Associate Director for Mission Operations (553-500)

USRA is an independent, nonprofit research corporation where the combined efforts of in-house talent and university-based expertise merge to advance space science and technology. USRA works across disciplines including biomedicine, planetary science, astrophysics, and engineering and integrates those competencies into applications ranging from fundamental research to facility management and operations. USRA engages the creativity and authoritative expertise of the research community to develop and deliver sophisticated, forward-looking solutions to Federal agencies and other customers - on schedule and within budget.  

USRA is seeking a full time Associate Director for Mission Operations in our SOFIA program located in Palmdale, CA. The Associate Director (AD) for Mission Operations has the primary responsibility and the authority to lead the effort to formulate the mission operations structure for the NASA Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Science Center (SSC) and the SOFIA Operations Center (SOC) at the Palmdale site. The AD for Mission Operations will insure the SSC operations structure and organization are developed and implemented such that all requirements, policies, technical documentation, and procedures for operations of the SSC, from instrument delivery through observations and data archiving post flight data handling, are appropriately defined, maintained and managed.

The AD for Mission Operations will work closely with the Science Mission Operations (SMO) Leadership Team (SMO Director, Program Manager, AD Science, AD Software, AD Scientific Data, Senior Science Advisor) to develop a schedule for selected sets of observational programs, coordinate the Observatory availability for each selected observing program and verify status ofall onboard subsystems for each observing program. The AD for Mission Operations also serves as the on-site Project Manager (PM) for the USRA/SOFIA staff at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC). This includes management of staff, including subordinate managers. The AD is responsible for timely development and delivery of project deliverables and performance of the staff at AFRC and overseeing the matrixed USRA personnel from NASA Ames. The AD maintains appropriate level interfaces and working relationships between USRA, NASA, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Deutsches SOFIA Institute (DSI), and the astronomy community. Responsible for managing schedules and budgets and daily operations for engineering, scientific, and project support personnel in the execution of the SOFIA Science Mission Operations at the AFRC.

 

Duties and Responsibilities:

• In coordination with NASA personnel, conduct safe pre-flight, in-flight and postflight operations, with the goal of maximizing successful flight hours
• Manage the Mirror Coating Facility (MCF) at the SOC and SOFIA labs.
• Support the conduct of integration, test, verification and validation of the SOFIA Science Instruments (SIs) with the platform, ground systems and related mission operations subsystems
• Maintain training and readiness of mission operations staff and lead support staff drawn from the other SSC disciplines in conducting operations
• Verify and be the final signature authority for the operational readiness of science mission operations procedures, the science mission plan and the configuration of science mission systems
• Recommend improvements to Observatory operations, coordinate priorities with other disciplines and lead improvement projects related to mission operations
• Support all other collaborative efforts of the USRA/SOFIA Science Project disciplines in the successful operation of the SOFIA Observatory
• Act as the Point of Contact scheduling Mission Operations resources at required meetings (e.g., Program Manager Review, OCCB, SObRR)
• Perform as On-Site Manager & flight support during SOFIA flight days; includes coordination among Mission Operations, Science Instrument Teams, and Flight Operations, and the pilots up to the crew brief and departure
• Provide input on cost and schedule variances, impacts and mitigation. The scope includes scheduling Mission Operations to support observatory flights; providing ground support crews; supporting Science Operations during flights; providing staffing for Science Instrumentation operations; and support for the data archiving development and maintenance and post flight data handling in a safe manner, within budget, on schedule in conformance with appropriate NASA standards and specifications.

Required Skills

• BA or BS degree in science management, engineering or equivalent. A master’s degree or PhD is preferred.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of management experience in major technical or scientific programs. Knowledge and association with National Aeronautics and Space Administration science operations is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in operations of complex systems with diverse user requirements.
• Demonstrated experience in leading complex strategic planning initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitation of team planning and team execution of complex processes.
• Experienced in written communications that express complex or technical content in understandable terms.
• Demonstrated experience in systems management and active participation in the development process.
• Superior verbal communications skills and experience in presentations to large and / or diverse groups.
• Ability to work independently; use good judgment and make decisions.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to lead through persuasion, knowledge and example.
• Demonstrated experience in systems engineering integration, requirements formulation and tracking.
• Experience with an airborne science program highly desirable.

Applicants should apply to the posting at https://usracareers.silkroad.com/ and include a letter of interest, resume, or curriculum vita.  Review of candidates will begin immediately.  Additional information on USRA can be found at www.usra.edu.


USRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity