Senior Space Enterprise Multi-Objective Optimization Leader

The Enterprise Effects Division (EED) drives integration of Aerospace’s strategic capabilities across the national space enterprise. The division leverages a broad array of engineering disciplines against a wide-ranging and dynamic portfolio of programs, customers, and national challenges. EED spans the capability lifecycle from concept and architecture design to performance assessment to application of space and space-enabled capabilities. 

The Space Enterprise Design and Optimization Department (SEDOD) is in EED’s Enterprise Design Subdivision (EDS). We bring to bear expertise in a wide variety of fields to tackle tough problems and explore novel ideas, focusing on the performance modeling, analysis, and optimization of orbits, mission architectures, and acquisition portfolios to inform the future of the national space enterprise.   

We are seeking a Senior Project Leader in Modeling & Simulation Engineering to lead, design, and execute studies for a portfolio of high-impact projects across the department and division. This role will serve as the strategic leader for SEDOD's constellation and architecture design & optimization line of business, focusing on the missile warning, tracking, and defense mission area. The successful candidate will coordinate and integrate technical efforts across multiple high-priority customers, including USSF, SDA, MDA, SWAC, and others, delivering products in support of architecture concept trade studies, requirements verification, and analyses-of-alternatives. They will lead teams of analysts to meet the pressing needs of our customers, providing guidance, structure, and advice, while also driving cross-functional collaboration across the division to deliver comprehensive and high-impact technical products.  

Work Model 

This is a full-time position based in Huntsville, AL or Chantilly, VA, offering an in-person work model that combines 4 or more regular onsite workdays per week and remote flexibility as business needs allow.  

What You’ll Be Doing 

• Act as an integration leader and spokesperson for the department, coordinating across multiple Aerospace program offices to connect customer requirements with Aerospace capabilities, identify opportunities for new partnerships, and bring in projects for the organization 

• Advise key stakeholders and government customers by leading teams to perform a range of space mission design modeling, simulation, and analysis, with an emphasis on multi-objective tradespace optimization and constellation design 

• Establish high-performing teams with multi-disciplinary technical leaders, Aerospace Program Office personnel and external customers including defense and civil agencies, such as the U.S. Space Force, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and others 

• Develop and present timely and technically accurate briefings and reports that clearly communicate analysis results and provide recommended solutions, supporting critical decisions in collaboration with technical leads, management, and customers 

• Serve as a senior mentor to new and junior staff, guiding routine analysis and development tasks as part of larger project efforts, and promoting a collaborative environment for professional growth  

What You Need to be Successful  

Minimum Requirements: 

• B.S. degree in aerospace, astronautical, or mechanical engineering, physics, operations research, mathematics, or a related field of science or engineering   

• 10 or more years of increasingly responsible professional engineering/scientific experience  

• Substantial experience with modeling and simulation tools in support of Missile warning, Tracking, and Defense (MWTD) architecture assessment, analysis of alternatives, constellation design and optimization, or space warfighting 

• Expertise in Intelligence Community or US Department of Defense (DoD) business practices or space mission portfolios  

• Demonstrated leadership of multidisciplinary teams engaged in efforts involving space-related modeling and simulation, constellation coverage and access modeling, communication/ground architectures, astrodynamics or space mission design 

• Proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment, adapt quickly to change, and to help customers manage ambiguity   

• Willingness to support occasional domestic travel  

• This position requires a current and active security clearance and polygraph (TS/SCI), 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 graduate degree in one of the fields of study mentioned above 

• Proven track record of leading multi-phase, multi-disciplinary projects as an integration leader, coordinating diverse technical teams across program/project lines and serving as primary spokesperson to senior management and customer leadership 

• Demonstrated success in bringing in new tasks and projects from internal and external sources, including participation in new business development and technical planning efforts that expand organizational capabilities 

• Established reputation as a senior mentor who provides technical guidance, orientation, and development insight to team members at various career stages, with a track record of developing high-performing technical staff 

• Wide recognition both internally and externally by peers, management, program offices, government customers, and contractors as a senior technical authority in constellation design, architecture optimization, or space mission analysis