Lead Mission Director

Are you passionate about shaping the future of humanity's presence in space? Lunar Outpost, an industry leader in space robotics and planetary vehicles, invites you to join our team! Lunar Outpost is dedicated to creating a permanent presence in space, while also driving positive impacts here on Earth. Currently, we are seeking a  Lead Mission Director to contribute to our mission in a dynamic startup environment.  The  Lead  LTV   Mission Director   is responsible for  planning,   preparation  and exec ution of LTV mission s   and  controlling  all  the activities of a multi-discipline, integrated team .   The  LTV   Mission Director  role is critical to the success of  LTV  missions. It requires leadership, extensive  expertise  in mission  operation s, and ability to manage risk in a high stress, real-time environment.
Take the #NextLeap with Lunar Outpost and work on the Pegasus LTV, which will carry NASA astronauts farther than they've ever been before on the lunar surface!
Key  Responsibilities:
Make real-time mission execution decisions during the  LTV  ops portions of Artemis missions to manage vehicle and ground resources to ensure crew and vehicle safety and mission success in coordination with the NASA FOD Artemis  Mission Director  and other NASA personnel.
Lead a flight operations team and make decisions  regarding   the safety and success of human spaceflight missions with significant value levels of space hardware assets . Manage risk in building a mission and resolving  issues  pre-flight and real-time.
Lead  cross -functional coordination as  the pr imary  Mission Operations  POC   between Systems Engineering, AI&T, and the Program Office to ensure seamless coordination and communication.
Develop and evaluate mission  objectives  according to programmatic guidelines and constraints.
Develop and execute Flight Plans according to programmatic mission requirements.
Develop and enforce Flight Rules to ensure crew and vehicle safety.
Lead development of  Lunar Outpost  mission  plan s through coordination with NASA Flight Operations Directorate  (FOD)  personnel,  Lunar Outpost   LTV  IPTs, technical discipline experts, the  NASA  Astronaut Office, safety organizations, and other mission-specific stakeholders.
Determine  and implement a course of action for contingency situations in the areas of crew and vehicle systems   and ground systems to resolve malfunctions and restore the mission to a normal operational state.
R e quired   Qualifications
B achelor’s  or  Master’s  degree with a major in  Engineering,  Physical Science, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, or other field s  of physical science.
Candidate s must have at least  15  years  of experience  in spaceflight mission operations .     This experience should include  technical  leadership with knowledge of spacecraft design and operations, as well as  demonstrated  leadership involving the integration of preflight design/planning, development of integrated procedures/rules, preflight training, and real time mission execution .
Candidates must be able to work  and lead  in a collaborative environment with multi-disciplinary engineering  and mission operations  team s .
Excellent communication, interpersonal, leadership, teamwork, technical, and administrative skills are mandatory.
Position will periodically require  working on  nights, weekends, and holidays during  active   mission operations.
C andidates must be a U . S  Person
Preferred  Qualifications
Experience  as a  certified  Mission Director  on  a  crewed  and/or uncrewed  spaceflight mission operations program
Experience  performing duties such as leading design or technical operations, including aspects related to hardware, software, flight control, flight design, orbital mechanics, launch services, or ground support systems
Experience building coalitions and working with organizations and stakeholders
Ability to rapidly work with minimal supervision on projects involving both small and large teams
Ability to decompose a large, complicated problem into manageable pieces, understand such problems from different points of view, and explain issues and solutions to other engineers
Prior  human spaceflight experience, preferably in leadership positions (flight/mission director, flight/increment lead for a given discipline, etc.)
Strong technical writing skills, including technical review and operations product development experience
Experience in testing across multiple spacecraft systems
Compensation & Benefits: Compensation level and base salary are competitively structured and thoughtfully determined based on factors such as relevant skills, experience, education, and the scope of the role.
Comprehensive health coverage: Medical, dental, and vision benefits, with 70% of premiums covered by the employer
Paid time off: Three (3) weeks per year of vacation
Retirement plan: Up to 4% employer match on 401(k) contributions
Paid holidays: 11 company-recognized holidays
Parental leave
Educational reimbursement opportunities to support company objectives, continued learning, and career development
Lunar Outpost Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Lunar Outpost Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. All employees, including executives and human resources personnel, are expected to conduct themselves with professionalism and treat others with dignity and respect in accordance with this policy.