spacecraft and ground-system designs.
Identify, assess, and mitigate technical risks related to mission design and trajectory analysis.
Establish and track mission-related technical performance measures aligned with systems engineering management plans.
Develop and implement processes to optimize spacecraft trajectories, propellant usage, and mission timelines while meeting mission objectives.
Support digital engineering initiatives connecting mission design tools and data with broader systems engineering environments.
Translate mission design functional plans into operational plans and procedures.
Manage budgets and resources for mission design projects, analysis tool investments, and computational resources.
Communicate complex mission concepts to stakeholders, including systems engineering, operations, and science teams.
Build and maintain collaborative relationships across organizational boundaries.
Support organizational changes, including implementation of new analysis methodologies and simulation tools.
Uphold company values and hold teams accountable to company values and technical standards.