Senior Mission Operations Engineer

Turion Space•Irvine, CA

1d•$150,000 - $200,000•Onsite

About The Position

Turion is developing infrastructure for the space economy through vertically integrated spacecraft hardware and software, including DROID space vehicles and Starfire software for simulation, modeling, planning, and operations. The Senior Mission Operations Engineer will join the team in Irvine, California, and lead development, integration, and execution of mission operations across the spacecraft lifecycle. The role serves as an operational integrator between engineering and flight teams, ensuring operational constraints, procedures, risk mitigations, and readiness activities are defined, validated, and aligned with mission objectives. It includes real-time operations and anomaly response, cross-team coordination, continuous improvement of operational processes and tools, and mentorship of the operations team.

Requirements

At least 3 years of experience in mission operations, spacecraft operations engineering, or related aerospace operations roles.
Deep understanding of mission operations concepts, including constraints, procedures, ground systems, anomalies, and test-to-flight workflows.
Experience contributing to or developing operational processes, procedures, flight rules, or constraints.
Experience executing or leading operational activities, rehearsals, or real-time operations.
Strong cross-disciplinary communication skills and ability to interface effectively between engineering and operations teams.
Ability to work autonomously and solve complex technical and operational issues.
Must be a U.S. citizen with ability to obtain TS/SCI clearance. (The ITAR section also specifies eligibility categories or authorizations for access to export-controlled technology.)

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
Experience across the full lifecycle of a space mission, including design, integration, testing, rehearsals, commissioning, and operations.
Familiarity with mission risk frameworks such as hazards, FMEA, and fault trees, or with readiness assessments.
Prior GEO operational experience, RPO/RPOD experience, and/or mission-planning experience.
Scripting experience in Python or Ruby for operations automation, analysis, or workflow improvements.
Enthusiasm for working on small, fast-paced teams in rapidly evolving mission environments.

Responsibilities

Serve as a subject-matter expert across mission operations and support tactical execution with minimal oversight, including command sequencing, real-time decisions, and anomaly response during testing, rehearsals, and on-call operations.
Coordinate mission and project execution with systems engineering, GNC, software, and ground teams, ensuring operational implications are reflected in system interfaces, requirements, and mission-planning products.
Define, evaluate, document, and validate operational constraints across mission phases, updating them when requirements, risks, or designs change.
Lead the development, improvement, and validation of operational procedures, flight rules, and operator workflows.
Contribute to mission risk assessments by identifying operational risks and gaps, proposing mitigations, and ensuring operational considerations inform design and mission decisions.
Maintain mission readiness by identifying preparation risks, closing operational gaps, validating tools and processes, and preparing teams for rehearsals and flight.
Mentor Mission Operations Engineers and contribute to operator training, certification, and onboarding materials, providing guidance and constructive feedback.