Mission Manager (Senior/Principal)
$130,000–$200,000 year
On-siteHawthorne, California, United States
Job Summary
Own mission execution from launch-opportunity selection through launch readiness, launch campaign, and handoff to on-orbit operations. Serve as the primary interface with launch providers, launch integrators, regulatory counsel, government agencies, and external partners. Build and maintain the integrated mission schedule, including external deliverables, regulatory milestones, technical reviews, launch-provider deadlines, dependencies, risks, and internal owners. Own FCC licensing and spectrum-coordination workflows in partnership with engineering and outside counsel. Translate launch-provider and regulatory requirements into clear internal deliverables, identify correct owners, and drive inputs to completion. Coordinate spacecraft data packages, interface documentation, safety materials, analyses, certifications, test evidence, and other launch-readiness deliverables. Review submissions for accuracy, completeness, and consistency before they leave the company. Run mission reviews, maintain action-item and decision logs, follow up relentlessly, and ensure commitments are closed on schedule. Identify schedule, regulatory, and integration risks early; develop recovery plans and escalate decisions before they threaten the mission. Maintain a clear source of truth for mission status so engineering and leadership always understand what is due, what is blocked, and what requires attention. Build lightweight, repeatable systems that allow Reflect to manage an increasing number of spacecraft and launches without unnecessary process or bureaucracy. Support launch-site and campaign activities when needed.
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in spacecraft mission management, launch integration, regulatory affairs, technical program management, satellite operations, or a similarly complex aerospace environment
- Personally owned significant portions of the launch-provider integration or regulatory process for at least one spacecraft mission
- Understanding of how launch manifests, mission schedules, spacecraft interfaces, safety reviews, licensing, spectrum coordination, and launch-readiness reviews fit together
- Experience with FCC spacecraft licensing, experimental licensing, spectrum coordination, earth-station licensing, or similar regulatory processes
- Ability to turn a long, ambiguous external request into a complete list of internal actions, owners, dependencies, and deadlines
- Exceptional organization to manage hundreds of details without losing sight of the mission's critical path
- Ability to write clearly, communicate directly, and represent the company with launch providers, regulators, attorneys, engineers, and executives
- Technical fluency to understand spacecraft requirements, review technical deliverables, and recognize when an answer is incomplete or inconsistent
- Ability to drive work across teams without relying on formal authority and follow up until commitments are complete
- Ability to move quickly in ambiguous environments and build enough process to create reliability without slowing the company down
- Strong judgment to know when to resolve an issue independently, when to pull in technical experts, and when to escalate a decision
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