Mission Manager, NSSL

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

MISSION MANAGER, NSSL

The National Security Space Launch (NSSL) team at SpaceX is charged with leading the successful execution of our partnership and contractual agreements with the US Government to launch national security missions. This close-knit group serves as the main interface between the relevant Space Force customers and internal company-wide teams. The NSSL team is also responsible for technically integrating and delivering government payloads to orbit, maintaining certification of the SpaceX launch vehicles, and providing fleet insight to our government customers. Our work enables SpaceX to be the premier domestic provider of National Security Space missions.

On this team, you will serve as the main interface and mission contract owner between the SpaceX leadership and technical teams and our external leadership stakeholders to ensure the successful launch and deployment of customer satellites. You will ensure SpaceX’s designs, test plans, and qualification campaigns result in mature launch systems so that our customers can feel confident entrusting us with their most sensitive, complex, and critical payloads. As a Mission Manager, you will own and negotiate all contract requirements, manage all payment milestones, coordinate technical analyses, ensure compliance with challenging mission-specific requirements, plan hardware integration at the launch site, and maintain a positive customer relationship. Team members are extreme owners and excel across a breadth of functions including systems engineering, requirements verification, project management, proposal development, and mission management.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work with internal and external stakeholders to develop and certify missions
• Maintain configuration control of the certified flight configuration; coordinate and gain approval from the government on engineering changes to that baseline
• Collaborate with other subsystem representatives across technical and programmatic disciplines to consider all necessary trades and ensure end-to-end mission success
• Generate Interface Control Documents for all external vehicle interfaces and payloads and work with SpaceX and Government teams to verify payload requirements
• Develop and present technical content on complex designs, trade studies, risks, and issues
• Collaborate with engineering and production groups to understand vehicle readiness and how changes impact requirements, vehicle risk, and launch dates
• Coordinate and chair customer reviews and ensure that contract deliverables are delivered on time and per the customer’s expectation, including taking responsibility for payment milestones
• Serve as the Mission Manager for major flight tests and/or milestones, including carrying end-to-end responsibility for mission success
• Influence and steer programmatic and technical development to meet the end objectives of current and future customer contracts and missions
• Work with the SpaceX mission operations team and customers to develop integration and operations plans
• Support other customer activities, mission integration, launch operations, program scheduling, and proposal efforts

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, or science with 5+ years of industry experience
• 5+ years of technical project management experience
• 4+ years of experience working hands-on with hardware or software technical projects

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree in an engineering field
• 5+ years of experience working with government, NASA, or commercial launch contract
• Professional experience working with launch vehicles, spacecraft or other aerospace systems
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with direct experience negotiating technical deliverables or scope
• Excellent negotiation, conflict resolution, and leadership skills
• Experience working with cross-functional team and external customers
• Coding or automation experience (SQL, Excel, Python, etc.)
• Highly detail oriented, diligent, hard working with excellent customer interface skills
• Passion for advancing the commercial space industry
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, autonomously driven, and demanding start-up atmosphere

ADDITIONAL REQUIRMENTS:

• Ability to obtain a Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance is preferred. Note that an active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions. If so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing
• Must be available to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed to support critical milestones or operations shifts
• Must be willing to travel to launch sites, test sites, other SpaceX offices, and customer locations as needed (up to 25% travel)

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:    
    
Pay range:    
Mission Manager/Senior: $125,000.00 - $175,000.00/per year    
    
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.  

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to EEOCompliance@spacex.com.