Spacecraft represent the most pressing unmet need across the entire aerospace industry. As more launch vehicles come online and the cost to orbit decreases, more companies launching payloads to space continue to emerge.

For the first time in history, this influx of payload companies combined with reduced launch costs has resulted in a massive increase in need for commercial spacecraft platforms, known as satellite buses. These buses hold the payloads of our customers and are flown on launch vehicles.

Apex manufactures these satellite buses at scale using a combination of software, vertical integration, and hardware that is designed for manufacturing. Our spacecraft enable the future of society: ranging from earth observation to communications and more.

We’d love for you to join us on our mission of providing humankind access to the galaxy beyond our planet.

About the Role

As the Mission Operations & Mission Assurance Chief Engineer, your responsibilities include providing technical leadership for spacecraft on-orbit operations, anomaly investigations, failure review boards, and root cause corrective action (RCCA) across the Apex satellite constellation. You will be the central technical authority for identifying, investigating, mitigating, and resolving spacecraft anomalies and mission-critical issues. The successful candidate will work cross-functionally with Mission Operations, Systems Engineering, Reliability, Flight Software, Avionics, Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC), Propulsion, Power, Thermal, Manufacturing, and Test teams to ensure timely anomaly resolution, disciplined technical investigations, and continuous improvement of spacecraft reliability. The ideal candidate combines deep spacecraft systems knowledge, hands-on mission operations experience, structured failure investigation expertise, and the ability to make sound technical decisions in time-critical operational environments.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary engineering focal point for on-orbit spacecraft anomalies, performance degradation, subsystem failures, and mission-threatening events

Direct anomaly triage, fault isolation, technical troubleshooting, and recovery planning in coordination with Mission Operations and subsystem engineering teams

Lead Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) investigations to identify failure mechanisms, determine root causes, assess mission impacts, and develop corrective and preventive actions

Apply systematic problem-solving methodologies, including Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and statistical reliability assessments

Following RCCA, evaluate anomaly implications across the broader satellite fleet, including common-cause failures, systemic design deficiencies, and latent reliability risks

Provide technical recommendations for spacecraft recovery, operational workarounds, fault-management changes, and continued mission operations

Evaluate the adequacy of verification and validation activities associated with corrective actions and mission-critical changes

Ensure clear traceability between on-orbit anomalies, root cause findings, corrective actions, verification evidence, and final technical disposition

Establish and maintain structured investigation processes, including evidence collection, failure reconstruction, causal analysis, root cause verification, and corrective action closure. This includes: (1) how to analyze spacecraft telemetry, command histories, event logs, flight software behavior, and operational trends to identify anomalous conditions and reconstruct failure sequences, (2) establish anomaly severity classifications, escalation criteria, investigation priorities, and technical response expectations

Establish and track key mission assurance indicators, including anomaly recurrence rates, investigation closure performance, fleet failure trends, and corrective action effectiveness

Develop and communicate technical investigation findings, risk assessments, and closure recommendations to engineering leadership and executive stakeholders