Launch Operations and Integration 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.

The National Systems Group (NSG) 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.

The NSG Launch Directorate provides direct technical support to the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Office of Space Launch (OSL) in the areas of Launch Systems and Launch Site Engineering, Mission Integration, Mission Assurance, and specialized testing.  In this role as the Launch Operations and Integration Engineer (Senior Project Engineer - Systems and Mission Assurance Engineering), you will be part of an integrated government/contractor operations team and will perform technical verifications and mission assurance activities.  As an integral part of the team in a fast-paced environment you will provide engineering expertise for systems and facilities that provide essential capabilities to enable spacecraft launch base processing, including propellant and commodity systems, aerospace ground support equipment, and launch base systems and infrastructure.  You will apply sound systems engineering and deep technical rigor to provide the customer confident assessments that allow clear decision making to enable national security space systems to be successfully processed and launched.

The is a full-time position working onsite at a customer facility at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Provide subject matter expertise to a government/contractor team focused on mission execution and mission success to include risk assessments, technical verifications, and readiness assessments
• Deliver sound technical evaluation to the Government Director of Engineering (DE) and Director of Operations (DO) on payload processing, and launch infrastructure and systems, primarily pertaining to the Eastern Processing Facility (EPF) and CCSFS launch complexes, often on aggressive and dynamic timelines
• Conduct deep dive technical support through robust Mission Assurance and Engineering application and lead Aerospace engineering matrix resources to apply specialized knowledge and capabilities to the customer’s most challenging problems
• Track mission requirements and provide assessments against the services’ capability baseline and evaluate Interface Control Documents (ICD) against mission requirements
• Evaluate designs, concepts of operation, requirements, processes, procedures, corrective action reports, and non-recurring engineering efforts
• Provide recommended courses of action to remedy observed shortfalls or discrepancies in new or upgraded systems/processes as compared to established operating baselines
• Provide systems engineering guidance, review, assessments, and recommendations as a member of integrated mission teams responsible for launch site space vehicle processing, spanning space vehicle transport through on-orbit delivery
• Support program milestones and day of launch readiness activities and provide objective readiness assessments in support of formal readiness certification
• Conducting day of launch on-console assessments of real-time technical data
• Evaluate non-intelligence community (IC) satellites processing through the EPF for potential risks to OSL infrastructure and impacts to other satellites that may be concurrently processing
• Assist in the development, testing, and operations of launch base products, processes and/or systems
• Support OSL Chief Engineer’s Office from a Cape launch perspective; New entrant status, risk assessments, documentation review, and operations support

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for Senior Project Engineer- Systems and Mission Assurance Engineering:

• A bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or systems engineering or a related technical field from a recognized institution.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant systems engineering experience with progressively increasing responsibilities
• Experience with one or more of the following: spacecraft launch site processing, launch vehicle processing, launch site infrastructure systems, data acquisition systems, ground support equipment engineering design and analysis, spacecraft integration and testing
• Proactive approach to problem solving, ability to work with autonomy
• Demonstrated use of systems engineering principles, concepts and practices
• Ability to successfully team and communicate with a broad range of customers, colleagues, contractors, and senior government leadership
• Solid understanding and experience with spacecraft processing systems including air & road transport, mechanical ground support equipment, radio frequency detection/protection, and/or environmental monitoring systems
• Willingness to travel occasionally (approximately 10%)
• This position requires a current and active TS/SSBI/SCI security clearance and polygraph, 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:

• Advanced degree from an accredited program in aerospace, mechanical or related STEM discipline
• Experience in launch site satellite vehicle processing, propellant systems, integration, testing, and countdown operations
• Ability to apply systems engineering and technical analysis principles, theories, and methods to assess satellite processing requirements, launch site infrastructure capabilities, procedures, and mission assurance verifications
• Program office experience or prior experience in requirements development, acquisition, and project/engineering management
• Experience with national security space systems characterization, testing, demonstration and operations

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)

$151,300.00 - $226,900.00

Pay Basis: Annual

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 peoplemangmnt.mailbox@aero.org . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.