Mission Operations and Controls Engineer/Specialist: Orbital Analyst (Clearance Required)

About the role

We are seeking a skilled Orbital Analyst to join our space operations team. The successful candidate will:

• Continuously monitor the position and velocity of artificial objects in Earth orbit or deep space.
• Apply mathematical models and observational data to precisely calculate orbital parameters.
• Predict potential close approaches between objects and recommend necessary avoidance maneuvers.
• Design optimal trajectories for spacecraft launches, orbital transfers, and reentries.
• Track and catalog space debris to help prevent dangerous collisions.
• Absess the risk of collision between various space objects.

Responsibilities

The role involves monitoring and analyzing spacecraft and satellite trajectories while supporting mission planning through trajectory design and optimization, including developing and using specialized software tools to perform precise orbit determination.

A critical aspect of the position focuses on space safety, encompassing collision avoidance analysis and the development of mitigation strategies, maintaining space catalogs and applicable processes that enable mission execution, and generating detailed reports on conjunction events and close approaches.

The role requires close collaboration with flight operations mission teams to support spacecraft maneuver planning and ensure mission success.

Requirements

You will specify, architect, and integrate complex system solutions while collaborating with cross-functional teams and subject matter experts to understand project requirements and objectives.

You will derive, decompose, allocate, trace, and manage system requirements and architectures, as well as define and document system concepts of operation.

Supporting development milestone reviews by creating artifacts and deliverables will be a key responsibility, alongside overseeing system integration and verification activities to ensure system functionality and performance.

You will identify and manage technical risks, develop mitigation strategies, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by identifying areas for enhancement.

Qualifications

• Requires bachelor’s degree in a related field (or equivalent work experience in lieu of degree or master’s +3 yrs experience).
• Emerging expertise in Systems Engineering principles and practices, including a thorough understanding of the systems development lifecycle.
• Knowledge of requirements management, functional requirements parsing, derivation, and allocation.
• Knowledge of systems architecture, systems integration, and Verification and Validation (V&V) principles.
• Emerging ability to work and communicate with technical and specialty subject matter expert engineers to drive systems engineering products.
• An active Top Secret U.S. Security Clearance is required.

Skills

• Ability to quickly connect in-person and in writing, and to actively listen and perceive the needs, values or opinions of others.
• Proactivity in identifying and addressing challenges to include innovations that result in positive organizational impact.
• Experience with astrodynamics libraries, propagators, etc.
• Experience working commercial and/or government Space Domain Awareness programs.
• Extensive experience or education in orbital mechanics.
• Ability to script, C, C++, Python, JavaScript, Ruby or related programming experience.
• Experience with Government Cloud Architectures (GovCloud or others).
• Extensive experience or education in RPOD.
• Experience with C2 and TT&C Software Development.
• Full Stack Developer.
• Cloudera, OpenShift, Kubernetes experience; either on or working with software, DevSecOps, etc teams.

Benefits

Compensation: Pay Range: $119,064.00 - $163,713.00

Your actual base compensation will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related knowledge and skills, education, experience, internal equity and market competitiveness.

Elevate Your Career At Sierra Space, we are committed to your personal and professional development. We empower you to make profound and meaningful contributions and foster a vibrant culture of collaboration, where teamwork ignites breakthrough innovations.

We also offer a generous benefit package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(k) with 150% match up to 6%, life insurance, 3 weeks paid time off, and more.

Sierra Space is an industry-leading space and defense technology company providing satellites, spacecraft, and enabling mission systems and components. We deliver mission-proven technologies to our customers that safeguard our nation, protect space-based assets and enable space exploration.