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 Space Development Agency (SDA) was established in 2019 by the Department of Defense to define and monitor the Department’s future threat-driven space architecture and accelerate the development and fielding of new military space capabilities necessary to ensure our technological and military advantage in space for national defense.
Aerospace support for the SDA resides within the Agile Acquisition Division of the Defense Architectures and Integration department of the Defense Systems Group, which provides decision support at the enterprise level to senior Aerospace customers across the DoD, as well as helping to connect and align customers and Aerospace across the space enterprise. This Systems Engineering Lead (Sr. Project Engineer - Systems Engineering-Acquisition and Systems Engineering) position supports systems engineering and integration activities across all of SDA’s Tranches – 0 through 2 with support to requirements development for Tranche-3 and beyond - as well as each of the SDA Functional Cells supporting the entire Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), which includes Launch support and Ground systems associated with the space layers. The selected candidate will provide expertise in spacecraft acquisition and development, integration and systems engineering, performance evaluation, acquisition oversight, orbital analysis, launch date planning, and operations planning across the SDA Cells and spacecraft vendors to ensure successful launch, on-orbit checkout, and operations of the PWSA.
Work Model
This is on-site role based in Chantilly, VA.
What You'll Be Doing
- The selected candidate will support the SDA Chief Engineer or one of the Tranche Chief Engineers.
- Provide systems engineering and integration support to the Tranche team(s), helping to ensure SDA’s success with development, test, and operations of the PWSA. Support will include requirements definition and review, leading Aerospace Independent Review Teams (IRTs), the Aerospace spectrum analysis team, the Aerospace orbital debris team, leading Ground station architecture studies, participating in spacecraft design reviews, developing acquisition documentation (SOWs, CONOPs, etc.), and providing launch day window and RAAN data to the SDA launch providers.
- Help to ensure SDA’s mission success. Each Tranche includes Transport (communications) satellites and Tracking (missile tracking) satellites, as well as Ground development and Launch segments, as part of the PWSA.
- Interact daily with SDA senior leaders, FFRDCs, UARCs, and SETA personnel across all the program Cells and divisions in the acquisition and employment of these spacecraft.
- Lead various ETG reachback teams for ad hoc technical activities.
- Support the Tranche teams by providing spacecraft systems engineering and integration expertise to guide contract execution, performance assessments, technical baseline establishment, operations planning, and requirements definition.
- Participate in technical design reviews, reviews technical documentation (provides feedback on program documents (e.g. CONOPS, ICD’s, test plans, etc.)), and leads Aerospace Independent Review Teams (IRT) and the Aerospace spectrum analysis and orbital debris mitigation teams.
- Employ strategic planning principles across the Tranches to enable the results of satellite and ground segment development activities to support the planned launch dates and completion of on-orbit check-out phases, leading to full mission operations.
- Apply lessons learned and commercial best practices and systems engineering principles to rapidly develop, launch, and test the PWSA Tranches.
- Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned as needed.
What You Need to be Successful - Sr. Project Engineer - Systems Engineering-Acquisition and Systems Engineering
Minimum Requirements:
- A Bachelor of Science degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics field
- 12 or more years of increasingly responsible and related engineering/scientific experience
- Relevant, progressive work experience in satellite and/or satellite subsystem development, orbital analysis and launch window determination, systems architecture design, and performance assessment
- Multidisciplinary experience including spacecraft design and ground concept architectures definition is required
- Knowledge of DoD, IC, Civil, and Commercial missions and technologies
- Knowledge of acquisition processes and a willingness to adjust them to best support SDA’s 2-year cycle acquisition efforts
- Ability to lead, work, and communicate effectively as part of a team in a fast paced, dynamic environment, reacting quickly and providing products of consistently high quality
- High interest, enthusiasm, and motivation in addressing future national security space challenges
- Ability to build and/or maintain substantive rapport with Aerospace peers (ETG Matrix and Program Office), SETA personnel, and government customers (to include senior government leaders)
- Demonstrated ability to influence outcomes utilizing objective facts
- Excellent verbal communication skills are required - clear, concise, and persuasive – including the ability to build consensus through speaking in a polished, professional style
- Experience in systems engineering, risk assessment, and trade space exploration studies
- Experience directly interfacing with customers and delivering comprehensive assessment products
- Willing to travel domestically approximately 10% of the time
- This position requires a TS/SCI security clearance, which is issued by the US 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:
- A Masters or PhD degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics field
- 12 or more years of experience in space and spacecraft systems acquisition, development, and risk assessment
- Experience working with SDA and a working knowledge of the SDA architecture, functional Cells, and leadership interactions.
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 vacation
- Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options
- 401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire
- Flexible spending accounts
- Variable pay program for exceptional contributions
- Relocation assistance
- Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career
- Education assistance programs
- An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect
We are all unique, from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each other—the belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.
Equal Opportunity Commitment
The Aerospace Corporation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We believe that a diverse workforce creates an environment in which unique ideas are developed and differing perspectives are valued, producing superior customer solutions. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, color, religion, genetic information, marital status, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If you’re an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process, please contact us by phone at 310.336.5432 or by email at ieo.mailbox@aero.org. You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal, as well as the Pay Transparency Policy Statement.