Senior Specialist, Systems Engineer - Mission Planner

Job Title: Senior Specialist, Systems Engineer – Mission Planner Job Code: 47068 Job Location: Palm Bay, Florida Job Schedule: 9/80 (Every Other Friday Off!)

Job Description:

L3Harris Technologies is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Mission Planner to support space mission operations for a multi-satellite constellation in a dynamic, 24/7 operational environment. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and executing mission plans, coordinating spacecraft activities, and leading a small operational crew to ensure safe, efficient, and mission-focused execution. This position requires a strong understanding of satellite command and control, mission planning, operational risk management, and cross-functional coordination. The Mission Planner will serve as the on-shift operational lead, overseeing mission execution, resolving scheduling conflicts, and coordinating responses to off-nominal conditions across a multi-satellite constellation. The ideal candidate demonstrates sound operational judgment, strong leadership capabilities, and the ability to manage competing mission priorities in a time-sensitive environment.

Essential Functions:

• Lead real-time mission planning and execution activities supporting a multi-satellite constellation in a 24/7 operational environment.
• Direct and coordinate a three-person shift crew, ensuring disciplined execution of scheduled spacecraft operations and mission activities.
• Develop, validate, and maintain daily and long-range mission plans, including satellite contacts, payload operations, maneuver windows, and contingency activities.
• Serve as the on-shift operational decision authority within established procedures and delegated authorities, managing routine operations, execution risks, and initial anomaly response.
• Maintain situational awareness of spacecraft health, mission timelines, ground network availability, communication windows, and operational constraints across a 16-vehicle constellation.
• Identify and resolve mission scheduling conflicts, competing priorities, and operational constraints to maintain mission continuity.
• Coordinate shift turnovers, ensuring accurate transfer of spacecraft status, mission priorities, unresolved issues, and time-critical activities.
• Collaborate with engineering, flight dynamics, payload operations, ground systems, and program leadership to translate mission requirements into executable operational plans.
• Review and approve command products, operational procedures, and mission schedule changes within established authorization limits.
• Lead initial anomaly assessment and operational response activities, coordinating troubleshooting and escalation through established mission processes.
• Ensure compliance with operational procedures, configuration management, mission assurance requirements, and applicable safety standards.
• Maintain accurate operational logs, mission execution records, anomaly documentation, and shift activity reports.
• Participate in operational readiness reviews, mission rehearsals, simulations, and post-event assessments to improve mission performance and crew proficiency.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on operational efficiency, mission planning processes, and crew readiness.
• Support rotating shifts, weekends, holidays, and surge operations as mission requirements dictate.
• Occasional travel to Huntsville, Alabama, or Grand Forks, North Dakota, may be required.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 4 years of prior relevant experience. Graduate Degree and a minimum of 2 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 8 years of prior related experience.
• Active Secret security clearance
• 3+ years’ experience working with spacecraft operations, telemetry monitoring, ground station scheduling, communication windows, and command execution processes.
• 3+ years’ experience supporting anomaly response, operational troubleshooting, incident documentation, and established escalation procedures.

Preferred Additional Skills:

• Experience with Neptune Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C), Virtual Mission Operations Center (VMOC), or OCEAN software applications.
• Previous experience as a Mission Planner, Shift Lead, Crew Lead, Flight Controller, or Spacecraft Operator with operational leadership responsibilities.
• Experience supporting Low Earth Orbit (LEO) spacecraft, multi-satellite operations, or proliferated satellite constellations.
• Familiarity with flight dynamics products, orbital maneuver planning, conjunction screening, and mission timeline integration.
• Experience coordinating spacecraft activities across engineering, payload operations, ground systems, flight dynamics, and external mission partners.
• Knowledge of operational readiness testing, mission simulations, rehearsals, and on-console qualification or certification processes.
• Experience developing operational procedures, reviewing command products, and improving mission planning or execution processes.
• Familiarity with anomaly resolution processes, root cause investigations, corrective action development, and operational lessons learned.
• Active Top Secret clearance