Mission Operations Lead

Poseidon Aerospace•San Francisco, CA

1d•$100,000 - $200,000•Onsite

About The Position

Poseidon Aerospace builds and operates unmanned planes for commercial logistics and defense missions. Our two full-size fixed-wing platforms - Heron, a seaplane, and Egret, a STOL aircraft - can carry two tons of payload over a thousand nautical miles. We are headquartered in San Francisco with satellite offices in Washington, DC and Maine. The Mission Operations Lead is the owner of the transition from a won contract to a real mission in the field. After the growth team wins the work, you take it from signature to after-action: the demonstrations and events, the live customer missions, the airworthiness and flight clearances, and the logistics, infrastructure, training, and reporting that surround them. The role is deliberately broad, pairing hands-on engineering for hardware in austere conditions with program management for flawless mission execution under pressure. You will work closely with the growth team that wins missions and the engineering team that builds aircraft, owning the path from hangar to field and feeding field learnings back into Poseidon's sales and product development. Operating the aircraft yourself is a plus.

Requirements

8+ years in flight operations, flight test, mission operations, or field deployment of complex aerospace or defense systems, with demonstrated end-to-end ownership of mission or deployment execution.
A strong aviation pedigree, including working command of UAS and RPAS operations, airspace coordination, and the FAA and military approval pathways (44807, COA, interim flight clearances, and airworthiness releases).
The engineering aptitude to troubleshoot aircraft, avionics, communications, and ground systems in the field, combined with the program-management discipline to run complex missions on schedule.
Demonstrated ability to operate as a single point of accountability across cross-functional teams and external customers in high-consequence environments.
Willing and able to travel 50% to 80%, frequently on short notice, to CONUS and OCONUS locations.
Active or eligible U.S. security clearance. Clearance is required for this role.
Based in San Francisco.
U.S. Person.

Nice To Haves

Remote pilot in command experience (Part 107 and beyond), or manned or unmanned pilot experience.
Experience standing up a field or mission operations function, including the SOPs, tooling, and playbooks behind it.
Experience operating across both defense missions and commercial logistics.
Background in military aviation, flight test, or operational deployment.
Familiarity with mission planning software, telemetry and flight-data systems, and ground control workflows.

Responsibilities

Lead the end-to-end execution of customer demonstrations, exercises, and live missions, and serve as Poseidon's primary on-site representative during field operations.
Be the single person accountable for everything that deploys to the field and how it performs, identifying and resolving mission-critical issues in time-sensitive situations.
Own contract deliverables in the field, including the development and implementation of measures of performance and effectiveness.
Secure interim flight clearances, airworthiness releases, and certificates of authorization for Poseidon missions.
Own range scheduling and airspace coordination, and ensure compliance with the relevant FAA and military regulations, the National Airspace System, and government restricted airspace and UAS operating rules.
Own the full pre-mission compliance lifecycle so that every mission is cleared, safe, and ready on schedule.
Plan and coordinate all mission elements across multiple and often austere locations: aircraft, payloads, ground support equipment, communications and C2 infrastructure, logistics, and personnel.
Develop comprehensive logistics plans for demonstrations, deployments, operations, and sustainment.
Write and maintain SOPs, checklists, emergency procedures, and the flight-readiness and safety reviews that make missions repeatable.
Partner with growth from the front end, supporting proposals, scoping, and customer reviews so that missions are won in a way Poseidon can execute.
Train and onboard customer operators and end users, and act as the technical and programmatic bridge between the customer, growth, and engineering.
Build and run the feedback loops that capture field observations and translate them into engineering and product priorities, and produce clear post-mission reporting.
Establish the playbooks, tooling, and operating cadence for Poseidon mission operations.
Mature how Poseidon operates in the field as mission tempo grows, raising the bar on safety, repeatability, and speed.