Proliferated Spacecraft System Engineer

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.

The National Systems Group serves as the technical advisor to the Intelligence Community and its mission partners involved in the collection and distribution of national and tactical intelligence, including electronics programs, advanced technologies, ground and communications, imagery programs, and systems engineering and launch.

Imagery Programs Division’s (IPD) Reconnaissance Systems (RS) Office supports a groundbreaking major system acquisition, and we are looking for a Proliferated Spacecraft System Engineer (Senior Project Engineer) with broad experience to contribute to a revolutionary distributed architecture system.  The Proliferated Spacecraft System Engineer will work alongside customer and contractor teams, overseeing spacecraft bus and space vehicle design, analysis, build, integration, and test activities.

Work Model:

This position requires 100% in-person work in Chantilly, VA

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Supporting the customer overseeing the design, acquisition, production, assembly, integration, test (AI&T), launch and operation of a large, distributed architecture
• Understanding and assessing the full technical design being developed by the bus provider
• Shepherding program office and ETG subject matter experts through definition, planning, and execution of AI&T activities
• Applying tailored mission assurance practices to identify high risk areas of the program
• Leading non-conformance, anomaly, and major technical issue response teams
• Developing and maintaining strong, effective working relationships with customers, SETA personnel, and contractor counterparts

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering, mathematics, or science field
• Typically, a minimum of 12 years of experience in progressively more responsible engineering roles
• Experience working on spacecraft programs including a mix of the following:
  • Spacecraft bus, subsystem, and unit design, analysis, and development
  • Space vehicle assembly, integration, and test
  • Adapting mission assurance practices to align with program risk tolerance
• Ability to communicate effectively and develop relationships with customers, SETA, Aerospace, and contractor personnel
• Willing to support occasional travel (up to 1 week per month)
• This position requires a current and active TS/SSBI/SCI security clearance and polygraph, which are 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:

• Commercial or industry experience with spacecraft (bus and payload) production
• Strong knowledge of and first-hand experience with AI&T on spacecraft programs
• Experience with spacecraft bus, subsystem, and unit design, analysis, development, testing, and sell-off
• Experience with adapting mission assurance practices to align with program risk tolerance
• Ability to apply creative solutions to a non-traditional program within contractual constraints
• Outstanding communication skills and ability to work in a self-motivated and self-directed manner

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:

• Operate Strategically
• Lead Change   
• Engage with Impact   
• Foster Innovation   
• Deliver Results  

Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type.  A few highlights include:

• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans
• Paid holidays, sick time, and vac