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.
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.
This full-time, permanent mission systems engineering position falls within our Operations Programs Directorate in support of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center’s Landsat Next program as the primary customer for this role. Currently in formulation, Landsat Next is a follow-on, three satellite constellation mission, to the joint USGS and NASA partnership for the Landsat series of satellites. We are looking for a Landsat Next Mission Systems Engineer (Senior Project Engineer – Systems Engineering) in support of USGS roles and responsibilities. The Landsat Next Mission Systems Engineer will provide mission systems engineering expertise for technical leadership and assessment of space segment, ground system, and mission operations center technical performance and architecture solutions geared towards native, constellation-based flight operations, along with formulation, acquisition, development, and implementation strategy definition and execution.
Our Operations Programs Directorate provides the Aerospace technical leadership team supporting both USGS and NASA Landsat Next development and implementation objectives to continue the 50+ year legacy of continuous acquisition of the Earth’s land surfaces.
Work Model
This is a full-time position based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, offering a hybrid work model that combines 3-5 regular onsite workdays at the EROS Center and remote flexibility as the business needs allow.
What You’ll Be Doing
Support the existing Aerospace and USGS Landsat Next project team to perform the following:
- Lead technical activities and studies on behalf of USGS to address and solve complex challenges spanning all aspects of space and ground systems functions.
- Engage with impact by representing USGS Landsat Next mission objectives within joint NASA-USGS mission systems engineering teams, activities, technical interfaces, and decisional working groups.
- Identify, assess, and mitigate technical risk to the mission, including likelihood and consequence outcomes.
- Ensure development and implementation of an integrated Landsat ground system architecture that optimizes mission architecture solutions for operations.
- Assess mission operations center architecture solutions for future Landsat Next constellation operations.
- Foster innovation through identification of improvements for multi-satellite systems operations, including opportunities for greater degrees of efficiencies and levels of automation.
- Recommend architecture strategies or technology infusion that promote long-term sustainability and cost efficiency of operations.
- Support Mission Operations Center studies, acquisition strategy development, formulation, and implementation.
- Present findings, observations, results, and positions to technical engineering change boards, customer boards, and customer leadership.
- Attend team technical, decisional and milestone reviews as expertise is warranted.
What You Need to be Successful: Senior Project Engineer- Systems Engineering
Minimum Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited program in applicable STEM areas or another applicable field.
- Twelve or more years of increasingly responsible professional engineering experience in space systems development.
- Direct systems engineering experience and leadership in two or more of the following: spacecraft development, mission and ground systems architecture development, flight systems integration and test, science data acquisition, and mission operations.
- Technical engagement and leadership for special studies, mission modeling analyses, and formulation of integrated, technical recommendations intended to solve complex challenges.
- Responsibility for application and oversight of systems engineering processes, including requirements, operations concepts, architecture and systems design, systems development, integration and test, and verification.
- Application of NASA, or similar, systems engineering management practices, lifecycle phases, and criteria for key decision points.
- Willing to travel domestically to customer and vendor sites. Approximately 6-8 trips annually.
- Position may require the 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:
- Advanced degree from an accredited program in applicable STEM areas or another applicable field.
- 10+ years of proven experience within USGS, NASA, or NOAA flight systems development and implementation or ground systems architecture and engineering management activities.
- Direct experience with Landsat mission development or operations activities.
- Direct experience with an entire science mission data chain spanning instrument acquisition, spacecraft formatting, space to ground interface, and ground receive through science processing and product generation.
- Experience with Mission Operations Center (MOC) formulation, implementation, and verification.
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.
