Manager - Mission Operations

Overview

At ispace U.S., we’re not just going to the Moon—we’re redefining how we get there. Our missions push the boundaries of human and robotic exploration, driven by our belief: “Expand our Planet. Expand our Future.” By providing cost-effective lunar transportation, we are pioneering a future where space is within reach for scientific discovery, commercial ventures, and sustainable exploration.

With locations in Japan, Luxembourg, and the United States, ispace is rapidly growing and leading the way in lunar exploration and development. Our U.S. branch is based in Englewood, Colorado, and focuses on high-capacity payload lunar landers designed to support future lunar missions. Our team is made up of innovators, problem-solvers, and visionaries committed to making space more accessible and fostering the next generation of space exploration.

Let’s go to the Moon together! Our team is growing, and we are actively seeking talented individuals who share our passion for space.

We are seeking a highly experienced and motivated Mission Operations Manager with a strong background in aerospace operations to serve as a personnel manager and subsystem technical authority for a team of Mission Operators ready to fly a spacecraft to the far side of the moon. The Mission Operations Manager will play a critical role in the successful development and deployment of our lunar exploration spacecraft and ground segment, ensuring that our designs meet the rigorous demands of our space missions.

• Build and lead a team of Mission Operators to fly a spacecraft and land on the far side of the moon.
• Ensure ground and flight segment architecture designed by the Mission Ops team complies with mission and customer requirements, aerospace standards, government licensing, and safety regulations.
• Develop nominal and contingency operations plans from pre-launch through end of mission disposal, including CONOPS, power budgets, uplink/downlink schedules, maneuver planning, and payload operations.
• Foster a culture of trust, collaboration, commitment and follow-through, striving for continuous improvement.
• Mentor and develop team members, helping them grow through new opportunities, training, and continuous feedback.
• Estimate and acquire resources (staff, tools, budget, schedule, etc) needed to complete the team’s assigned scope.
• Perform gap analyses to identify areas of unassigned scope that require execution to support mission success.
• Create, review, and approve technical documentation.
• Contribute to requirement development and V&V activities.
• Work with the Flight Software team to define and implement system and subsystem operational modes and Fault Detection Isolation and Recovery (FDIR) architecture.
• Improve and/or create processes, tools, and systems to help the team work more efficiently.
• Work with the Program Management and Supply Chain groups to build strong supplier relationships and enforce accountability for timely and reliable execution.
• Develop and implement engineering strategies that enhance our capabilities and align with company goals.
• Work with the Program Management group to plan and commit to an execution baseline and hold team accountable to meet milestone deliverables.
• Aid in cross functional coordination to ensure seamless integration with other groups throughout the program life cycle.
• Identify and mitigate technical, schedule, and cost risks that can otherwise inhibit progress towards mission success.
• Present technical briefings and updates on design progress and challenges to stakeholders.
• Develop strong communication channels with our international counterparts while abiding by TAA and ITAR/EAR regulations.

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field is required. We will consider a combination of education and related experience.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in aerospace engineering or operations field.
• At least 2 years of leadership experience managing and building engineering teams.
• Broad experience operating multiple spacecraft subsystems simultaneously while monitoring health and status.
• Experience building and/or testing flat…