Sr. Flight Planner, Airspace

<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Virgin Galactic is seeking an experienced Sr. Airspace Flight Planner.

Guided by our values, “Safety above All”, we proactively manage the risks inherent in human spaceflight through our daily actions in the design and assembly efforts.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">In this role, you will be based at The Gateway to Space facility, Spaceport America, New Mexico, and will be part of Mission Integration Team, under the Mission Management group.

The successful candidate is a skillful planner that is detail oriented and familiar with the various factors and considerations involved in the management of planning, preparation and operation of air vehicles.</span></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Responsibilities</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> </strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Planning Activities</strong></span></p><ul type="disc"><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Lead the planning and directing of teammates, vehicles, events, and scheduling involving flight readiness and operations, encompassing pilot training on general aviation aircraft to full-scale Space Flight Missions</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Schedule and position flight crews, passengers, and cargo safely and efficiently</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Forecast and mitigate maintenance downtimes to ensure operational continuity</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Manage Airspace requests and submissions to FAA and relevant military entities and fulfill associated requirements such as telemetry or weather balloons</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Publish mission codes and establish airspace timing protocols</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Act as a liaison with external agencies, including the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA), FAA offices, and weather services to maintain awareness of airfield and airspace operations, including issuing Notices to Airmen and Mariners (NOTAMs)</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Communicate effectively and transparently regarding current and future operational scenarios</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Support Aircraft Flight Operations Management, which may involve:</span></li></ul><ul><li style="list-style-type: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><ul style="list-style-type: circle;"><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Monitoring pilot currency and readiness requirements</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Tracking aircraft flights to ensure data accuracy</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Providing retrospective and other flight readiness briefing materials</span></li></ul></li></ul><p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> </strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Spaceflight Mission Activities</strong></span></p><ul type="disc"><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Develop and coordinate timelines for milestone events, vehicle movements, and other critical activities</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Coordinate with meteorologists to understand weather patterns and the effect they may have on flight conditions</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Manage the overnight weather go/no-go criteria decisions and act as the spaceship tanking management representative</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Work in conjunction with VMS pilot in command regarding the management of weather assessment criteria.</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Monitor the progress of pre-flight activities and communicate mission critical updates to maintenance, flight operations, and relevant stakeholders as necessary</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Responsible for providing a clear plan of action and guidance on flight readiness including creating and managing inputs into the Pre Mission Readiness Reviews</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Ensure work deliverables are prioritized based on flight schedule, operational goals, and safety requirements</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Support Mission Control operations within the Mission Control Center operating the Support console, which may require early starts on Space Mission days</span></li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Required Skills and Experience</strong></span></p><ul type="disc"><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">A bachelor's degree in a relevant field or an equivalent combination of education and professional work experience is required</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Minimum of Eight (8) plus years of experience in a related field with a minimum of five years of flight operations planning and coordination experience, specifically within Aircrew, Flight Operations Support, or Air Traffic Control roles</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Proven experience working and coordinating with government representatives, senior executives, and external stakeholders, including VIPs is required</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Experience in flight test operations and familiarity with ITAR requirements</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written</span></li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Preferred Skills and Experience</strong></span></p><ul type="disc"><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Working knowledge of White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) operations and airspace booking procedures</span></li><li style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Solid understanding of aviation meteorology, with the ability to interpret TAFs, METARs, and other NOAA