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 Defense Systems Group (DSG) provides analysis-based decision support to senior leaders on space architectures, policy and strategy, technology development, warfighter capability enablers, systems integration, defense industrial base, and threat reduction to help shape existing and future space missions across the national security space (NSS) enterprise. DSG is unique at Aerospace as it not only directly supports major customers, including the U.S. Space Force, U.S. Space Command, Air Force Material Command, and senior leadership at the Pentagon, but also provides a broad range of technical support across the national space enterprise, maintaining vertical responsibilities with customers’ portfolios as well as horizontal, matrixed responsibilities across the corporation. Additionally, DSG provides deep technical expertise to the Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC) in the conception, design, acquisition, launch and operations of satellite, launch vehicle, ground control, and range systems.

The Golden Dome Solutions Office (GDSO) supports the Office of the Director of Golden Dome. We advise the government on cross-architectural trades, perform mission engineering and systems engineering activities, lead analyses to inform decision-making, and interface with partner offices to enable the government to move rapidly and deploy the next-generation missile defense shield for the United States.

Are you interested in being at the forefront of Golden Dome, one of the top national defense priorities? If so, consider this exciting position in the Golden Dome Architecture team. Our organization designs and conducts analyses in a wide range of disciplines critical to Golden Dome including OPIR, missile and spacecraft kinematics, tasked and untasked sensing, communications, threat assessment, PNT, and more. We are looking for an Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation Lead to manage the coordinated development and use of modeling, simulation and analysis (MS&A) capabilities to support strategic GDA end-to-end (E2E), architecture optimization and mission engineering products. GDSO proactively assists the government with identifying and solving cross-architectural challenges. Join us today and become a part of a culture that promotes innovation, growth, and technical excellence! 

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility in Chantilly, VA or Crystal City, VA.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading the development and execution of Aerospace's AFSIM/SAFESIM strategy in coordination with GDSO's established MS&A roadmap to support Golden Dome Program Office needs
• Coordinating support for complex technical tasks, managing resources to efficiently staff and execute projects aligned with enterprise priorities
• Integrating AFSIM/SAFESIM capabilities with Aerospace's enterprise E2E simulation framework, or testing and benchmarking planned capabilities against the framework, depending on the evolving MS&A roadmap
• Developing analyses and framing taskings in response to government needs related to E2E and agent-based modeling, coordinating with the broader MS&A team to ensure alignment with established analysis approaches
• Developing and presenting timely and technically accurate products that clearly communicate AFSIM/SAFESIM analysis results and recommendations to the customer
• Collaborating with internal and external organizations to ensure accurate information exchange and alignment with other analysis teams
• Supporting stakeholder engagement by presenting data-driven recommendations that advance government decision-making
• Working with other Aerospace, government, and contractor engineering teams who reside in different physical locations and time zones, including VA, CO, AL, and CA.

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for Project Leader - Modeling and Simulation Engineering :

• B.S. degree in engineering, physics, mathematics, computer science, or a related field of science or engineering  
• 8 or more years of relevant and progressive professional or academic experience 
• Proven ability to scope, plan, and execute a complex technical effort
• Experience working in different frameworks and environments
• History of leading technical teams with diverse backgrounds delivering substantial technical analyses or development efforts in support of customer-driven projects 
• Extensive experience with modeling and simulation
• Strong organization and communication skills 
• Willingness to support occasional travel domestically (approx. 10-20%)
• This position requires a current and active Top Secret/SCI/SSBI security clearance and polygraph , which is issued by the US government. U.S citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance. 

In addition to the above, the minimum requirements for the Senior Project Leader - Modeling and Simulation Engineering include:

• 12 or more years of relevant and progressive professional or academic experience
• Expertise in Intelligence Community or US Department of War (DoW) business practices or space mission portfolios
• Demonstrated leadership of multidisciplinary teams engaged in efforts involving space-related modeling
• Proven ability to prioritize, scope, plan, and execute multiple complex technical efforts
• Proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment, adapt quickly to change, and to help customers manage uncertainty
• Experience dealing with organizational ambiguity
• Experience working through complex engineering challenges that have both technical and political contributions

How You Can Stand Out

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

• A graduate degree in one of the fields of study mentioned above
• Experience with AFSIM, SAFESIM, or a related capability
• Experience with M&S tool integrations via distributed simulation approaches
• Extensive experience leading analyses and communicating results to various sized audiences 
• Prior experience as the lead for matrixed teams with diverse skill sets solving multi-disciplinary challenges
• Experience collaborating with other FFRDCs and UARCs in the development of models and tools

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)

$120,800.00 - $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.