Mission Design Lead

The role

The Mission Design Lead owns mission design for a new organization developing spacecraft and on-orbit mobility products. This person designs and compares trajectories across multiple orbital regimes and builds in-house mission-analysis tools.

What you will do

• Design, optimize and compare trajectories and mission profiles across LEO, MEO, GEO, cislunar and lunar regimes
• Map vehicle capability to mission capability including delta-v budgets and propellant trades
• Provide trajectory-derived inputs for thermal, radiation, aerothermal, eclipse, power, and communication studies
• Build and maintain the organization's trajectory and mission-analysis tooling
• Define GNC and flight-dynamics requirements and verify flight system performance
• Own flight-safety, conjunction-assessment and regulatory analysis for maneuvering missions
• Help grow the mission design team as the products mature

Required qualifications

• Master's or PhD in aerospace engineering, astrodynamics, applied mathematics or a related field, or equivalent experience
• 8+ years of mission design or flight dynamics experience
• At least one spacecraft mission flown as mission design or flight dynamics lead
• Deep command of orbital mechanics and trajectory optimization across multiple regimes
• Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, C++ or similar
• Experience with at least one industry mission-design package
• Working knowledge of how trajectory choices drive thermal, power, radiation and aerothermal environments
• Working knowledge of GNC and navigation fundamentals
• Demonstrated ability to make rapid, well-reasoned trades with incomplete information
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to lead and to follow

Nice to have

• Mission design for GEO, cislunar or lunar missions (transfer, capture, landing) or refueling and servicing logistics
• Aerobraking, aerocapture, or entry, descent and landing trajectory design
• Electric and multi-mode propulsion trajectory design
• Rendezvous and proximity operations mission design
• GNC architecture or flight software experience
• Experience building or leading a flight dynamics or mission design group
• Familiarity with national-security space mission planning

Benefits

• Equity in the form of stock options
• Subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• 401(k) plan with employer match
• 4 weeks’ Paid Time Off
• 11 days of holidays including an end-of-year closure
• Paid Family/Parental Leave
• On-site gym or monthly wellness stipend
• Dog friendly offices

Before you apply

• Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)
• Employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of reference and background checks
• Must be able to prove identity and authorization to work in the U.S.
• Employment may be conditioned on legal authorization to work with or have access to export control materials

About the company

Stoke is building Nova, a fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicle designed for daily flight. The company aims to create a scalable space industry by reducing cost and increasing availability.