As a Senior Mission Engineer, you will serve as one of the technical and programmatic leaders responsible for delivering successful lunar and deep-space missions. Working within the Mission Management organization, you will integrate engineering, program execution, and mission objectives to ensure the spacecraft is delivered within technical, cost, schedule, and mission performance constraints.
Mission Engineers are responsible for making mission-level technical and programmatic recommendations by coordinating multidisciplinary engineering teams throughout the complete spacecraft lifecycle—from mission concept through launch and mission operations.
Unlike traditional subsystem or systems engineering roles, Mission Engineers maintain a mission-wide perspective and balance competing technical, schedule, cost, and risk considerations to achieve overall mission success.
If you are;
Systems thinker who naturally considers mission success above subsystem optimization.
Strong technical leadership with the ability to influence without direct authority.
Excellent judgment when balancing technical performance, cost, schedule, and mission risk.
Ability to make timely, data-driven decisions under uncertainty.
Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment with evolving mission priorities.
Passion for advancing lunar exploration and enabling successful space missions.
Key responsibilities
- Mission Leadership
Serve as the mission-level engineering focal point throughout the spacecraft development lifecycle.
Lead multidisciplinary engineering teams to deliver spacecraft systems that satisfy mission objectives within approved cost and schedule constraints.
Drive mission-level technical and programmatic decision-making by balancing mission performance, technical risk, cost, schedule, and implementation feasibility.
Support Mission Manager and EVP Mission Management Group in execution of mission objectives and program milestones.
Mission Requirements ManagementOwn and maintain mission requirements throughout the complete development lifecycle.
Ensure requirements are properly allocated, verified, validated, and traced across spacecraft subsystems.
Lead mission architecture development, Concept of Operations (ConOps), mission scenarios, and operational concepts.
Coordinate mission-level trade studies and establish overall mission success criteria.
Technical LeadershipLead spacecraft system integration activities across all engineering disciplines including:
Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC)
Communications
Propulsion
Thermal
Structures & Mechanisms
Electrical Power System
Avionics/CDH
Software
Payloads
Chair cross-functional technical discussions and facilitate engineering decisions.
Resolve multidisciplinary technical conflicts by considering mission-level impacts rather than individual subsystem optimization.
Lead mission-level risk identification, mitigation planning, and technical decision reviews.
Program ExecutionMonitor mission cost, schedule, technical performance, and development progress throughout the project lifecycle.
Evaluate engineering changes for technical impact, schedule impact, cost impact, and mission risk.
Support planning and execution of major project reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, IRR, TRR, FRR, and Mission Readiness Reviews.
Coordinate engineering activities with suppliers, international partners, customers, and launch providers.
Support spacecraft Assembly, Integration & Test (AIT), launch campaign, LEOP, commissioning, and anomaly resolution activities.
Continuous ImprovementImprove mission engineering processes, tools, and methodologies.
Develop analytical tools and dashboards for mission performance, technical margins, cost tracking, and schedule assessment.
Required skills
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
Minimum 7 years of experience leading the design, development, verification, or operation of at least one spacecraft subsystem, such as:
GNC
Communications
Propulsion
Thermal
Structures & Mechanisms
Avionics/CDH
Electrical Power System
Flight Software
Payload Engineering
Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary technical activities beyond a single subsystem.
Strong understanding of the complete spacecraft development lifecycle.
Experience participating in major engineering design reviews.
Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
Preferred skills
10+ years of experience in Mission Engineering, Spacecraft Systems Engineering, Technical Program Leadership, or Chief Engineering roles.
Experience leading mission-level technical decisions involving multiple engineering disciplines.
Experience managing or influencing project cost, schedule, technical performance, and risk.
Experience developing mission architectures, ConOps, and mission requirements.
Experience with spacecraft integration, environmental testing, launch campaigns, and mission operations.
Familiarity with ECSS, NASA, ISO 15288, or INCOSE systems engineering practices.
Experience with MBSE methodologies and digital engineering tools.
Experience working with international development teams and commercial suppliers.
Experience with lunar, planetary, or deep-space exploration missions is highly desirable.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's or Master's in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Systems Engineering or related discipline.
- Minimum 7 years experience leading design, development, verification, or operation of at least one spacecraft subsystem (GNC, Communications, Propulsion, Thermal, Structures, Avionics/CDH, EPS, Flight Software, Payloads).
- Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary technical activities beyond a single subsystem.
- Strong understanding of the complete spacecraft development lifecycle and participation in major engineering design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, etc.).
- Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to make timely, data-driven decisions under uncertainty and balance technical performance, cost, schedule, and risk.
- Own and maintain mission requirements, including allocation, verification, validation, and traceability.
- Experience with spacecraft integration, environmental testing, launch campaigns, LEOP, commissioning, and anomaly resolution.
- Familiarity with ECSS, NASA, ISO 15288, or INCOSE systems engineering practices.
- Experience with MBSE methodologies and digital engineering tools.
- 10+ years of mission engineering, spacecraft systems engineering, technical program leadership, or chief engineering roles (preferred).
- Experience working with international development teams, commercial suppliers, and launch providers.
- Experience with lunar, planetary, or deep-space exploration missions (highly desirable).
What We Do
ispace is a lunar exploration company with a vision to extend human presence to outer space. The company is developing lunar landers and rovers to deliver customer payloads to the Moon and explore the lunar surface. In doing so, we aim to be a vehicle for companies on Earth to access new business opportunities on the Moon and ultimately incorporate the Moon into Earth’s economic and living sphere. The company is currently planning to its first mission to the Moon as early as Q4 2022.
