SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

MISSION MANAGER, STARSHIP CREW AND CARGO PROGRAMS

SpaceX is looking for exemplary individuals capable of supporting our portfolio of Starship Crew and Cargo commercial and government programs. This includes leading programmatic development and execution of the Human Landing System (HLS) as part of NASA’s Artemis program to return humans and cargo to lunar orbit and the Moon’s surface, as well as multiple commercial and government crew and cargo missions to the Moon and Mars.

Our close-knit team serves as the main interface between SpaceX and our customers to help develop and certify the vehicles, systems, and operations needed to take humans and payloads to and from space, all while nurturing robust customer relationships. Members of the team develop many capabilities and excel across a breadth of functions including product development, systems engineering, mission management, project and contract management, proposal and sales development, requirements verification, and regulatory coordination.

Mission Managers also work together with customer program managers to ensure successful execution of the program including all contract, flight and flight test milestones. Team members have the opportunity to work with groups and technology from all areas of SpaceX, providing a critical integration role across the company and with our customers. SpaceX is opening the new space age, and we need a meticulous and persuasive self-starter to jump in and help pave the way!

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Work with internal and external stakeholders to develop and certify human spaceflight vehicles and systems for missions to the lunar/Mars surface, cislunar/deep space, and/or low earth orbit in order to ensure compliance with and verification of all customer requirements
Collaborate with and help integrate SpaceX and customer teams to consider all necessary design and implementation trades to ensure end-to-end mission success
Collaborate with engineering, production, and operations groups to drive readiness of vehicles, cargo, and crew while recognizing how changes impact requirements, vehicle risk, and launch dates
Understand, develop, and summarize technical content on complex designs, trade studies, risks, and issues
Present content to internal, customer, and executive audiences
Coordinate and chair customer forums, boards, and reviews to ensure that deliverables are delivered on time and per the customer’s expectation; this includes taking responsibility for payment milestones
Guide technical development and maintenance of Starship product lines to meet the end objectives of current and future customer contracts and missions
Work with the SpaceX operations team and customer operations, including the NASA Flight Operations Directorate, to develop Crew integration and operations plans
Serve as the Mission Manager for major flight tests and/or milestones, including carrying end-to-end responsibility for mission success
Lead new technical projects from proposal through completion
Ensure regulatory coordination is kept on schedule and facilitate generation of materials as required (such as export compliance, FAA launch license applications, FCC special temporary authorizations, DOT transport licenses etc.)
Manage execution of sub-contracts, collaboration activities, and task agreements between customers
Develop and improve program management processes to ensure successful and efficient execution of future missions
Understand program master schedules and contracts in order to provide input for their creation, updates, and maintenance

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics or science
5+ years of industry experience
5+ years of technical project management experience
4+ years of experience working hands-on with hardware or software technical projects

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Excellent written and verbal communication skills with direct experience negotiating technical deliverables or scope
Significant technical knowledge and work experience in at least one engineering subsystem (e.g. avionics, GNC, propulsion, structures, mechanisms)
Diplomacy, strong interpersonal skills, and experience working with cross-functional teams and customers
Highly detail oriented, diligent, and hardworking
Passion for advancing the commercial space industry
Ability to work in a fast-paced, autonomously driven, and demanding start-up atmosphere
Ability to coordinate and steer high-impact, cross-disciplinary conversations and decisions among senior company leadership
Experience working with government, NASA, or commercial space programs
Experience working with launch vehicles, spacecraft, or astronauts
Experience working with CAD tools

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must be available to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed to support critical efforts and operations
Must be willing to travel to other launch sites, test sites, vendors, other SpaceX offices, and customer locations as needed

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:
Mission Manager: $125,000.00 - $175,000.00/per year

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

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. Learn more about the ITAR here.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX 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.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to EEOCompliance@spacex.com.

Mission Manager, Starship Crew and Cargo Programs