Senior Mission Operations Engineer

Lux Aeterna•Denver, CO

1d•$135,000 - $225,000•Onsite

About The Position

Lux Aeterna is developing a reusable satellite platform designed for reliable reentry, recovery, and rapid redeployment. The Senior Mission Operations Engineer will own end-to-end mission operations for the Delphi-1 spacecraft, spanning commissioning, on-orbit operations, deorbit, reentry, and recovery. The role will help establish the mission operations function, develop operating concepts and procedures, lead rehearsals, and command the vehicle during flight. The engineer will serve as Mission Manager or Flight Director for first-of-kind reusable-satellite flights, working closely with company founders and technical leadership. This position offers responsibility for shaping mission execution and the future operations of the Delphi platform and follow-on programs. The role is based onsite in Denver five days per week by default, with flexibility when needed, and involves travel to vendor and partner facilities, the launch site, and the recovery zone before and during flight.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering, or an equivalent technical field; equivalent practical experience is also accepted.
At least 5 years of aerospace experience, including at least 2 years as a Lead or Senior Mission Operations Engineer or in an equivalent role in another high-stakes hardware program.
Direct experience in mission operations, flight test, or a launch environment, including console time, procedure authorship, or flight-director-style real-time decision-making in aerospace programs.
Hands-on experience with ground-segment or Mission Control Center tools and processes, such as commanding, telemetry, mission planning, and pass scheduling, including KSAT or equivalent ground-network experience.
Strong technical fluency, including the ability to read interface control documents, requirements, and engineering analyses and challenge plans that conflict with physical realities.
Excellent written communication skills for procedures, flight rules, status updates, and executive-level reporting.
Composure under pressure and sound judgment with incomplete information.
Comfort with ambiguity and a bias toward action over analysis paralysis.
Ability to work effectively in fast build-test-iterate environments with high ownership and minimal supervision.

Nice To Haves

Experience establishing a mission operations organization from scratch, including hiring, training, and certifying operators and building a Mission Operations Center.
Familiarity with reentry, recovery, or asset-return operations involving a capsule, glider, booster, or experimental vehicle.
Working knowledge of FAA Part 450, range safety, and human-spaceflight-adjacent safety standards such as SSCMAN 91-710, AFSPCMAN, and NASA STD.
Familiarity with RF, CCSDS, telemetry decommutation, and ground-station integration.
Early-stage startup or new-program experience, especially in hardware or deep-tech companies.
Comfort building lightweight systems and processes that can scale without over-engineering.
Military aviation, test, or operations background, in place of or alongside an engineering degree.

Responsibilities

Own mission operations for the reusable spacecraft through on-orbit operations, reentry, recovery, and refurbishment hand-off.
Author the Concept of Operations, console procedures, flight rules, anomaly playbooks, and mission timeline in partnership with GNC, FSW, GSW, and Avionics.
Establish the Mission Operations Center, lead rehearsals, and drive Flight Readiness and Mission Readiness Reviews.
Hire, train, and certify mission operations personnel, including console operators, flight directors, and payload operators; define the flight-support on-call rotation.
Serve as Mission Manager or Flight Director from pre-launch through on-orbit operations, making proceed, hold, or abort decisions and coordinating in real time with KSAT, SpaceX, the range, customers, and recovery partners.
Lead post-flight debriefs and incorporate lessons learned into Delphi block upgrades and follow-on missions.