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Mission Operations & Assurance Chief Engineer Verified today

Apex Spacecraft · Los Angeles, CA · Space Systems · first seen 2026-10-20
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About the Role

As Mission Operations & Mission Assurance Chief Engineer, you will provide technical leadership for spacecraft on-orbit operations, anomaly investigations, failure review boards, and root cause corrective action (RCCA) across the Apex satellite constellation. You will be the central technical authority for identifying, investigating, mitigating, and resolving spacecraft anomalies and mission-critical issues.

You will work cross-functionally with Mission Operations, Systems Engineering, Reliability, Flight Software, Avionics, Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC), Propulsion, Power, Thermal, Manufacturing, and Test teams to ensure timely anomaly resolution, disciplined technical investigations, and continuous improvement of spacecraft reliability.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the primary engineering focal point for on-orbit spacecraft anomalies, performance degradation, subsystem failures, and mission-threatening events
  • Direct anomaly triage, fault isolation, technical troubleshooting, and recovery planning in coordination with Mission Operations and subsystem engineering teams
  • Lead Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) investigations to identify failure mechanisms, determine root causes, assess mission impacts, and develop corrective and preventive actions
  • Apply systematic problem-solving methodologies, including Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and statistical reliability assessments
  • Evaluate anomaly implications across the broader satellite fleet, including common-cause failures, systemic design deficiencies, and latent reliability risks
  • Provide technical recommendations for spacecraft recovery, operational workarounds, fault-management changes, and continued mission operations
  • Evaluate the adequacy of verification and validation activities associated with corrective actions and mission-critical changes
  • Ensure clear traceability between on-orbit anomalies, root cause findings, corrective actions, verification evidence, and final technical disposition
  • Establish and maintain structured investigation processes for evidence collection, failure reconstruction, causal analysis, root cause verification, and corrective action closure
  • Analyze spacecraft telemetry, command histories, event logs, flight software behavior, and operational trends to identify anomalous conditions and reconstruct failure sequences
  • Establish anomaly severity classifications, escalation criteria, investigation priorities, and technical response expectations
  • Establish and track key mission assurance indicators, including anomaly recurrence rates, investigation closure performance, fleet failure trends, and corrective action effectiveness
  • Develop and communicate technical investigation findings, risk assessments, and closure recommendations to engineering leadership and executive stakeholders
  • Translate on-orbit failure data into actionable design improvements, updated requirements, qualification testing, screening strategies, and operational safeguards
  • Provide independent technical reviews and assessments of future products to ensure high likelihood of mission assurance, including at design and pre-ship reviews

Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a closely related technical discipline
  • 10+ years of relevant engineering experience in spacecraft development, satellite systems engineering, mission operations, reliability engineering, or mission assurance
  • 5+ years of experience supporting spacecraft mission operations, complex aerospace system troubleshooting, failure investigations, or anomaly resolution
  • Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary technical investigations, failure review boards, or structured RCCA activities involving complex hardware/software systems
  • Strong systems-level understanding of spacecraft architectures, subsystem interfaces, failure modes, and operational dependencies
  • Experience analyzing engineering telemetry, test data, event logs, and other technical evidence to reconstruct failures and develop defensible root cause conclusions
  • Working knowledge of structured reliability and failure investigation methodologies, including FMEA/FMECA
  • Demonstrated ability to assess technical risks, develop mitigation strategies, and communicate recommendations under schedule pressure or operational uncertainty
  • Experience coordinating engineering activities across multiple technical disciplines and influencing stakeholders without direct reporting authority
  • Strong technical writing and communication skills, including experience presenting complex investigation findings and risk assessments to senior engineering leadership and customers
  • Ability to support critical mission operations and time-sensitive anomaly response outside normal business hours when required

Preferred Qualifications

  • Master's degree or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field
  • 15+ years of experience in spacecraft engineering, mission operations, reliability, or mission assurance, including senior technical leadership responsibilities
  • Direct experience leading on-orbit anomaly investigations for operational satellite constellations, including simultaneous investigations affecting multiple spacecraft
  • Previous experience as a Spacecraft Chief Engineer, Mission Operations Chief Engineer, Mission Assurance Lead, Failure Review Board Chair, or equivalent senior technical authority
  • Experience supporting spacecraft operations from initial commissioning through sustained constellation operations and end-of-life disposal
  • Deep technical knowledge of multiple spacecraft subsystems, including electrical power, avionics, flight software, GNC, propulsion, thermal control, or communications
  • Experience investigating complex hardware/software interactions, intermittent failures, radiation-induced anomalies, common-cause failures, and system-level fault protection issues
  • Experience implementing design or operational corrective actions across high-volume satellite manufacturing and rapidly evolving spacecraft production configurations
  • Experience developing anomaly management processes, fleet health dashboards, reliability metrics, and investigation closure criteria
  • Demonstrated ability to challenge technical assumptions, reconcile competing engineering assessments, and drive difficult technical decisions to closure

Compensation & Benefits

Full-time employees receive equity in Apex, 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision for you and dependents, plus $100k life insurance. PTO starts at 15 days vacation growing to 20+ days annually, plus 10 paid holidays. 401(k) plan with 100% match on first 3% and 50% on next 2%. 8 weeks paid parental leave plus childcare reimbursement up to $350/day for work-related travel. Daily catered lunch, unlimited snacks, office socials, and flexible work arrangement at our Playa Vista office.

ITAR Requirements

Apex's work is governed by U.S. export control laws, including ITAR and EAR. To be eligible, applicants must either (1) qualify as a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee), or (2) be able to obtain required export authorizations from the U.S. Department of State, Commerce, or another applicable agency.