External Job · via Greenhouse
Anduril Industries

Systems Engineer, Spacecraft Operations (RPO)

Anduril IndustriesCosta Mesa, CA
Posted May 13 · Updated Sep 30
💰 $146,000 – $194,000/yrFull-time

Quick Summary

Systems Engineer responsible for spacecraft operations, mission control procedures, and fleet management for Anduril's on-orbit systems.

Skills & Keywords

spacecraft operationsmission controlsatellite command and controlautonomous systems

WHAT YOU'LL DO

  • Design and own RPO mission plans: relative motion design, approach and hold-pointsequencing, delta-V budgets, and the timeline that ties them to comm passes, lighting, andground contact
  • Build passive safety into every approach, so that a missed burn, a dropped pass, or an off-nominal state doesn't put the vehicle on a collision trajectory
  • Author the flight rules and procedures that govern close approach: keep-out volumeenforcement, go/no-go gates, abort and breakout criteria, custody handoffs, and conjunctionscreening against both the target and third parties
  • Own the mission operations plans and procedures for spacecraft programs across all phases,including LEOP, commissioning, on-orbit checkout, and operations
  • Drive the pre-launch campaign from the ops side: write and run day-in-the-life and missionrehearsals, inject the failures, and turn every finding into a procedure change or a design change
  • Work with AI&T as the operations voice, validating procedures and command sequences onflatsats and hardware-in-the-loop testbeds before they touch flight hardware
  • Feed operational constraints back into GNC, flight software, ground software, and commsdesign
  • Create and analyze the metrics used to debug and monitor vehicle and campaign performance
  • Triage anomalies, root cause failures, and coordinate next steps under time pressure
  • Train operators and mission crews on Anduril spacecraft and on RPO execution specifically
  • Support demanding schedules during ground testing, launch windows, and on-orbit operations
  • Work with other teams and government agencies to obtain required licenses (FCC, NOAA) andcomply with regulations for operating spacecraft, including proximity operations coordination

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance
  • Strong engineering background from industry or school, ideally in Aerospace Engineering,Astrodynamics, Computer Science, or another engineering field
  • 4+ years of professional spacecraft operations, mission planning, or flight dynamics experience
  • Direct RPO experience on a flown or near-flight mission, on either the planning or executionside: relative orbit design, proximity operations trajectory planning, maneuver planning andreconstruction, or close-approach execution on console
  • Experience taking a spacecraft through pre-launch operational readiness: AI&T support,procedure validation, mission rehearsals, day-in-the-life testing, and operational readinessreviews
  • Ability to quickly understand and navigate complex systems and detailed requirements
  • Capable of solving complex technical problems with little oversight
  • Clear written communication, including procedures, flight rules, and training material
  • Experience on on-orbit servicing, inspection, docking, or refueling missions
  • Experience with autonomous or onboard relative navigation, including vision-based or opticalrelative nav
  • Flight dynamics depth: orbit determination, maneuver calibration, and maneuver reconstruction
  • Experience with conjunction assessment and space traffic coordination
  • Experience operating government, DoD, or IC spacecraft
  • Experience with STK/Astrogator, ODTK, MATLAB, or Simulink
  • Experience with Python and Linux systems
  • Experience with testing and validation on flatsats and hardware-in-the-loop testbeds
  • Exposure to ground station operations and providers
  • A desire to work on critical software in the space domain
  • No Financial RequestsAnduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
  • Please always verify communications Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address. Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to contact@anduril.com.
  • Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
  • Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to contact@anduril.com.
  • Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
  • What to Do If You Suspect Fraud Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to contact@anduril.com. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.

Compensation & Benefits

Total rewards package

At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you’re supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.

Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Anduril's Space team is expanding our AI-powered capabilities into the final frontier, enhancing SpaceDomain Awareness, Space Control, and Command and Control for U.S. military and allied partners.We're developing fully integrated hardware and software systems, including Lattice for Space Missionsand modular payloads, to address growing threats in space and ensure our Guardians maintain adecisive advantage in this contested war-fighting domain.

ABOUT THE JOB

Rendezvous and proximity operations are where spacecraft operations stop being a checklist and startbeing a craft. You own that craft at Anduril. As a Spacecraft Operations Systems Engineer for RPO, you own how our spacecraft plan, rehearse, andfly close to other objects.

You'll do this work well before launch. RPO campaigns are won in AI&T, on the flatsat, and in therehearsals, not just on-console. You'll validate procedures against hardware-in-the-loop testbeds, buildand run day-in-the-life and contingency sims, and push ops constraints back into the GNC, flightsoftware, and ground software designs while those designs can still change.This role is directly tied to ongoing programs within Anduril's Space Business Line. We work with missionpartners and customers to deploy reliable and robust capabilities on operationally-relevant fieldingtimelines to meet complex challenges across the DoD and IC.

Data Privacy

To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.

By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.

Anduril Industries

Anduril Industries

Costa Mesa, CA

Costa Mesa, CA

About Anduril Industries

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company that develops AI-powered military systems and autonomous technology for U.S. and allied military capabilities.

Is this your company?

Ready to apply?

Apply today for this Systems Engineer, Spacecraft Operations (RPO) role.