Operational Programs Directorate- Casual

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

At Aerospace, we are committed to providing an inclusive and diverse workplace for all employees to share in our common passion and aspiration – to carry out a mission much bigger than ourselves.

Building on The Aerospace Corporation's reputation as a trusted, impartial advisor with integrity and dedication to mission success, the Civil Systems Group (CSG) combines deep technical expertise with market-leading innovation to help our customers solve complex systems engineering and integration challenges. CSG is organized by core customer-facing lines of business to manage and grow programs within NASA, NOAA, and the NNSA, while extending our capabilities to other civilian federal government agencies fully integrated within Aerospace rules, regulations, processes, values and behaviors.

On average, this position in envisioned to require 5-10 hours per week with some irregularity in hours pending on-going technical activities. This is Remote position.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Key customers are the joint NASA/NOAA program offices building next-generation LEO and GEO weather satellites.
• You will interact with these customers, vendors building the next generation spacecraft and instruments, and ETG to identify, track, and resolve design, workmanship, and performance issues relating to space vehicle and payload thermal control subsystems.
• Lead, coordinate, and conduct analysis, modeling, simulation, experimental investigations, and assessments of designs and design concepts relating to spacecraft and instrument thermal control systems and their components. 
• Participate in and review thermal subsystem requirements, allocations, design, integration, test, and flight operations.
• You will curate corporate knowledge and capabilities in thermal systems engineering, thermal analysis and design, and/or thermal control hardware.
• Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned as needed

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements:

• B.S. degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering or closely related field with emphasis in heat transfer or thermal sciences
• 12+ years thermal engineering experience
• Experience with the design, manufacturing, and testing of spaceflight thermal control systems for all relevant modes of heat transfer, both active and passive, and through all phases of program lifecycle
• Proven ability to establish and maintain effective interpersonal and working relationships with various levels of corporate staff, peers, management, program offices, customers, and contractors
• Knowledge and understanding of NASA and/or NOAA program life cycles
• Knowledge of NASA and/or NOAA standards
• This position requires ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:

• Master’s degree or higher in mechanical or aerospace engineering or closely related field
• Experience in systems engineering: standards, requirements, interface control, cost and schedule analysis, validation and verification planning, risk assessment
• Experience leading integrated-team thermal engineering efforts: innovation projects, concurrent engineering, digital engineering, payload- or vehicle-level thermal design, hosted or multiple-payload missions, anomaly, and root-cause investigation
• Deep knowledge of thermodynamics, cryogenics, and two-phase thermophysics
• Experience in adjacent engineering disciplines for spaceflight hardware: systems engineering, control systems, fluid or propulsion systems, power systems, flight software and telemetry systems, integration, and test
• Experience with the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) constellation

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business.  The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below.  Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including