Human Spaceflight 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.

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. 

Human Exploration and Spaceflight (HESF) Division in CSG is the company subject matter experts for human spaceflight. HESF supports NASA and its bold human exploration missions from the NASA Headquarters mission directorates to the Moon to Mars office down to every Artemis Program in operation. We also support the International Space Station (ISS), Commercial LEO Development Program, Commercial Crew Program, and Human Health and Performance. HESF support spans from architecture and mission design to technology development, requirements and design reviews, and finally to verification, safety, and on orbit operational reviews and concurrences. 

For this position, you will function as a Human Spaceflight Engineer (MTS Casual III- Engineering Program Management & Systems Engineering) to provide expert technical assistance for architecture design, spacecraft design, ground operations, mission integration, and advanced development and field testing. You will collaborate with our NASA customer and industry contractors and vendors to ensure the success of high-priority space programs and missions with challenging spacecraft design requirements.  Your work will potentially involve technical assessments of designs, system development, manufacture, testing, and operations for multiple programs. You must be willing to learn about a broad range of new technologies and systems and confidently advise customers on making critical decisions.   

This is a CASUAL part time/remote role but will require periodic onsite support at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX

What You’ll Be Doing  

Supporting the Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) lifecycle to include development of advanced spacecraft systems for national space missions through administration of the customers.  

• Support program office activities, working closely with the civil servant team in an advisory role including vendor selection, development, testing, and operations support 

• Attend various meetings and conferences, both regularly scheduled and intermittent 

• Serve as a highly proactive advisory specialist, understanding issues and formulating options/recommendations, while working closely teams and across other offices, working groups, and panels 

• Integrate with subject matter experts and stakeholders 

• Develop periodic status reports and presentations 

• Develop special reports/discussions of findings, issues, conclusions, recommendations, and risk assessments 

• Formulate recommendations to senior-level program management 

• Perform other duties for the customer as required 

What You Need to be Successful – MTS Casual III- Engineering Program Management & Systems Engineering

Minimum Requirements: 

• Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited program in technical discipline. 

• 12 or more years of professional engineering/scientific experience, including experience in systems engineering, systems management, and project management. 

• Experience with NASA mission architecture design as well as spacecraft development lifecycle to include requirements, design, development, qualification, acceptance, and operational use of spacecraft systems.  

• Experience leading/advising multidisciplinary technical teams and programs  

• Knowledge and understanding of NASA and/or DOD program life cycle.  

• Ability to effectively utilize oral and written communication to express technical concepts. 

• Experience working across diverse teams and many different engineering disciplines.  

• Knowledge of space flight certification processes to ensure performance and safety requirements are met (including knowledge of NPR 7120, EA-WI-023, or equivalent processes) 

• Knowledge in the design and development of major elements of ground test and space flight systems required to demonstrate the utilization of systems. 

• 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: 

• Leadership Skills: Proven ability to lead and manage multidisciplinary technical teams, guiding them through complex integration challenges, including managing international collaboration efforts. 

• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills, with an ability to resolve issues related to the integration of complex structures and mechanisms. 

• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly present complex technical information to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including international teams and NASA management. 

• Project Management: Experience managing project timelines, resources, and deliverables to ensure that integration milestones are met on schedule. Experience in coordinating with international teams and ensuring that integration activities meet cross-agency timelines. 

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 but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills.

(Min - Max)

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 various 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 employer. 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 [email protected] . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.