Mission Operations Manager
Hermeus
Full-time
On-site
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Aviation Management
Hermeus is a high-speed aircraft manufacturer focused on the rapid design, build, and test of high-Mach and hypersonic aircraft for the national interest. Working directly with the Department of Defense, Hermeus delivers capabilities that will ensure that our nation, and our allies, maintain an asymmetric advantage over any and all potential adversaries.
The Mission Operations team at Hermeus is charged with creating the strategy and leading the successful execution of US Government relationships and processes that enable the execution of company flight activity milestones. This close-knit team serves as the main interface between the relevant DoD, FAA, and FCC partners and internal company-wide teams. Our team is also responsible for acquiring and maintaining flight approvals of the Hermeus flight vehicles, coordinating and planning with airfields and ranges, and providing fleet insight to our internal teams and government partners. Our work enables Hermeus to achieve rapid flight vehicle development and provide Flight Test as a service opportunities.
On this team, you will own the interface between Hermeus technical teams and airspace managers or FAA certification to ensure successful and timely flights. You will ensure Hermeus’ designs, test plans, qualification campaigns, and mission profiles result in mature systems so that our partners can feel confident in the vehicle’s ability to safely perform its intended mission.
As a Mission Operations Manager, you will own and negotiate deliverables to government and business partners, coordinate technical analyses, ensure compliance with challenging mission-specific requirements, and maintain a positive customer relationship. Team members are extreme owners and excel across a breadth of functions including systems engineering, flight test planning, requirements verification, project management, and mission management.
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.
$150,000 - $200,000 a year
The salary information provided is a general guideline only. Hermeus takes various factors into account, including, but not limited to, the position's scope and responsibilities, the candidate's professional background, education and training, essential skills, and market and business considerations, when presenting a job offer.
Salary is only one part of our total compensation and benefits package. Hermeus offers competitive salary and equity, unlimited PTO policy, paid parental leave, potential for year-end bonuses, and more!
100% employer-paid health care
401k & Retirement Plans
Unlimited PTO
Weekly Paid Office Lunches
End of Year Bonuses
Fully stocked breakrooms
Stock Options
Paid Parental Leave
U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS
The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing. US persons include U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Hermeus is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions at Hermeus are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to 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.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.