Mission Operations & Assurance Chief Engineer

Apex Technology, Inc.•Los Angeles, CA

1d•$190,000 - $230,000•Onsite

About The Position

Apex is a manufacturer of satellite buses, spacecraft platforms that carry customer payloads. The company uses software, vertical integration, and hardware designed for manufacturing to produce satellite buses at scale for applications including Earth observation and communications. The Mission Operations & Mission Assurance Chief Engineer provides technical leadership for spacecraft on-orbit operations, anomaly investigations, failure review boards, and root cause corrective action across the Apex satellite constellation. This role serves as the central technical authority for identifying, investigating, mitigating, and resolving spacecraft anomalies and mission-critical issues. The Chief Engineer works across Mission Operations, Systems Engineering, Reliability, Flight Software, Avionics, Guidance, Navigation & Control, Propulsion, Power, Thermal, Manufacturing, and Test teams to support timely anomaly resolution, disciplined investigations, and continued improvement of spacecraft reliability. The position calls for deep spacecraft systems knowledge, hands-on mission operations experience, structured failure investigation expertise, and sound decision-making in time-critical operational environments.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a closely related technical discipline.
10+ years of relevant engineering experience in spacecraft development, satellite systems engineering, mission operations, reliability engineering, or mission assurance.
5+ years of experience supporting spacecraft mission operations, complex aerospace-system troubleshooting, failure investigations, or anomaly resolution.
Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary technical investigations, failure review boards, or structured RCCA activities involving complex hardware/software systems.
Strong systems-level understanding of spacecraft architectures, subsystem interfaces, failure modes, and operational dependencies.
Experience analyzing engineering telemetry, test data, event logs, and other technical evidence to reconstruct failures and develop defensible root-cause conclusions.
Working knowledge of structured reliability and failure-investigation methodologies, including FMEA/FMECA.
Ability to assess technical risks, develop mitigation strategies, and communicate recommendations under schedule pressure or operational uncertainty.
Experience coordinating engineering activities across multiple technical disciplines and influencing stakeholders without direct reporting authority.
Strong technical writing and communication skills, including presenting complex investigation findings and risk assessments to senior engineering leadership and customers.
Ability to support critical mission operations and time-sensitive anomaly response outside normal business hours when required.
Applicants must qualify as a U.S. Person under the stated export-control definitions or be able to obtain required export authorizations.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
15+ years of experience in spacecraft engineering, mission operations, reliability, or mission assurance, including senior technical leadership responsibilities.
Direct experience leading on-orbit anomaly investigations for operational satellite constellations, including simultaneous investigations affecting multiple spacecraft.
Previous experience as a Spacecraft Chief Engineer, Mission Operations Chief Engineer, Mission Assurance Lead, Failure Review Board Chair, or equivalent senior technical authority.
Experience supporting spacecraft operations from initial commissioning through sustained constellation operations and end-of-life disposal.
Deep technical knowledge of multiple spacecraft subsystems, including electrical power, avionics, flight software, GNC, propulsion, thermal control, or communications.
Experience investigating complex hardware/software interactions, intermittent failures, radiation-induced anomalies, common-cause failures, and system-level fault-protection issues.
Experience implementing design or operational corrective actions across high-volume satellite manufacturing and rapidly evolving spacecraft production configurations.
Experience developing anomaly-management processes, fleet-health dashboards, reliability metrics, and investigation closure criteria.
Demonstrated ability to challenge technical assumptions, reconcile competing engineering assessments, and drive difficult technical decisions to closure.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary engineering focal point for on-orbit spacecraft anomalies, performance degradation, subsystem failures, and mission-threatening events.
Direct anomaly triage, fault isolation, technical troubleshooting, and recovery planning with Mission Operations and subsystem engineering teams.
Lead Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) investigations to identify failure mechanisms and root causes, assess mission impacts, and develop corrective and preventive actions.
Apply systematic problem-solving methods, including Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and statistical reliability assessments.
Assess anomaly implications across the satellite fleet, including common-cause failures, systemic design deficiencies, and latent reliability risks.
Provide technical recommendations for spacecraft recovery, operational workarounds, fault-management changes, and continued mission operations.
Evaluate verification and validation activities for corrective actions and mission-critical changes.
Maintain traceability between on-orbit anomalies, root-cause findings, corrective actions, verification evidence, and final technical disposition.
Establish and maintain investigation processes for evidence collection, failure reconstruction, causal analysis, root-cause verification, and corrective-action closure.
Establish methods for analyzing spacecraft telemetry, command histories, event logs, flight-software behavior, and operational trends to identify anomalous conditions and reconstruct failure sequences.
Establish anomaly severity classifications, escalation criteria, investigation priorities, and technical response expectations.
Establish and track mission assurance indicators, including anomaly recurrence rates, investigation closure performance, fleet failure trends, and corrective-action effectiveness.
Communicate technical investigation findings, risk assessments, and closure recommendations to engineering leadership and executive stakeholders.
Translate on-orbit failure data into design improvements, updated requirements, qualification testing, screening strategies, and operational safeguards.
Provide independent technical reviews and assessments of future products, including at design and pre-ship reviews, to support mission assurance.

Benefits

Equity in Apex.
100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents.
$100,000 life insurance at no cost.
Vacation starting at 15 days and growing to 20+ days annually.
10 paid holidays.
401(k) plan with a 100% match on the first 3% and a 50% match on the next 2%.
Eight weeks of paid parental leave.
Childcare reimbursement up to $350 per day for work-related travel.
Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks.
Office socials, pickleball tournaments, run club, and gatherings for employees and their families.
Tools for a personal desk setup.
In-person collaboration at the Playa Vista office with flexibility to integrate work and life.
Stock options for full-time hires.
Medical, dental, and vision coverage and a 401(k) retirement plan.