Senior Mission Operations Engineer

BLUE ORIGIN

. Serve as Mission Operations Lead for a deep-space Mars mission that will cruise to Mars, insert into orbit, and operate as a high-rate relay between Mars and Earth .

Posted 11/2/2026full-timeUnited StatesSenior💰 $156,802 - $219,522 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in spacecraft operations development and execution, including on-console leadership and mission planning for deep-space missions. Proficient in managing technical teams, operational efficiency, and customer relationship management.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Spacecraft Operations DevelopmentOn-Console LeadershipMission PlanningTechnical Team ManagementCustomer Relationship Management

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Spacecraft OperationsMission Operations PlanningTelemetry Display DevelopmentConfiguration ManagementAnomaly ManagementOperational Readiness TestingPython ProgrammingTechnical DocumentationData AnalysisRisk Management

Soft Skills

Excellent Communication SkillsCollaborationMentoringRelationship BuildingPersuasive Presentations

Tools & Technologies

Virtualized Ground SoftwareMission Planning ToolsAgile MethodologiesGovernment ContractsDeep Space Network Interfaces

Certifications & Qualifications

U.S. Citizenship or Permanent ResidencyU.S. Standard Background Check

Industry Keywords

Deep-Space OperationsMars Mission OperationsInterplanetary Cruise OperationsPlanetary Orbit InsertionNASA Civil Space Programs

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Python

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Serve as Mission Operations Lead for a deep-space Mars mission that will cruise to Mars, insert into orbit, and operate as a high-rate relay between Mars and Earth
Lead the mission from contract award through closeout, owning operations scope, schedule, budget, risk, reporting, and customer relationship
Own the operations concept across launch, Earth departure, interplanetary cruise, orbit insertion, transfer to final service orbit, relay commissioning, and steady-state service
Deliver mission operations plans, operations data books and user guides, flight operations procedure libraries, and supporting data
Serve as operations point of contact for the customer through development and early orbit
Develop mission plans, operations concepts, tools, and processes for delayed-communication deep-space operations
Build commanding approaches using onboard command sequences and time-tagged activity, including solar conjunction and extended loss-of-signal planning
Coordinate deep-space ground-station integration, scheduling, data links, radiometric tracking interfaces, and compatibility testing
Lead teams developing operations procedures, executables, telemetry displays, technical documentation, and related products
Conduct testing and validation across hardware and software simulation environments
Improve operational efficiency and reliability through automation and AI/ML
Support spacecraft concept-of-operations development with systems engineering and other disciplines
Create detailed end-to-end system capability test procedures
Coordinate mission-operations staffing and on-console personnel certification
Support mission rehearsals, timeline development, post-launch testing, and mission-readiness activities
Provide real-time leadership during launch and early orbit from Blue Origin mission control facilities in Virginia
Monitor spacecraft health, perform trending and analysis, and track spacecraft and ground-system configurations
Troubleshoot and resolve on-orbit anomalies as part of an anomaly response team
Capture and implement lessons learned for future missions
Represent operations at customer milestone reviews and in routine performance reporting
Mentor early-career engineers and build mission-operations team capability

Requirements

What you’ll need

B.S. in Aerospace, Computer Science, Systems, or related fields
3+ years of experience managing technical teams
10+ years of proven experience in spacecraft operations development and execution, including on-console leadership of on-orbit operations as a flight director or comparable role
Demonstrated ownership of scope, schedule, and budget for a mission or major deliverable, with direct accountability to an external customer
Direct experience operating a spacecraft beyond Earth orbit on a deep space, lunar, or planetary mission, including interplanetary cruise operations, planetary orbit insertion, or sustained operations at a planetary destination
Experience planning and executing operations under one-way light time of minutes or more
Experience developing spacecraft operations products, including procedures, telemetry displays, scripts, and technical documents
Experience with configuration and product data management
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including persuasive presentations to external customers at gated milestone reviews
Ability to build professional relationships, collaborate with diverse individuals, and contribute to an inclusive culture
Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident/current Green Card holder, or lawfully admitted refugee or person granted asylum
A U.S. Standard Background Check is required
Desired: M.S. in Space Systems, Computer Science, or Aerospace Engineering
Desired: Mars mission operations experience and relay-pass scheduling familiarity
Desired: Relay or shared communications asset operations experience
Desired: Solar conjunction and extended communications outage planning experience
Desired: Deep Space Network interfaces and processes experience
Desired: NASA civil space programs experience
Desired: Proficiency with Python, SPELL, STOL, or JAS
Desired: Experience with virtualized ground software, mission planning/contact planning tools, traditional and agile methodologies, government contracts, ground segment development, mission analysis, operational readiness testing, anomaly management, and system safety analyses including FHA, FMECA, and FTA

Benefits

Comp & perks

Relocation is provided
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Basic and supplemental life insurance
Paid parental leave
Short- and long-term disability
401(k) with company match of up to 5%
Education Support Program
Stock options for all regular employees working at least 20 hours/week
Up to four weeks of paid time off per year based on weekly scheduled hours
Up to 14 company-paid holidays
Potential benefits and bonuses based on role type, job level, individual contributions, company results, or other factors at the company's discretion