Safety and Mission Assurance Manager

Lunar Outpost
Lunar Outpost

Golden, CO, USA

Posted on Jun 18, 2026

Are you passionate about shaping the future of humanity's presence in space? Lunar Outpost, an industry leader in space robotics and planetary vehicles, invites you to join our team! We are currently seeking a Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) Manager to contribute to our mission in a dynamic startup environment. As an SMA Manager you will be responsible for ensuring that Lunar Outpost programs, products, and operations are safe, reliable, and of high quality. Work will primarily focus on the Lunar Terrain Vehicle, which will carry NASA astronauts and payloads on the Lunar surface farther than they have ever gone before.

Take the #NextLeap with Lunar Outpost and work on the Pegasus LTV, which will carry NASA astronauts farther than they've ever been before on the lunar surface!

Key Responsibilities:

  • Act as the technical authority for SMA policies at Lunar Outpost, focusing primarily on the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services (LTVS) program
  • Lead and manage a team, including partners on LTVS, that are responsible for Safety, Mission Assurance, and Reliability functions
  • Establish, maintain, and enforce policies, standards and requirements
  • Perform hazard analyses by identifying potential failure modes, assessing hazards, and working with the Integrated Product Teams to identify, implement, and verify controls
  • Improve methods for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks throughout the life cycle of a project
  • Work with Integrated Product Teams and Reliability to conduct FMECA, service life analysis, and other reliability analyses and assessments
  • Work with Quality to ensure Quality Assurance and QMS methods meet programmatic needs and best practices
  • Ensure policies and workforce education are instituted so that incident severity and quantity remain low, as well as lead the investigation and root cause analysis of any mishaps that do occur
  • Work with site personnel to ensure the safety of the workforce during operations and maintain compliance with occupational safety and environmental standards, including reporting to OSHA and other regulatory bodies
  • Lead and coordinate SMA portions of milestone reviews and Safety Review Panels
  • Oversee compliance with applicable safety standards, including FAR, DFARS, NFS and other related regulatory requirements

Required Qualifications:

  • 6+ Years Experience
  • Bachelor's Degree in applicable engineering field
  • Experience on NASA, DoD, or aerospace programs
  • Created and implemented a Hazard Analysis report on an aerospace program
  • Experience with Safety Review Panels
  • High attention to detail and high expectation of quality from people and deliverables
  • Ability to balance SMA requirements with work in a fast-paced environment
  • Self-motivated, focused, and driven to meet critical deadlines
  • Excellent organization and time management skills
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • U.S. Person

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience leading and managing an SMA Team previously, including hiring
  • Experience creating reliability calculations for spaceflight vehicles
  • Worked on a program that launched and operated in space
  • Experience working safety on a human-rated program
  • OSHA 10 Certified (General Industry)

Compensation & Benefits: Compensation level and base salary are competitively structured and thoughtfully determined based on factors such as relevant skills, experience, education, and the scope of the role.

  • Comprehensive health coverage: Medical, dental, and vision benefits, with 70% of premiums covered by the employer
  • Paid time off: Three (3) weeks per year of vacation
  • Retirement plan: Up to 4% employer match on 401(k) contributions
  • Paid holidays: 11 company-recognized holidays
  • Parental leave
  • Educational reimbursement opportunities to support company objectives, continued learning, and career development

Lunar Outpost Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Lunar Outpost Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. All employees, including executives and human resources personnel, are expected to conduct themselves with professionalism and treat others with dignity and respect in accordance with this policy.