Payload Communications Manager (ISS/NASA)

Location: US - Huntsville, AL (Arsenal), United States of America. Onsite role with rotating shifts including 12:30am–8:30am, 5:00am–1:00pm, and 8:30am–4:30pm Central Time, plus some weekends and holidays. Occasional domestic and international travel of approximately 10%.

Company

hirify.global provides aerospace, defense, sensing, and other enabling technologies for industrial growth markets.

What you will do

• Serve as a certified Payload Communications Manager and primary voice between the ISS crew and ground personnel during ISS stage operations, docked missions, and simulations.
• Perform, coordinate, monitor, and manage NASA payload communications, including real-time space-to-ground voice and video, payload-related email, and crew messages.
• Log payload-related communications and significant ground traffic that may affect payload operations.
• Coordinate space-to-ground enablement of payload specialists and provide the U.S. payload crew perspective to ground support personnel.
• Facilitate ISS payload crew training and evaluate procedures, payload planning products, change requests, and payload regulations.
• Represent the Paycom Group in mission execution, training, and simulation planning meetings while coordinating with payload developers, international partners, flight controllers, and Johnson Space Center CapCom.

Requirements

• B.S. degree in engineering or science, or equivalent experience in a technical field, and 0–2 years of relevant experience.
• Working knowledge of ISS systems and payload facilities, including their interfaces and resource impacts.
• Knowledge of POIC team roles and responsibilities supporting payload hardware, software, and the ISS crew, as well as ISS crew payload training and expected capabilities.
• Ability to lead a team and contribute as a directable teammate; excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to organize information quickly, summarize data from Payload Investigators and flight controllers, make decisions in high-pressure environments, and communicate clear instructions to astronauts.
• Strong listening, interpersonal, analytical, problem-solving, planning, organizational, teamwork, quality, safety, security, and adaptability skills.
• Ability to monitor multiple voice loops simultaneously, understand speakers whose first language is not English, work rotating shifts, adapt to changing ISS operations, and maintain attention to detail over prolonged periods.
• Ability to complete flight-controller certification within the specified timeframe and maintain certification; proficient typing and ability to maintain real-time activity logs.
• Ability to use a PC or laptop with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel, and similar applications, and learn POIC flight-controller applications.
• Ability to stand, walk, stoop, crouch, or kneel for significant periods during training facilitation and climb stairs in and out of training modules.
• U.S. citizenship with the ability to attain and maintain a government security clearance.
• Ability to comply with import/export requirements and approximately 10% domestic and international travel.
• Basic knowledge of ISO and/or AS9100, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Kaizen, and knowledge of specific design, analysis, or ERP software.

Culture & Benefits

• Work in a high-reliability aerospace and defense environment supporting NASA and ISS operations.
• Participate in structured console operations, training modules, simulations, and mission execution activities.
• Operate under limited supervision with assignments defined by objectives, goals, and processes.
• Work in an environment emphasizing ethics, integrity, safety, quality, teamwork, diversity, and organizational values.