Mission Operations Engineer
How this pay compares
This posting states $110k–$185k a year. Open mission operations engineer jobs in California post a median of $152k a year, the middle half $133k–$172k, across 66 jobs that state their pay, so this one is within the middle half of what they post.
Mission and launch operations engineers in California: pay by town and employer
About the job
At Reflect, you will be expected to move fast, have a lot of ownership and, most importantly, be able to effect change.
If this excites you, we are interested in hearing about your best work and accomplishments across any domain and from any points in your life. ## About the Role As a Mission Operations Engineer, you'll own both the day-to-day operation of our spacecraft and the development of the operational infrastructure that makes it all work. This is a high-ownership role on a small, collaborative mission operations team.
You won't just execute procedures, you'll write them, improve them, and help define how we operate as a company. You'll monitor spacecraft health, investigate anomalies, plan maneuvers, and coordinate ground station passes. You'll also build and refine the tools, scripts, and processes that keep our future fleet running smoothly.
As our constellation grows, you'll help shape operational strategies, maintain and update mission requirements, and drive continuous improvement across our satellite and ground segment. ## Responsibilities - Monitor real-time telemetry and spacecraft subsystem health - Triage and investigate on-orbit anomalies end-to-end and document findings and lessons learned to improve fleet reliability - Perform long-term telemetry trending and performance analysis to detect subsystem degradation, refine alarm limits, and inform operational and design decisions - Plan and execute spacecraft maneuvers, station-keeping, and orbital adjustments - Coordinate ground station passes and scheduling - Support LEOP, bus and payload commissioning, and orbit-raising campaigns for new satellites, executing procedures and contributing to in-orbit test and checkout - Develop, validate, and maintain operational procedures and command sequences - Build automation for telemetry monitoring and alerting, pass scheduling, routine commanding, and anomaly detection and response - Collaborate with spacecraft engineering teams to define CONOPS, fault management, and spacecraft procedures - Support deployment and testing of ground software updates and infrastructure changes - Validate procedures, command sequences, and automation against simulation and hardware-in-the-loop environments prior to on-orbit execution - Define, validate, and maintain onboard FDIR and fault management responses - Plan and execute operational readiness activities, including simulations and dress rehearsals - Participate in 24/7 rotating shift work to meet mission needs ## Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related STEM field - 3+ years of experience in satellite mission operations or a related field - Solid understanding of spacecraft systems and subsystem interactions - Proficiency with mission control software (e.g.
OpenC3 COSMOS, Kratos EPOCH, L3Harris InControl, or similar) - Strong programming and scripting skills (Python, C++ preferred) - Familiarity with Linux environments and command-line tools - Experience with DevOps tools and practices (Git, Docker, CI/CD) - Familiarity with RF systems, ground station operations, or link budgets - Experience developing operational requirements or CONOPS documentation - Strong troubleshooting skills, with experience using data analysis to diagnose complex systems - Clear written and verbal communication skills - Sound judgment and composure in real-time, high-pressure operational environments - Experience operating multi-satellite constellations or fleets is a plus Even if you don’t meet 100% of the above qualifications, we are likely still interested in hearing from you.
Hiring exceptional individuals is our #1 priority, and we believe that exceptional people often have highly unusual backgrounds.
We are also interested in carving out unique roles for unconventional people that we are excited about working with. ## Benefits Reflect Orbital’s success will hinge on our team, which is why our compensation and benefits plan is designed to reward our employees and support their families as generously as we’re able. - Broad choice of medical/dental/vision coverage, Reflect covers 100% of each base-policy - Access to HSA, FSA, and 401K - Unlimited paid time off - Healthy lunches provided daily ## Equal Opportunity Reflect Orbital is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Reflect Orbital 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. ## More about Reflect Orbital Learn more about our team here.
From Reflect Orbital's job posting, checked 7 Nov 2026. The employer's own page is the final word on requirements and availability.
Selected agencies hiring now
Contract Professionals Inc (CPI)Engineering and technical staffing agency
Aerospace and defense staffing firm in Waterford, Michigan, placing engineers, maintenance technicians, mechanics, welders and CNC machinists.
Places: Propulsion, Mechanical, Avionics, RF & Payloads
These agencies and apps pay SpaceJobs.Now a referral fee when someone we introduce is placed or signs up. It costs you nothing and never changes your pay. Employers' own jobs below keep their own order.
Sponsored jobs from job networks, which pay SpaceJobs.Now when you click one.
Free tools for this application: check your resume against this job, answer the application's questions or see every free tool.
New launch and mission operations jobs in California, by email
One email a week with the newest ones, straight from the employers' own careers sites, with the pay each posting states. Free, stop anytime.
About Reflect Orbital
Satellites with mirrors that redirect sunlight to places on Earth.
Pay on its listings: 100% of its open jobs state an hourly rate
How it pays: Paid as an employee on Reflect Orbital's own payroll (salaried or hourly, as each posting states).
More open jobs at Reflect Orbital
- IT Support Specialist Intern$27–$31/hr
- Director, Government Partnerships$160,000–$200,000/yr
- Marketing Director$140,000–$190,000/yr
- Mission Operations Engineering Intern$27–$31/hr
- Ground Software Engineering Intern$27–$31/hr
- Embedded Firmware Engineering Intern$27–$31/hr
More launch and mission operations jobs
- Mission Operations Engineer I$80,000–$95,000/yr
- 人工衛星 射場作業責任者(Launch Site Operations)
- Satellite Network Operations Engineer$130,000–$175,000/yr
- Space Vehicle and Operations Engineer
- Solution Platform Lead (M/F)
- System Development Engineer, Leo Network Services$122,600–$185,000/yr
Run launches or flown spacecraft?
One profile for every employer here. Space companies and their recruiters ask us for people with a specific degree, clearance, specialty or location: add yours once, and when a job fits, we introduce you, only with your yes. Free.
Reflect Orbital openings, sent to you weekly
Each week we send the newest postings from Reflect Orbital's own careers site, along with similar openings at other space employers. It costs nothing and you can stop anytime.