Mission Operations Planning Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

At Relative Dynamics we value knowledge as a process rather than knowledge as an answer. Founded in 2011 our goal is to define the new space era by continuously pushing the boundaries of engineering services and technology development. Visit us at

Relative Dynamics is a subcontractor supporting the ESES IV Contract. In this role, you will be employed by Relative Dynamics and assigned to work on projects in support of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).

Relative Dynamics is seeking a Mission Operations Planning Engineer to work on-site at NASA GSFC in Greenbelt, MD. This is a full-time, on-site position and is not eligible for remote work.

What You’ll Get to Do:

• Lead Mission Operations Working Groups (MOWGs) to define instrument-specific and mission-level activation sequences, resolving dependencies and resource conflicts (power, thermal, data bus, ground contact).

• Work with instrument teams to define post-launch and periodic calibrations, and confirm with the spacecraft team that pointing, timing, power, and data needs can be supported.

• Document activation, calibration, and contingency procedures for validation during ground testing and mission rehearsals; lead pre-launch procedure verification and testing.

• Define the process for developing and validating new or updated procedures after launch.

• Define the flight operations OPSCON (centralized, distributed, or hybrid) and document its staffing, shift, and facility implications.

• Define data flow from the spacecraft vendor to the GSFC SDPF, work with the science team to trace each instrument's data path from Level 0 to Level N, and coordinate with IT Security on networking requirements.

• Act as the integrating point of contact across instrument, spacecraft, flight ops, science, and IT Security teams, and drive working group action items to closure.

What You’ll Need:

Required & Desired Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field.

• At least 5+ years of experience in Mission Operations Planning or satellite/spaceflight operations.

Required & Desired Experience

• Demonstrated experience in spacecraft or instrument mission operations planning, commissioning/activation planning, or flight operations for a satellite/space mission.

• Experience developing and verifying flight operations procedures.

• Familiarity with spacecraft-to-ground data flow concepts, including telemetry routing and science data processing levels (Level 0 through higher-level products).

• Strong cross-functional coordination skills; demonstrated ability to lead working groups across engineering, science, and operations stakeholders.

• Experience supporting or interfacing with NASA GSFC programs, SDPF, or similar science data processing environments strongly preferred.

Who You Are:

• Effective communicator who can translate complex technical concepts across multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders

• Customer-focused, with the ability to support government and agency partners while maintaining high service standards

• Dependable and accountable, consistently meeting commitments in regulated and deadline-driven environments

• Productive and results-oriented, balancing quality, efficiency, and innovation across projects

• Collaborative team player who contributes to shared goals and overall organizational success

What You'll Enjoy:

• Grow your career with mobility, continuous learning, tuition reimbursement, and a personal development program in a culture that rewards innovation and impact

• Join a high-performing team that works together on meaningful, mission-driven work and support each other.

• Enjoy comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, life/disability coverage, 401(k) with match, PTO, company holidays, and community engagement opportunities

Relative Dynamics conducts a comprehensive background check that includes drug testing. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability status.