At Turion Space, we’re on a mission to secure Earth and expand humanity’s reach beyond it. Our work is focused on building spacecraft capable of missions ranging from national security to in-space servicing, clearing the way for a safer and more sustainable space environment. From orbital logistics to space debris removal, we're creating the critical infrastructure needed for the next era of space operations.
We’re not just building satellites - we’re building the future of in-space mobility and servicing. Our team is fast-moving, ambitious, and driven by the real-world impact of our work. If you’re excited about solving some of the toughest engineering challenges in space and want to help shape an industry from the ground up, come join us.
As a Mission Operations Lead Engineer, you will lead and participate in the day to day operations of our spacecraft as part of a growing constellation. Your primary responsibility will be to provide leadership, direction, and decision-making authority for the operations team while also supporting troubleshooting, monitoring, and commanding of the spacecraft across different missions.
This is a full-time, exempt position based on-site at our Irvine, California headquarters.
Key Responsibilities:Develop, test, and execute operations including payload commissioning, software updates, and spacecraft reconfiguration.
You will own the responsibility of knowing and tracking a satellites day-to-day health and directing spacecraft operations with outside guidance
Analyze system anomalies, recommend practical workarounds, and drive resolution implementation
Translate high-level goals into detailed execution plans.
Coordinate across spacecraft engineering and payload teams to align priorities.
Lead shift teams during critical operations or anomalies.
Report anomalies, risks, and resolutions to leadership.
Provide daily/weekly status updates to management.
Represent operations in cross-functional discussions.
Perform spacecraft commanding, monitoring, and telemetry analysis.
Provide mentorship, guidance, and leadership to peers and team members.
Manage direct reports depending on team needs and organizational growth
Strong technical expertise in spacecraft operations, commanding, and telemetry analysis.
Experience developing and executing operational procedures.
Problem-solving skills to investigate anomalies and implement solutions.
Ability to translate strategic objectives into detailed, actionable plans.
Leadership skills to guide teams during critical operations.
Clear, professional communication skills for reporting and cross-team alignment.
You lean into acknowledging your weaknesses and take the idea of feedback and growth seriously.
Strong emotional intelligence and ability to solve operational problems not only from a data-driven lens, but also in a people-centric way by building strong cross functional relationships across the company and within the hardware engineering organization.
You are self-driven and relentlessly proactive. You don't need someone to tell you to "move". You just move. You don't wait on others to solve problems and you step into the gap to offer solutions.
Combined ability to execute on a tactical level as well as put together a strategy to solve complex, ambiguous, cross-functional problems. You are comfortable rolling up your sleeves and diving deep into executing operational tasks that require high attention to detail and high organization skills, but you can also zoom out at a 30,000 foot level to create a strategy that solves high level problems for the business line, division, and company.
A strong communicator across a wide dynamic range - Ability to translate and articulate thoughts clearly and simply across a wide range of roles (working level engineers, finance partners, recruiters, cross functional leadership, and executives).
High ownership with the ability to juggle multiple large projects and priorities in parallel, at a rapid pace, and report out on progress regularly.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in an engineering or science discipline or equivalent experience in the field.
5+ years of experience in spacecraft systems, operations, or adjacent field.
2+ years of experience managing a team across multiple projects.
Experience with Jira and other Atlassian Tools
Strong Experience with linux operating systems via command line interface
Experience programming with languages such as python, c++, ruby
Must be able to obtain a Secret and/or a TS/SCI clearance.
Expertise in advanced mission control techniques and systems. Experience with complex spacecraft and mission scenarios.
Relevant certifications in mission operations or space systems (e.g., Certified Space Mission Operator, Systems Engineering Professional (SEP)).
Extensive experience in the aerospace or space technology sectors, particularly with spacecraft control and mission execution.
Demonstrated ability to innovate and improve mission control processes and procedures.
Mission Operations Lead Engineer Salary: $110,000 - $180,000 USD
ITAR Requirements:
This position may include access to technology and/or software source code that is subject to U.S. export controls. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Benefits:
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package designed to support the well-being and professional growth of our employees. In addition to a competitive base salary and company stock, determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, and market demand, full-time employees are eligible for:
Equity: Receive equity in Turion Space, letting you benefit from the company's success
Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their dependents.
Retirement Plans: Access to a 401(k) plan to help you plan for your future.
Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days, personal days, sick days, and holidays to ensure you have time to recharge.
Professional Development: Opportunities for ongoing training, workshops, and courses to advance your skills and career growth.
Team Building Activities: Regular social events, team outings, and company-sponsored activities to foster a positive work environment.
We are dedicated to providing a supportive and enriching environment for our team members, recognizing that our collective success is built upon the well-being and satisfaction of each individual.
Turion Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Turion Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
Top Skills
What We Do
Turion Space is building the infrastructure to secure and sustain the future of space. Founded to address the growing need for space domain awareness, in-space servicing, and debris mitigation, Turion designs, builds, and operates spacecraft with real-world operational capability. Our vehicles are built for national security and commercial missions that require speed, autonomy, and resilience.
We believe the next chapter of space operations will be defined by who can act, not just observe. That’s why we’re focused on building platforms that move fast, adapt in orbit, and solve problems ranging from satellite servicing to tactical intelligence gathering.
We successfully launched our DROID.001 satellite in June 2023 and DROID.002 in March 2025. DROID.003 is scheduled for launch in 2026.
Why Work With Us
Turion Space is where startup grit meets real space missions. We build and fly spacecraft for defense, servicing, and domain awareness. No red tape, no sidelines, just hands-on work that matters.
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