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Systems Engineer, Spacecraft Operations (RPO)

Anduril· AFS : Space Engineering : Systems Engineering
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Costa Mesa, CA$146k - $194kFull-timePosted 8mo ago

About the role

Spacecraft Operations Systems Engineer focused on rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO); responsible for planning, rehearsing, and executing close-approach missions, validating procedures with hardware-in-the-loop tests, and coordinating with GNC, flight software, and ground software across pre-launch through on-orbit phases.

Responsibilities

  • Design and own RPO mission plans: relative motion design, approach and hold-point sequencing, delta-V budgets, and the timeline that ties them to comm passes, lighting, and ground 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 volume enforcement, go/no-go gates, abort and breakout criteria, custody handoffs, and conjunction screening 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 mission rehearsals, 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 on flatsats and hardware-in-the-loop testbeds before they touch flight hardware
  • Feed operational constraints back into GNC, flight software, ground software, and comms design
  • 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) and comply with regulations for operating spacecraft, including proximity operations coordination

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 execution side: relative orbit design, proximity operations trajectory planning, maneuver planning and reconstruction, 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 readiness reviews
  • 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

Skills

Required:Top Secret clearance eligibilityRPO mission planning

Benefits

  • Benefits package (comprehensive, competitive) available to full-time employees; information available via Anduril career page
Last updated Sep 30, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Anduril

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