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Mission Design Lead Verified today

Stoke Space · Kent, WA · Space Systems · first seen 2026-10-22
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About the role

You own mission design for everything this new organization builds. You answer two core questions: given a spacecraft, what missions can it perform, and given a mission, what spacecraft does it take.

You will design and compare trajectories across LEO, MEO, GEO, cislunar and lunar space. Your work covers orbital transfer, long-dwell, refueling logistics, constellation deployment and return to Earth. You'll turn trajectories into delta-v budgets, propulsion sizing inputs, timelines and requirements for the group's products.

Your trajectory analysis feeds downstream work: thermal environments for propellant management, aerothermal loads for aerobraking and reentry, power and eclipse profiles, communication geometry. You will build and maintain in-house trajectory and mission-analysis tools so every product is evaluated on the same physics.

Key responsibilities

  • Design, optimize and compare trajectories and mission profiles across LEO, MEO, GEO, cislunar and lunar regimes for the group's products
  • Map vehicle capability to mission capability and back: delta-v budgets, propellant and timeline trades across chemical, electric and multi-mode propulsion, and the mission-class definitions that drive vehicle requirements
  • Provide trajectory-derived inputs to other studies: thermal and radiation environments, aerothermal loads for atmospheric flight phases, eclipse and power profiles, ground-contact and communication geometry
  • Build and maintain the organization's trajectory and mission-analysis tooling (own code plus industry packages such as GMAT, Copernicus, FreeFlyer, STK or POST2)
  • Define GNC and flight-dynamics requirements that flow from the mission design, and verify the flight system performs against them
  • Own flight-safety, conjunction-assessment and regulatory analysis for maneuvering missions
  • Help grow the mission design team as the products mature

Minimum qualifications

  • Master's or PhD in aerospace engineering, astrodynamics, applied mathematics or a related field, or equivalent experience
  • 8+ years of mission design or flight dynamics experience, including at least one spacecraft mission flown as mission design or flight dynamics lead
  • Deep command of orbital mechanics and trajectory optimization across multiple regimes (LEO through cislunar), including low-thrust and multi-burn problems
  • Writes their own tools: Python, MATLAB, C++ or similar, plus at least one industry mission-design package
  • Working knowledge of how trajectory choices drive thermal, power, radiation and aerothermal environments, and of GNC and navigation fundamentals
  • Demonstrated ability to make rapid, well-reasoned trades with incomplete information
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to lead and to follow

Preferred qualifications

  • Mission design for GEO, cislunar or lunar missions (transfer, capture, landing) or refueling and servicing logistics
  • Aerobraking, aerocapture, or entry, descent and landing trajectory design
  • Electric and multi-mode propulsion trajectory design
  • Rendezvous and proximity operations mission design
  • GNC architecture or flight software experience, for when the group brings that capability in-house
  • Experience building or leading a flight dynamics or mission design group
  • Familiarity with national-security space mission planning

Compensation

  • Level 4 Range: $151,305 - $252,105
  • Level 5 Range: $176,505 - $327,810
  • Level 6 Range: $262,185 - $393,435

Your actual level and base salary will be decided based on your specific experience and skill level.

Benefits

  • Equity (stock options for all regular full-time employees)
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance (subsidized)
  • Company-paid life and disability insurance
  • 401(k) plan with employer match
  • 4 weeks paid time off
  • 10 paid holidays (including end-of-year closure)
  • Paid family and parental leave
  • On-site gym or monthly wellness stipend
  • Dog friendly offices

ITAR requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S. (current Green Card holder), or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).