Optical System Architect

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 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 Imagery Programs Division’s (IPD) GEOINT Future Architecture’s (GFA) department is seeking an Optical System Architect  (Project Engineer/Senior Project Engineer - Modeling and Simulation Engineering) to serve as a technical adviser to the government's future architecture. The office is a high-pace, high-impact environment, where Aerospace provides technical recommendations and solutions for GEOINT systems, directly influencing budgets and acquisition decisions for the next generation GEOINT space architecture. The office regularly engages with customer leadership as well as other agencies, creating many opportunities for high visibility work in the GFA department. In this role, you will lead Aerospace activities that help Government customers define future Electro-Optical (EO) architectures, advance capabilities, and develop CONOPs.  You will communicate programmatic and technical risks and opportunities to Aerospace management, Government leadership, and system contractors. For a Senior Project Engineer role, you must also work within Aerospace and across programmatic boundaries to enable Aerospace contributions to the GEOINT and Future Architectures enterprise.

This position requires 100% on site work in Chantilly, VA

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead and coordinate domain experts from Aerospace’s Engineering Matrix organization to perform design trades at the payload, vehicle, and constellation level in the evaluation of future GEOINT architectures for performance, user requirements satisfaction, and mission utility 
• Respond to urgent technical questions originating from multiple agencies (NRO, NGA, ODNI, DoW), NRO Leadership, and Congress
• Communicate programmatic and technical issues and provide independent recommendations to Aerospace management, the Government customer and other contractors
• Provide daily organization and technical oversight for task execution, managing pertinent budgets, regularly communicate status and findings to customer counterparts and management.
• Review contractor concept proposals and independently evaluate system capabilities against user needs to highlight opportunities and risks to the Government
• Serve as advisor and mentor to SETA, Aerospace, and Customer representatives as they learn technical aspects of program execution
• Work in a fast-paced environment with many interesting technical challenges that require strategy, critical thinking and collaboration to provide solutions 

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for the Project Engineer - Modeling and Simulation Engineering:

• Bachelor's or Advanced degree in science, engineering, mathematics or related technical discipline
• 6 or more years of increasingly responsible professional engineering/science experience
• Technical experience in architecture modeling, orbital mechanics and space systems
• Familiarity with optical remote sensing missions and payloads
• Demonstrated capability to address and solve complex challenges
• Strong organization and communication skills
• This position requires an active TS security clearance which is issued by the U.S. government.  U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance

In addition to the above, the following are the minimum requirements for the Senior Project Engineer - Modeling and Simulation Engineering position:

• 10 or more years of increasingly responsible professional engineering/science experience
• Demonstrated ability to lead multi-disciplinary technical teams and integrate their results into decision-driving products
• Expertise with optical remote sensing missions and payloads

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:

• Strong understanding of GEOINT architectures
• Expertise in visible and/or infrared (IR) electro-optical sensors and associated technology
• Detailed knowledge of relevant Aerospace resources and demonstrated experience in planning or conducting architectural and optimization trade-studies
• Experience developing visualizations using modeling and simulation software to depict constellations and architectures
• Program Office experience working directly with contractors, SETA and government customers
• Experience working within the intelligence community and advising senior officials

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)

$117,300.00 - $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.