Head of Mission Design & Flight Dynamics

While other companies talk about it, we do it!

Our Space Systems division delivers some of the industry’s most ambitious missions, including NASA’s CAPSTONE lunar mission, orbital re-entry enabling microgravity manufacturing, and twin spacecraft launched to Mars in partnership with UC Berkeley and NASA. We design and build everything from bespoke satellites to f...

As the Head of Mission Design & Flight Dynamics, you will lead the discipline across all missions and locations, spanning analysis, development, and operations. This role could be based in New Zealand or the U.S.

Own the vision and direction of the Mission Design & Flight Dynamics technology roadmap, balancing live mission delivery with long-term capability growth.
Drive measurable progress toward greater automation, efficiency, and expanded operational capability.
Provide mentorship, clarity of vision, prioritisation, and motivation to the Flight Dynamics team during development phases and operational campaigns.
Lead a global multi-site team, supported by regional Team Leads who manage day-to-day execution.
Focus on strategic leadership, technical forecasting, emergent risk response, and cross-functional decision making.
Maintain strong technical awareness across interfaces including Spacecraft Operations, FSW, GNC, GSW, and Systems.

Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Aerospace Engineering or a related field
8+ years of applied spacecraft flight dynamics and/or operations experience, including relevant software development and testing
Strong capability to balance complex, parallel tasks
Able to operate under significant pressure in both operational and development environments
Proven ability to motivate geographically distributed teams and provide clarity through complex technical challenges
Background in orbit determination, or trajectory optimisation
Experience with hiring, performance, and remuneration cycles