Fire Safety Subject Matter Expert

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.

The Engineering, Science, and Technology Assessments (ESTA) team performs and manages independent technical analyses for our Civil Customers. We are in search of a Fire Safety Subject Matter Expert MTS Casual III to work directly with our NASA customer to provide consultation and analysis in support of the development of the NASA standard for Fire Safety in Human-Rated Vehicles. This is part of a larger portfolio of work for NASA to perform independent assessment of their most challenging problems.

Work Model

This is a part-time Casual position which has the option to be fully remote anywhere within the United States. Remote Local (50-150 miles) or Remote Distant (>150 miles) of an Aerospace facility.

What You’ll Be Doing

The selected candidate will serve as a fire safety subject matter specialist on the Aerospace Engineering, Science, and Technology Assessments team. The candidate will be responsible for supporting multiple independent assessments of NASA-wide issues related to vehicle and spacesuit environmental control and life support, spacesuit pressure garment, crew and habitation hardware, and safety systems. The candidate must possess extensive technical expertise of spacecraft fire safety from project support to strategic integration. 

• Perform as a senior consultant to the customer providing programmatic technical expertise. 
• Apply engineering and project management acumen to develop, conduct, and document processes associated with defining a standard approach to designing and verifying a spacecraft fire safety system. 
• Provide guidance and mentorship to early career team members of the Aerospace and customer teams.   
• Work both independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment, to react quickly to changing requirements and schedules, and to provide products of consistently high quality.   
• Operate under the direction of the Aerospace Task lead, Government personnel, and/or other contractors placed in leadership positions within the team, as needed. 

What You Need to be Successful – MTS Casual III

Minimum Requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics, or applied science is required.   
• Minimum of 15 years of industry experience.    
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in spacecraft fire safety.  
• Prior experience supporting a NASA or other government programs. 
• Capability to maintain confidential information with discretion.   
• Ability to navigate evolving customer requirements, demonstrating flexibility and the capacity to adjust responsibilities and duties in response to changing customer needs.    
• Strong communication skills required to present technical findings to subject matter and non-subject matter experts.   
• Willing to travel domestically approx. once a month or as required by the customer 
• This position requires 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:

• An advanced degree in engineering, physics, or applied science is required.   
• Relevant peer-reviewed publications.   
• More than 15 years of industry work experience.   
• More than 10 years of experience with spacecraft fire safety.  
• Experience with the NASA Engineering and Safety Center. 

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)

$72.74 - $108.28

Pay Basis: Hourly

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.