Anduril Industries

Systems Engineer, Spacecraft Operations (RPO)

Anduril Industries • $126K — $167K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Eligible for a U.S. Top Secret security clearance.
  • Strong engineering background in Aerospace Engineering, Astrodynamics, or Computer Science.
  • 4+ years in spacecraft operations, mission planning, or flight dynamics.
  • Direct RPO experience on flown missions, focusing on planning or execution.
  • Experience in pre-launch operational readiness activities.

Responsibilities

  • Design and manage RPO mission plans and relative motion design.
  • Integrate safety measures to prevent collision during approaches.
  • Develop flight rules and procedures for close approach operations.
  • Oversee mission operations for spacecraft programs across all phases.
  • Coordinate pre-launch operational campaigns, including mission rehearsals.
  • Validate procedures and command sequences on testbeds before flight.
  • Analyze metrics to debug and monitor spacecraft performance.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health coverage with minimal cost to employees.
  • Support for recovery and mental health resources.
  • Flexible work arrangements and remote options available.
  • Opportunities for professional development and training.
  • Strong focus on employee investment and well-being.
Full Job Description
ABOUT THE TEAM

Anduril's Space team is expanding our AI-powered capabilities into the final frontier, enhancing Space
Domain Awareness, Space Control, and Command and Control for U.S. military and allied partners.
We're developing fully integrated hardware and software systems, including Lattice for Space Missions
and modular payloads, to address growing threats in space and ensure our Guardians maintain a
decisive advantage in this contested war-fighting domain.
ABOUT THE JOB

Rendezvous and proximity operations are where spacecraft operations stop being a checklist and start
being a craft. You own that craft at Anduril. As a Spacecraft Operations Systems Engineer for RPO, you own how our spacecraft plan, rehearse, and
fly close to other objects.

You'll do this work well before launch. RPO campaigns are won in AI&T, on the flatsat, and in the
rehearsals, not just on-console. You'll validate procedures against hardware-in-the-loop testbeds, build
and run day-in-the-life and contingency sims, and push ops constraints back into the GNC, flight
software, and ground software designs while those designs can still change.
This role is directly tied to ongoing programs within Anduril's Space Business Line. We work with mission
partners and customers to deploy reliable and robust capabilities on operationally-relevant fielding
timelines to meet complex challenges across the DoD and IC.

For Colorado based applicants, please note this will be a remote role expected to be filled out of the state of Colorado.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
  • Design and own RPO mission plans: relative motion design, approach and hold-point
    sequencing, delta-V budgets, and the timeline that ties them to comm passes, lighting, and
    ground contact
  • Build passive safety into every approach, so that a missed burn, a dropped pass, or an off-
    nominal state doesn't put the vehicle on a collision trajectory
  • Author the flight rules and procedures that govern close approach: keep-out volume
    enforcement, go/no-go gates, abort and breakout criteria, custody handoffs, and conjunction
    screening against both the target and third parties
  • Own the mission operations plans and procedures for spacecraft programs across all phases,
    including LEOP, commissioning, on-orbit checkout, and operations
  • Drive the pre-launch campaign from the ops side: write and run day-in-the-life and mission
    rehearsals, inject the failures, and turn every finding into a procedure change or a design change
  • Work with AI&T as the operations voice, validating procedures and command sequences on
    flatsats and hardware-in-the-loop testbeds before they touch flight hardware
  • Feed operational constraints back into GNC, flight software, ground software, and comms
    design
  • Create and analyze the metrics used to debug and monitor vehicle and campaign performance
  • Triage anomalies, root cause failures, and coordinate next steps under time pressure
  • Train operators and mission crews on Anduril spacecraft and on RPO execution specifically
  • Support demanding schedules during ground testing, launch windows, and on-orbit operations
  • Work with other teams and government agencies to obtain required licenses (FCC, NOAA) and
    comply with regulations for operating spacecraft, including proximity operations coordination
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance
  • Strong engineering background from industry or school, ideally in Aerospace Engineering,
    Astrodynamics, Computer Science, or another engineering field
  • 4+ years of professional spacecraft operations, mission planning, or flight dynamics experience
  • Direct RPO experience on a flown or near-flight mission, on either the planning or execution
    side: relative orbit design, proximity operations trajectory planning, maneuver planning and
    reconstruction, or close-approach execution on console
  • Experience taking a spacecraft through pre-launch operational readiness: AI&T support,
    procedure validation, mission rehearsals, day-in-the-life testing, and operational readiness
    reviews
  • Ability to quickly understand and navigate complex systems and detailed requirements
  • Capable of solving complex technical problems with little oversight
  • Clear written communication, including procedures, flight rules, and training material
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Experience on on-orbit servicing, inspection, docking, or refueling missions
  • Experience with autonomous or onboard relative navigation, including vision-based or optical
    relative nav
  • Flight dynamics depth: orbit determination, maneuver calibration, and maneuver reconstruction
  • Experience with conjunction assessment and space traffic coordination
  • Experience operating government, DoD, or IC spacecraft
  • Experience with STK/Astrogator, ODTK, MATLAB, or Simulink
  • Experience with Python and Linux systems
  • Experience with testing and validation on flatsats and hardware-in-the-loop testbeds
  • Exposure to ground station operations and providers
  • A desire to work on critical software in the space domain


US Salary Range

$126,000-$167,000 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.

About Anduril Industries

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company that develops advanced systems for the military. The company was founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, Trae Stephens, and Matt Grimm, and has since grown to become a major player in the defense industry. Anduril's products include autonomous drones, surveillance systems, and other advanced technologies that are designed to enhance military capabilities. The company has received significant funding from investors and has partnerships with several major defense contractors. Anduril is headquartered in Mountain View, California.
Learn more about Anduril Industries
Size
200 employees
Industry
Founded
2017

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