Stratospheric Mission Control Lead & Customer Program Support

About Urban Sky: 

Urban Sky is a venture-backed aerospace startup that pioneers the utilization of the stratosphere and reimagines the way humans view and analyze the earth. We design, build, operate, and sell stratospheric balloon systems, and the data we collect supports a wide range of applications, from real-time wildfire monitoring to urban mapping. Our technology is also employed by government customers including the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, and others. Urban Sky sends flight vehicles to the stratosphere on a weekly basis. 

Our team consists of engineers, makers, developers, and doers who believe in the power of human potential when passion meets utility within a small, supportive team. At Urban Sky we strive to create a team culture grounded in candor, inclusion, respect and empowerment. 

We aim to build the next chapter of stratospheric history in Denver and are seeking self-starting, open-minded, and hard-working team members. 
 

About The Role: 

This hybrid role will focus on a few key priorities, principally leading real-time Mission Control for all Urban Sky stratospheric flights. Urban Sky flies, on average, 1-2 stratospheric balloon missions per week, from locations across the United States and abroad. Our team has developed advanced mission control software to track and control our stratospheric Microballoons in real-time from our HQ in Denver. This role would serve as the primary Mission Control Lead for all flight operations (i.e. being the actual pilot operator controlling the balloons and payloads in flight). This role requires a thorough understanding of and appreciation for flight/aviation safety, strong attention to detail, the ability to think fast and make sound decisions, the ability to multi-task, always thinking steps ahead, a technical-oriented background, and a very flexible schedule. Urban Sky stratospheric balloon missions sometimes require overnight flight testing (i.e. leading Mission Control from ~10pm – 6am), early start times (i.e. leading Mission Control from 5am – 2pm), “stop-and-go” schedules (i.e. working Mission Control for 10+ hours several days in a row, then going several days or weeks without any missions), etc. In general, the role requires extreme flexibility and schedule accommodation, though you will have several internal team members that can assume Mission Control functions to allow for planned vacations, time off, personal obligations, etc.  

Stratospheric flight operations can be weather dependent and subject to internal R&D and customer demands. Given the ebb and flow of operational needs, and the nature of the Mission Control position (i.e. usually only supporting Mission Control 1 or 2 days per week, maximum), we would ideally also like this role to lead the coordination of Customer Program Support within the DoD segment. This role would report to the Head of Flight Operations in all matters related to Mission Control, and to the CEO for Customer Program Support. This position is based in Denver, Colorado and may require some travel (up to 10%) to provide customer training and/or support customer exercises and demonstrations. 

Key Functions: 

• Lead Mission Control in all aspects from pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight 

• Serve as Flight Director coordinating directly with ARTCC centers and TRACONs prior to planned launches, during flight as required, and post mission communications 

• Manage and communicate any off-nominal in-flight scenarios that require escalation 

• Participate in weekly Flight Operations meetings, collaborating with the Mission Planners and other departments on the forecasted flight schedule and coverage needs 

• Remotely support the field launch and recovery teams by relaying critical information during the launch/float/landing/recovery process to include assisting with property ownership information and making best efforts to contact relevant parties once flight systems have landed as necessary. 

• Maintain tracking and communications with teams in the field, giving them reliable information, and identifying safe, accessible landing zones as best as possible for safety and expediency to deliver timely, crucial company and customer data.  

• Become the subject matter expert of the Mission Control software, providing detailed feedback to the Software and Physics teams of discrepancies and improvements. 

• Ability to train future Mission Controllers as well as customer users, at times requiring travel to locations to provide in-person training and/or on-site Mission Control support for customer exercises (primarily DoD) 

• Develop and maintain educational materials for Mission Control software, procedures, and regulatory training. 

• Develop and maintain flight safety rules and policies.  

• Foster strong relationships with customers (primarily DoD), organizing customer programs and disseminating pertinent information across teams. 

Desired Skills & Experience: 

• High Altitude Platform experience  

• UAV/UAS flight operations experience  

• Commercial Pilot training/experience 

• Air Traffic Control coordination 

• Familiarity with FAA regulations 

• Command and Control software experience 

• Customer Support & Service experience 

• Engineering/Technical background (electrical, mechanical, software) 

Nice-to-Haves: 

• Program Management experience 

• Business Development & sales exposure 

• Experience working with the DoD 

• Instructor/Training background 

Desired Candidate Qualities: 

• Humble and Open-Minded: Approachable and receptive to suggestions and training, regardless of experience level. 

• Team Player: Demonstrate respect and professionalism within a team setting, fostering a collaborative work environment. 

• Safety-Focused: Maintain a safety mindset, consistently performing risk assessments in response to changing conditions. 

• Selfless Attitude: Display a selfless attitude, readily jumping in to contribute where needed. 

• Resilient and Positive: Remain calm under pressure. Stay positive in challenging situations and uncomfortable conditions, exhibiting a "go with the flow" attitude. 

• Adaptability: Comfortably handle unexpected and exciting situations, as well as routine tasks such as long hours of driving through diverse environments. 

• Endurance and Flexibility: Willingness to work unconventional hours to ensure mission success and achieve team goals. 

• Self-Starter and Organized: Possess a self-starter mentality, coupled with discipline and organizational skills. 

• Attention to Detail: Demonstrate a strong attention to detail in all aspects of work. 

• Situational Awareness: Exhibit excellent situational awareness and maintain composure under pressure. 

• Good Judgment: Display good judgment when confronted with ambiguous situations, escalating any concerns to management. 

• Hands-On and Analytical: Be hands-on and eager to learn, with an analytical and open-minded approach to problem-solving. 

Education: 

• Undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university, Technical/Trade School, or equivalent experience. 

Benefits: 

• Salary $85,000 - $95,000 per year  

  • We are required to post this salary range per Colorado law. Your salary will be determined based on your abilities and experience. 

• Stock Options 

• Medical, Vision and Dental 

• Unlimited Vacation Days 

• Cell Phone Bill Stipend 

NOTE: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don’t meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes that they have the skills and the passion necessary to succeed here to apply for this role. 

This position may require the candidate to deal with commodities, software, technology, defense articles, and/or technical data which are subject to the Export Administration Regulations and/or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Additional information may be requested so as to determine whether export authorization is required from the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. If authorization is required, employment will be contingent upon the Company successfully obtaining such authorization from the relevant government agency. 

Urban Sky is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.