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Mission Operations information

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How much do mission operations jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 28, 2026, the average hourly pay for mission operations in the United States is $19.82, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $15.38 and $22.36 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are Mission Operations?

Mission Operations refers to the planning, coordination, and execution of activities required to support and manage a mission, typically in aerospace, satellite, or space exploration contexts. Mission operations teams monitor systems, analyze data, and respond to anomalies to ensure the mission's objectives are achieved safely and efficiently. These professionals work closely with engineers, scientists, and project managers before, during, and after mission execution. Their work is critical to the success and longevity of complex missions, such as satellite deployments or interplanetary probes.

What are some common challenges faced by Mission Operations teams, and how can new team members prepare for them?

Mission Operations teams often work in high-pressure environments where real-time decision-making is critical, especially during key mission phases such as launches or anomaly responses. New team members may find it challenging to adapt to the fast-paced nature and the need for precise communication among cross-functional teams. To prepare, it's helpful to familiarize yourself with mission protocols, simulation exercises, and the specific systems you'll be supporting. Building strong collaboration skills and learning from experienced colleagues can also make the transition smoother.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Mission Operations Specialist, and why are they important?

To excel as a Mission Operations Specialist, you need a solid background in systems engineering, problem-solving, and a relevant STEM degree such as aerospace engineering or physics. Familiarity with mission control software, satellite communication systems, and certifications like ITAR compliance are commonly required. Strong teamwork, attention to detail, and effective communication distinguish top performers in this field. These skills ensure safe, efficient operations and successful coordination of complex, high-stakes missions.

What is the difference between Mission Operations vs Mission Planning?

AspectMission OperationsMission Planning
Primary FocusExecuting and managing ongoing missions, ensuring operational successDesigning and preparing mission strategies and procedures
Required SkillsOperational management, real-time decision making, technical troubleshootingStrategic planning, technical analysis, coordination
Work EnvironmentMission control centers, field operationsDesign offices, planning meetings
CertificationsOften requires technical certifications, project managementRequires planning and technical certifications, project management

Mission Operations focuses on the execution and management of active missions, ensuring smooth operations. In contrast, Mission Planning involves designing mission strategies and preparing for upcoming missions. Both roles require technical expertise and often overlap in skills, but they serve different stages of the mission lifecycle.

More about Mission Operations jobs
What cities are hiring for Mission Operations jobs? Cities with the most Mission Operations job openings:
What states have the most Mission Operations jobs? States with the most job openings for Mission Operations jobs include:
Infographic showing various Mission Operations job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $41,222 per year, or $19.8 per hour.
Mission Operations Manager, C2

