Senior Mission Operations Manager

Senior Mission Operations Manager

Denver, CO | Full Time | Senior Level

The Mission

Space is the infrastructure layer for humanity's next industrial revolution. While reusable rockets have opened the door, true economic transformation requires orbital logistics that are as accessible and reliable as commercial aviation. At Lux Aeterna, we're building that future by developing the first fully reusable satellite platform built for reliable reentry, recovery, and rapid redeployment, transforming space from a one-way street into a two-way highway for innovation and commerce.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Mission Operations Manager to take end-to-end ownership of Lux Aeterna's flights getting Delphi-1 to the pad, running it on orbit, and bringing it home. This role spans program execution in the lead-up to launch and mission operations leadership through commissioning, on-orbit, deorbit, reentry, and recovery.

You will start as the program manager keeping Delphi-1 on schedule owning the integrated plan, driving cross-team execution, surfacing risk, and making sure the engineering / operations organization is pointed at the right work in the right order. As we approach launch, you transition into the Mission Operations Lead: building the concept of operations, standing up the mission ops team, training the console, running rehearsals, and ultimately commanding the vehicle in flight. This role will then transition into the responsible party for developing how Lux Aeterna manages fleet flight operations, from team building, process development, all the way through realization for a fleet-based satellite operating model.

This is the seat for someone who wants real ownership early, who is energized by both the discipline of program execution and the thrill of flying spacecraft, and who wants to grow into the person responsible for our missions in flight.

This is a unique opportunity to:

• Own a full reusable-spacecraft mission lifecycle from program plan through launch, on-orbit, reentry, recovery, and refurbishment hand-off
• Build Lux Aeterna's mission operations function from zero: CONOPs, procedures, flight rules, and the team that flies the vehicle
• Serve as Mission Manager / Flight Director on console for first-of-kind reusable-satellite flights
• Work directly with the founders and technical leadership to shape how Lux Aeterna executes and flies missions
• Grow into the mission operations leader for the Delphi platform and follow-on programs

Why Lux Aeterna?

• Pioneering Technology: We're developing the first reusable satellite platform with controlled return capability, fundamentally transforming space from a one-way journey to a two-way highway
• Real Impact: Your work will enable new industries in space manufacturing, research, and logistics while pioneering sustainable space infrastructure
• Speed & Autonomy: We maintain parallel hardware development streams and empower engineers to innovate rapidly while upholding rigorous aerospace standards
• World-Class Team: Work alongside experts from leading aerospace companies and research institutions, building technology that will reshape humanity's access to space

The Role

You are the single accountable owner for whether the mission flies, executes, and comes home as planned. You start in the program manager seat and transition into Mission Manager / Flight Director as the vehicle approaches launch.

• Own the Delphi-1 integrated master schedule, critical path, and external partner deliverables.
• Run the program cadence, risk management, and other programmatic processes. Surface issues early and close decisions
• Translate engineering trades, customer ICDs, and FAA/range submittals into actions with owners and exit criteria; run vendor programs end-to-end and keep budget, headcount, and cost-to-complete visible
• Author the Concept of Operations, console procedures, flight rules, anomaly playbooks, and mission timeline — partnering with GNC, FSW, GSW, and Avionics
• Stand up the Mission Operations Center, lead rehearsals, and drive the Flight Readiness and Mission Readiness Reviews
• Hire, train, and certify the mission operations team (internal or external): console operators, flight directors, payload operators. Define the on-call rotation that supports flight
• Serve as Mission Manager / Flight Director from pre-launch through on-orbit and own the call to proceed, hold, or abort, and run real-time coordination with KSAT, SpaceX, the range, customers, and recovery partners
• Lead recovery operations and the post-flight debrief; feed lessons learned into Delphi block upgrades and follow-on missions

Required Qualifications

• BS in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Systems Engineering, or equivalent technical field (or equivalent practical experience)
• 7+ years in aerospace or other high-stakes hardware programs, with a mix of program/project management and operations experience
• Demonstrated ownership of an integrated master schedule on a flight or comparable hardware program (satellite, launch vehicle, aircraft, missile, or critical infrastructure)
• Direct experience in a mission operations, flight test, or launch environment including console time, procedure authorship, or flight-director-style real-time decision making in aerospace programs.
• Strong technical fluency. Comfortable reading ICDs, requirements, and engineering analyses, and pushing back when the plan and the physics disagree
• Track record of running cross-functional teams without formal authority and getting senior engineers to commit and deliver
• Excellent written communication: procedures, flight rules, status, and exec-level reporting that people actually trust
• High composure under pressure and sound judgment with incomplete information
• Comfort with ambiguity and bias toward action over analysis paralysis
• Ability to operate effectively in fast build-test-iterate environments with high ownership and minimal supervision

Desired Experience

• Prior tour as a Flight Director, Mission Manager, Mission Director, or Lead Mission Operator on an orbital or reentry program
• Experience standing up a mission ops organization from zero: hiring, training, certifying operators, building the MOC
• Familiarity with reentry, recovery, or asset-return operations (capsule, glider, booster, or experimental vehicle)
• Working knowledge of FAA Part 450, range safety, and human-spaceflight-adjacent safety standards (SSCMAN 91-710, AFSPCMAN, NASA STD)
• Hands-on with ground-segment / MCC tooling like commanding, telemetry, mission planning, pass scheduling including KSAT or equivalent ground-network experience
• Familiarity with CCSDS, telemetry decom, and ground-segment integration
• Early-stage startup or new-program experience, especially in hardware or deep-tech companies
• Comfort building lightweight systems and processes that scale, without over-engineering them
• Military aviation, test, or operations background welcome in place of or alongside an engineering degree

Location & Work

We are based in Denver, CO and believe in the power of in-person collaboration. We are onsite 5 days/week by default, but flexible when life requires it. This role will include travel to vendor sites, partner facilities, the launch site, and the recovery zone in the run-up to and during flight.

Certain roles may involve access to export-controlled technical data. To comply with U.S. export-control laws, access may be limited to individuals who qualify as a "U.S. person" under 22 C.F.R. §120.62 or who otherwise may lawfully receive such access.