Director Flight Operations Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Join a team where your impact reaches beyond the stars! At Terran Orbital, you're not just part of the system - you're a vital force propelling our mission forward. As trailblazers in satellite manufacturing and aerospace innovation, we shatter boundaries daily to deliver groundbreaking solutions that power our nation's defense and commercial missions. We are a unique, fast growing, and trusted team dedicated to swiftly and efficiently designing, building, launching, and operating state of the art satellites for advanced mission constellations. If you're driven by purpose, inspired by challenges, and ready to leave your mark on the universe, you'll find a home and endless opportunities for growth here. Together, let's redefine what is possible in orbit and beyond!
Terran Orbital is seeking an experienced Director, Flight Dynamics, Guidance & Control to join our dynamic team. Reporting to the VP, Space & Mission Systems, the Director, Flight Dynamics, Guidance & Control will be join a collaborative team developing innovative small satellite vehicle solutions for multiple projects.
Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of GNC engineers, ensuring they have clear objectives, adequate resources, and support to meet project milestones
• Lead the design, development, and integration of GNC systems, ensuring they meet the required specifications and standards
• Plan and manage GNC projects, including supporting schedule, budget, and resource allocation in partnership with peer organizations and project management
• Lead troubleshooting of efforts related to GNC systems, applying advanced problem-solving and technical expertise
• Coordinate with other departments, stakeholders, and external partners to ensure alignment on GNC projects and initiatives
• Lead continuous improvement efforts, driving efficiencies and innovation in GNC development and maintenance
• Provide technical inputs and support for proposal efforts
• Support mission operations and anomaly resolution
• Prepare and present formal and informal reports and status to upper management on a weekly basis
• Provide inputs and evaluation of documentation for program milestone reviews Provide technical mentorship and peer review for coworkers

Qualifications and Skills

• Master's Degree in an engineering field with a concentration in dynamics and control
• Minimum of 15 years of Guidance, Navigation & Control technical experience, primarily within the space industry
• Minimum of 3 years of experience leading and/or managing engineers
• Demonstrated GNC engineering and software development using MATLAB and Simulink
• Strong fundamental understanding of orbital dynamics and classical mechanics
• Highly motivated, self-starting, and able to perform duties autonomously without supervision
• Strong writing, presentation, and oral communication skills
• Passion for the new space industry
• U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain and maintain DoD security clearance

Additional Differentiators

• Ph.D. in Dynamics and controls is highly desired
• Experience with the design of spacecraft flexible body control, Kalman Filtering, jitter analysis, rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD), fault detection, isolation, recovery protocols.
• Flight dynamics, Monte, navigation, orbit determination and mission operations for GEO and deep space
• Experience with autonomy for satellite, constellation management, orbit insertion, station-keeping, and collision avoidance
• Low and high thrust trajectory design and optimization
• Hands-on experience with small satellites, robotic systems, or similar
• Optical Communication Terminals (OCT)
• Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (APNT)
• C++ and Python experience

Your actual level and base salary will be determined case-by-case and may vary based on the job-related qualification, knowledge, skills, education, and experience. In addition to base salary, we offer 100% covered medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) match, Flexible Time Off (FTO), covered life insurance, maternity and paternity leave, tuition reimbursement, employee referrals, and lots of swag!
Salary Range
$220,000-$270,000 USD
Full-time positions only:
Benefits

• 100% Company-paid comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents
• 401(k) Match
• Flexible Time Off (FTO)
• Education Reimbursement
• Competitive Paid Parental Leave

About Terran Orbital
Terran Orbital is a leading manufacturer of satellite products primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries. Terran Orbital provides end-to-end satellite solutions by combining satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and on-orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding military, civil, and commercial customers. Learn more at www.terranorbital.com
Physical Demands
An employee must meet the physical demands described to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. In performing the duties of this job, the employee is routinely required to sit or stand for long durations of time, in addition to bending, reaching, and walking. This would require the ability to lift or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift or move objects up to 25 pounds. This position is generally sedentary, with substantial computer usage.
Work Environment
The job operates in a professional office environment but in a manufacturing company. This job routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and scanners.
Disclaimers
To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. In addition, please note that this position may require a current United States National Security clearance or eligibility for such a clearance.
Terran Orbital is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or membership in any other group protected by federal, state, or local law.
If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at hr@terranorbital.com.
Terran Orbital does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or staffing firms. To conduct business with Terran Orbital, a Master Services Agreement (MSA) must be executed and confirmed prior to submitting any information relating to a potential candidate. Without a signed MSA, Terran Orbital shall not be responsible to any individual or entity for any payment relating to any form of fee or compensation.
And, in the event that a resume or candidate is submitted by a recruiter, an employment agency, or a staffing firm without a fully executed MSA, Terran Orbital has the unrestricted right to pursue and hire any of those candidate(s) without any legal or financial responsibility to the recruiter, agency, and/or firm.