Mission Operations Manager, C2

Anduril Industries

Irvine, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 25 days ago


Anduril rating

9.4

Company rating: 9.4 out of 10

Based on 7 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
ABOUT THE JOB
Air Defense is a high-octane, rapidly scaling business line that develops, integrates, and fields an expanding mix of mature and novel capabilities to detect and defeat UAS threats. As our business line continues to scale, our newest emerging initiatives require focused direction and ownership to rapidly mature in support of Air Defense's operational, technical, and financial objectives.
In this role, you will:
Orchestrate the Deployment of Anduril Products.
Lead the planning and deployment of Anduril's flagship hardware and software products in support of customer missions. Through collaboration with our engineering, logistics, and technical operations teams, Mission Operators are in charge of deploying our products to the field, training end users, and ensuring the high performance of our products. We are obsessed about engagement and keeping our finger on the pulse of how customers interact with our products. This helps us improve the user experience and evolve their operational tactics and techniques. And if something isn't quite right, we work with product teams to quickly address the issue on behalf of our customer.
Drive Internal and External Relationship Management
Build trust with customers, industry partners, users, and Anduril teammates through effective communication, positive attitude, and follow-through. With careful listening and observation, you internalize your counterpart's priorities and requirements. With empathy and responsiveness, you quickly build rapport, trust, and confidence in our capability. You develop relationships across the organization and communicate honestly and directly. You are committed to giving and receiving feedback well. Your partners always know what you expect from them, and know exactly what to expect from you.
Shape our Products to Meet Mission Needs.
Work side-by-side with our customers to understand their specific mission challenges and represent the customer as you work with Anduril engineers to shape products that solve critical national and international security challenges. Anduril engineers rely on Mission Operators to understand the lay of the land and bring a perspective that informs the product development process.
Collaborate across nearly every Anduril team.
Successfully deploying our complex hardware and software products requires collaborating with nearly every internal Anduril team - business development, engineering, product, logistics, finance, legal, contracting, technical operations, and many more. You'll be responsible for ensuring each party is engaged and informed, and will therefore become well-versed in what it takes to really bring the best of Anduril to our customers.
We move fast at Anduril and give tremendous freedom and autonomy to our new hires to assume responsibility and exercise prudent interdisciplinary judgement; when you join our team, you're signing up to immediately make an impact in our organization.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Mission First Mindset.
We put the needs of the mission and our customers first and understand that the US and its allies have no preordained right to victory in any future conflict. We actively seek out opportunities to better understand our customers' mission needs, with a goal to build the best possible products for the warfighter and radically evolve our national and international defense capabilities. We push ourselves and the limits of our capabilities in the pursuit of this goal.
Ownership Mentality.
We're looking for owners; those who have a natural bias to assume responsibility, a healthy dose of skepticism, and contribute to a culture of performance. We empower our Mission Operators to quickly assume high levels of responsibility and entrust them to actively own their account and shape its success. Our Mission Operators are just as comfortable helping to shape a proposal or pitch a new customer as they are working with engineers on new features or deploying products in the field.
Technical Aptitude and Intellectual Curiosity.
We are first and foremost a technology company, working at the leading edge of capabilities like machine learning, autonomy, distributed networking, and multi-modal sensor fusion. Do you have a natural desire to see beyond simple cause and effect relationships to really understand how complex systems operate? Do you actively seek out opportunities to educate yourself? These capabilities form the foundation of our product offerings, so we are looking for those who are comfortable communicating technical concepts and can articulate them in the context of the customer's mission.
Structured Thinker and Problem Solver.
Leading technical deployments requires clear communication and well thought-out plans. We are looking for assertive communicators who bring a thoughtful perspective and honest dialogue. A solution-driven approach, the ability to distill complexity into its essential, digestible components, and the ability to supervise execution are critical to ensure mission success.
High Value Team Member.
Do you enjoy working as part of a team? At Anduril, the path to success weaves through the organization - account teams, engineering, logistics, technical operations, and more. It requires humility, an eagerness to learn, and empathy toward your fellow team member. We assume best intentions and empathize with customers just as we do with our colleagues. Can you develop rapport at both the user and executive levels? Do you enjoy sharing successes? We are a low ego group that promotes teamwork and collaboration to bring about success.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Advanced degree or 3-5+ years experience in a technical field, preferably in the defense, national security, or aerospace domain
  • Highly organized creative problem-solver with proven project management skills
  • Proven experience leading tech-enabled teams of peers while building a culture of influence through relationships
  • Experience translating and decomposing highly technical concepts into operational requirements and performance specifications
  • Must be able to obtain a Secret Clearance.
  • Must be able to travel up to 50% of the time
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Experience with C2 Hardware and Software, Networking, CUAS, and/or Air and Missile Defense
  • Familiarity with doctrinal, functional, and technical command and control concepts, processes, and principles
  • Prior military or government acquisition and/or government contracting experience
  • Able to obtain and hold a U.S. security clearance to TS/SCI

US Salary Range
$146,000-$194,000 USD
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:
Benefits
At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you're supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.
Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams
Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.
To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:
  • No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
  • Please always verify communications:
    • Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
    • Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to contact@anduril.com.
  • Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
  • What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to contact@anduril.com. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.

Data Privacy
To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.
By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.

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About Anduril Industries

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Anduril Industries is a trailblazer in the technology industry based in Costa Mesa, CA, US. Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, the creator of Oculus VR, the company focuses on developing innovative technology to equip and empower those in the defense sector. Its primary products include cutting-edge autonomous systems and AI software that assist in combating threats to national and global security. The mission of Anduril Industries is to integrate technology and defense by building transformative, scalable solutions that ensure a safer world.

Industry

Guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing

Company size

501 - 1,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Costa Mesa, CA, US

Year founded

2017

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