Mission Operations and Controls Engineer/Specialist, Orbital Analyst – Clearance Required

Sierra Space

Orbital Analyst role at Sierra Space focusing on monitoring objects in Earth orbit and deep space. Collaborating with mission teams on trajectory design and optimization.

Posted 5/28/2026full-timeCentennial • Colorado • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $119,064 - $163,713 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Monitor the position and velocity of artificial objects in Earth orbit or deep space
Analyze spacecraft and satellite trajectories
Support mission planning through trajectory design and optimization
Develop and use specialized software tools to perform precise orbit determination
Focus on collision avoidance analysis and the development of mitigation strategies
Generate detailed reports on conjunction events and close approaches

Requirements

What you’ll need

Requires bachelor’s degree in a related field (or equivalent work experience in lieu of degree or master’s +3 yrs experience)
Typically, 5+ years of related experience (or Masters + 3 years of experience)
Emerging expertise in Systems Engineering principles and practices
Knowledge of requirements management, functional requirements parsing, derivation, and allocation
Knowledge of systems architecture, systems integration, and Verification and Validation (V&V) principles
Emerging ability to work and communicate with technical and specialty subject matter expert engineers
An active Top Secret U.S. Security Clearance is required.

Benefits

Comp & perks

medical, dental, and vision plans
401(k) with 150% match up to 6%
life insurance
3 weeks paid time off
more

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

trajectory designorbit determinationcollision avoidance analysismitigation strategiesrequirements managementsystems architecturesystems integrationVerification and Validationdata analysissoftware development

Soft Skills

communicationcollaborationproblem-solvinganalytical thinkingattention to detailreport writingmission planningtechnical expertiseinterpersonal skillsadaptability

Certifications

Top Secret U.S. Security ClearanceSystems Engineering certificationProject Management Professional (PMP)Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP)NASA Systems Engineering certificationAgile certificationSix Sigma certificationSoftware Engineering certificationData Analysis certificationTechnical Writing certification