Lead Operations Engineer
True Anomaly · Colorado Springs, CO
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Production
- Base pay
- $150k–$250k
- Degree
- Preferred
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management production role at True Anomaly (aerospace & defense) in Colorado Springs, CO.
- They ask for
- 10+ years · degree preferred
- Base pay
- $150k–$250k
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Production Engineer roles in Colorado: typical posted base $130k–$177k. This one lists $150k–$250k.
Median of the low and high ends of 11 live postings that list pay, out of 14 production engineer openings in Colorado, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Colorado plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 13 other live production postings in Colorado.
- Base pay
- About 39% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 6+)
Typical $124k–$164k, from 8 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 6+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Team leadership 50%
- Lean 43%
- ✓ New product launch 43%
- EHS / safety 36%
- Root cause 29%
- Automation 29%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Production team at True Anomaly
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: True Anomaly in Colorado Springs
1 other open role at this site.
- Operations Engineer III, Mission Operations · Production · Senior
Full description from True AnomalyAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
- ◆Own all Mission Operations deliverables for a given satellite program — from BD/proposal phase, through CONOPS development and AI&T, into live operations and disposal.
- ◆Serve as the integrating generalist engineer across subsystem teams (GNC, FSW, FDIR, propulsion, thermal, ground, RF, avionics, EE), tying specialist work into a unified, operable mission design.
- ◆Define, scope, and task the Operations team's work for the program — build the plan and drive execution.
- ◆Lead and mentor a small, multidisciplinary team of ~4–5 engineers.
- ◆Contribute engineering and operational content to business development proposals.
- ◆Develop and mature CONOPS from early concept through operations.
- ◆Support AI&T as a systems-level generalist, and lead anomaly investigation and resolution across the program.
- ◆Represent Operations in cross-functional design reviews and program milestones.
- ◆Support critical mission phases (launch, early orbit, RPO events) as needed.
Qualifications
- ✓Bachelor's degree in a STEM field (aerospace/astronautical preferred).
- ✓Roughly 10+ years of experience in the space industry, or equivalent depth.
- ✓Strong engineering fundamentals with demonstrated technical depth across multiple spacecraft subsystems.
- ✓Experience leading small, cross-functional teams of engineers spanning multiple disciplines.
- ✓Able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret security clearance (U.S. citizenship required).
- ✓Willing to work on-site in Colorado Springs or Denver.
Preferred skills and experience
- ✓Master's degree in a related discipline.
- ✓Experience with missile defense
- ✓Experience across the full satellite program lifecycle — BD/proposals, CONOPS development, AI&T, and live operations.
- ✓In-depth knowledge of spacecraft subsystems, especially GNC and flight software (FSW).
- ✓Experience with relative navigation, rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO), and closed-loop target tracking and maneuvering.
- ✓Familiarity with Atlassian tools (Jira, Confluence).
- ✓Proficiency in one or more programming languages and comfort with basic scripting.
- ✓Experience supporting USSF and/or Intelligence Community space defense missions (space control / orbital warfare).
- ✓Experience with Space Domain Awareness (SDA) mission systems, sensors, or operations.
- ✓Familiarity with missile defense architectures and operations.
- ✓Active Top Secret or TS/SCI clearance.
Requirements
- ✓Work Location —This is an onsite position, we are seeking candidates based near Colorado Springs, CO or Denver, CO.
- ✓Work Schedule —flexibility to support 24/7 mission operations, including nights, weekends, holidays, and on-call availability during mission-critical events and anomaly response.
- ✓Work environment —the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person's working conditions while performing the job.
- ✓Physical demands —the physical demands of the
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Space is a warfighting domain. True Anomaly seeks those with the talent and ambition to build the technology that secures it.
Our mission
True Anomaly delivers decisive capabilities for space superiority. We build autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software, and space-based interceptors — enabling the U.S. and its Allies to secure the space environment and counter threats from the ultimate high ground.
Our values
- •Be the offset. We create asymmetric advantages with creativity and ingenuity.
- •What would it take? We challenge assumptions to deliver ambitious results.
- •It’s the people. Our team is our competitive advantage and we are better together.
Benefits & perks *
- •Best-in-class healthcare: 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents, with HSA/HRA options
- •Generous time off: Flexible Time Off (FTO) for exempt employees, accrued PTO of up to 25 days for non-exempt employees, plus 12 paid holidays; Parental Leave; Sick Leave
- •Fuel for your day: Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks for in-office employees
- •And more: 401(k) retirement plan, fitness reimbursement, and Dog Fridays
- •Equity participation: Equity is included as part of our total compensation package, giving you an opportunity to share in the company’s success.
- •Do not apply to fixed term and temporary roles
Your mission
We're looking for a Lead Operations Engineer to own the Mission Operations organization's contributions to a spacecraft program end to end — from early business development and proposals, through concept of operations (CONOPS) development and assembly, integration & test (AI&T), into live on-orbit operations and disposal.
On our programs, the Operations team is the connective tissue of the engineering effort. You'll act as the generalist systems engineer who integrates the deep expertise of our specialist subsystem teams — GNC, flight software, FDIR, propulsion, thermal, ground systems, RF, avionics, and electrical — into a coherent, operable spacecraft and mission. You'll define the work your team needs to do across the program lifecycle, task it out, lead a small team of engineers in executing it, and be accountable for getting it done.
This is a technical leadership role first and foremost. On-orbit operations experience is welcome, but what matters most is exceptional engineering fundamentals and genuine technical depth across a broad range of spacecraft subsystems and mission concepts. If you're the engineer other engineers come to when a problem spans three subsystems and nobody's sure where it lives, we want to talk to you.