Mission Operations Manager

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate with internal stakeholders, regulatory authorities, certification agencies, and other external entities to obtain and maintain necessary approvals to enable ground and flight approvals 
• Generate professional documents to enable the certification of flight vehicle systems 
• Maintain configuration control of a certified system and facilitate approval from external authorities when changes are needed  
• Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, test, and quality assurance teams to ensure that activities adhere to regulatory standards and schedules 
• Coordinate and chair reviews with external partners and ensure that certification deliverables are submitted on time and meet the customer’s expectations 
• Develop and track certification basis and requirements for development vehicles 
• Develop and implement certification strategies, processes, and procedures in compliance with military and civil aviation regulations 
• Manage the documentation and record-keeping processes related to regulatory compliance 
• Be relentless in challenging the status quo to accelerate historic review periods and advocate for efficient regulatory processes 

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, or science with 3+ years of industry experience  
• 5+ years of technical project management experience  
• 5+ years of experience working hands-on with hardware or software technical projects  
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. security clearance 
• Experience working with government, FAA, NASA, DoD, or commercial launch contract  
• Professional experience working with flight vehicles, launch vehicles, spacecraft or other aerospace/defense systems 
• Willing to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed to support critical milestones 
• Willing to travel to test sites, other Hermeus offices, and partner locations as needed (up to 30% travel) 

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Master’s degree in an engineering field  
• Experience in airworthiness management, preferably in both military and civil aviation environments 
• Manned or unmanned pilot’s license  
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with direct experience negotiating technical deliverables or scope  
• Excellent negotiation, conflict resolution, and leadership skills  
• Experience working with cross-functional team and external customers 
• Highly detail oriented, diligent, hard working with excellent customer interface skills  
• Passion for rapid aviation development  
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, autonomously driven, and demanding start-up atmosphere  

Working Conditions

• Primarily office-based role with frequent interaction across engineering, operations, and leadership teams.
• May require occasional presence in manufacturing, hangar, or test environments where exposure to noise, dust, chemicals, or moving mechanical parts is possible.
• Work is generally performed indoors in a climate-controlled environment, but travel between facilities or to suppliers/customers may be required (up to 30%).
• Standard business hours with occasional evening or weekend work to meet program deadlines or support test activities.
• Regular use of computers, teleconferencing tools, and standard office equipment.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to remain in a stationary position (sitting/standing) for extended periods while working at a computer or in meetings.
• Frequent communication with team members, requiring clear verbal and written communication skills.
• Occasional lifting, carrying, or moving objects up to 20 lbs (e.g., product samples, documentation, equipment).
• Ability to safely enter and move around industrial, production, or testing areas, including climbing stairs, bending, or wearing required personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Must be able to travel as needed.