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Reflect Orbital

Principal Mission Operations Engineer

Hawthorne, CA
Salary
$110K - $185K
Level
Principal
Work type
On-site · Hawthorne

Not stated in the posting: visa.

Open. First seen 2 October 2026.

Apply on the company's site →

About the role

Reflect Orbital's standard text

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 Principal Mission Operations Engineer, you'll set the direction for how we operate spacecraft as the fleet grows: the operations concept, flight rules, fault management approach, and the automation roadmap that takes us from a few satellites to a constellation. You'll lead operations for our most critical activities and help build the team around you.

This is a hands-on role on a small team. You'll spend time on console, write procedures, and work anomalies yourself, while setting the operational standards the rest of the team builds on.

Responsibilities

  • Define the operations concept for the constellation, including shift models, automation strategy, operations center design, and ground network utilization
  • Develop and maintain the operational framework: flight rules, command authority, go/no-go processes, anomaly response, and readiness review standards
  • Lead operations for launches, LEOP, commissioning, and other critical mission phases
  • Define the fault management and onboard FDIR philosophy with flight software
  • Work with ground software to define the automation, mission planning, and fleet management capabilities operations needs
  • Lead high-severity anomaly investigations and the corrective actions that follow
  • Plan and lead operational readiness activities, including simulations, dress rehearsals, and operator training and certification
  • Mentor operations engineers and support hiring as the team grows

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related STEM field
  • 10+ years of experience in satellite mission operations or a related field
  • Experience leading operations for critical mission events (launch, LEOP, commissioning, or major anomalies)
  • Experience scaling operations, whether growing a team, a fleet, or an automation capability
  • Solid understanding of spacecraft systems and subsystem interactions
  • Proficiency with mission control software (e.g. OpenC3 COSMOS, L3Harris InControl, or similar)
  • Strong programming and scripting skills (Python, C++ preferred)
  • Experience with DevOps tools and practices (Git, Docker, CI/CD)
  • 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
  • Experience standing up a mission operations center or operations processes from scratch is a plus
Reflect Orbital's standard text

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.

Reflect Orbital's standard text
  • 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.

What this role asks for

In most of Reflect Orbital's ads

Python

Named in most of its open postings, whatever the role.

65% of this description is written for the role. The rest is Reflect Orbital's standard text, folded away below.

Read against Reflect Orbital's other open postings on this site.

The team: Engineering HIRES STEADILY

This role is one of 17 open in Engineering. 3 were posted in the last 30 days and the oldest in February: a team that hires all year rather than one being built.

WHAT THE TEAM WORKS WITH, ACROSS ITS POSTINGS

Python (12 of 17), C++ (11 of 17), CI/CD (6 of 17), Linux (6 of 17), Docker (5 of 17), Git (5 of 17), AWS (4 of 17)

OTHER ROLES ON THIS TEAM

From the team and dates on Reflect Orbital's own job board.

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