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.

Within NSG, the Systems Engineering and Launch Division (SELD) serves as the systems engineering experts to drive excellence into architecture, engineering, and analysis functions. The Enterprise Analysis department provides modeling, simulation, and analysis expertise across space and ground system domains within our Program Office to ensure studies and analysis used to support major systems acquisitions and concept of operations development are properly scoped and executed and that results communicate valuable insights to customers across the organization and beyond. We are looking for a Space Systems Modeling & Simulation Specialist (Senior Project Leader - Modeling & Simulation Engineering) to support the NRO Systems Engineering Division Office of Enterprise Analysis. You will be a technical advisor for the OEA customer analysis staff, reviewing study plans and results, offering recommendations for approaches and analytical methods, and coordinating with Engineering Technology Group (ETG) subject matter experts and NSG counterparts to conduct focused studies and to ensure the accuracy of results from space domain, mission, and campaign models. You will bring together SME teams to develop solutions, prototypes, and demonstrations focused on hard problems across the space enterprise spanning cross-phenomenology overhead intelligence systems, data transport, resiliency and security, and acquisition. This is a unique opportunity to work across the customer Technical Enterprise, leveraging the Physical Sciences Laboratory and the Engineering Technology Group expertise at Aerospace.

This is a full-time position requiring 100% onsite work in Chantilly, Virginia.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Act as trusted advisor to government customers to provide recommendations and review analysis to ensure quality of work delivered to government customers
• Lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple projects concurrently, leveraging the Aerospace ETG backplane and ensuring timely and impactful integration of recommendations for impactful decision making.

• Conduct independent and collaborative deep dives, trade studies, and assessments to properly design and execute modeling and simulation proposals

• Leverage in-house and commercial- and government-off-the-shelf engineering analysis tools to deliver technical insights through analytical deep dives, trade studies, and assessments in department focus areas  

• Contribute to the development of analysis software tools and actively pursuing opportunities to enhance and improve existing simulation and analysis capabilities

• Develop and present timely and technically accurate presentations and reports that clearly communicate analysis results and provide recommended solutions to technical leads, management, and customers 

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for the Space Systems Modeling & Simulation Specialist (Senior Project Leader - Modeling & Simulation Engineering)

• Bachelor's OR Advanced degree in STEM field or relevant discipline
• At least 12 years of increasingly responsible professional engineering/scientific experience, including multi-disciplinary modeling and simulation experience
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with customers
• Knowledge of modeling and simulation principles and methodologies applicable to space systems
• Familiarity with software tools that can be used to assess performance satellite systems (STK, SOAP, Matlab, Python, AFSIM, etc)
• Experience leading teams to conduct architecture-level modeling and simulation studies
• Experience representing your team in a program office or customer environment
• This position requires a TS/SBI/SCI security clearance with counter-intelligence 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:

• An advanced degree in a STEM field or related discipline
• Technical knowledge of satellite systems
• Modeling and simulation experience on satellite systems from engineering to campaign levels
• Familiarity with GEOINT, SIGINT, COMM and/or related Ground systems
• Experience and proficiency briefing complex technical concepts to senior-level managers

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)

$155,900.00 - $233,900.00

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.