Software Process Engineer - Casual

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.

Information Systems and Cyber Division (ISCD) staff couple the latest in information system technologies, such as elastic compute clouds, containerization, microservices, real-time operating systems, and visualization frameworks, with expertise in cyber security, software architecture, software engineering, data science, Artificial Intelligence, process improvement, and software development to deliver responsive, resilient, high-performance software intensive systems to our Intelligence Community, DoD, and civilian customers.

Software Process, Modeling, and Measurement Department staff combine expertise in software development process engineering, software project management, software process modeling, and software measurement and metrics to support our Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and civilian customers in their acquisition of software-intensive systems.

Work Model

• This position will be a hybrid work model and offer partially remote with some onsite work required in El Segundo CA as the business needs allow.

What You’ll Be Doing

• This role provides a variety of specialized services
  • Reviewing and tailoring software process standards for use in software-intensive system acquisition programs
  • Reviewing software acquisition documents—for example, plans for development, testing, and measurement; architecture and designs; and evaluation, risk, and product quality reports
  • Selecting software measures using the Goal-Question-Metric (GQM) methods and specifying software measurements using Practical Software Measurement (PSM)
  • Reviewing, analyzing, and interpreting software metrics, and advising program office personnel of findings and recommendations
  • Developing software process maturity assessment instruments
  • Conducting software product and product assessments of Aerospace’s customer’s contractors
  • Producing static and dynamic software process models for developing recommendations for program offices to use in managing their acquisitions
  • Coaching program office personnel in process improvement of software development for system acquisitions using generally accepted methods such as Six Sigma
  • Managing and developing guidance for Aerospace internal software development projects
  • Reviewing project plans and progress reports for Aerospace internal software development projects
• This position reports to the Associate Director of the Software Process, Modeling, and Measurement Department within the Software Engineering Subdivision
• Duties, responsibilities, and activities include other work as needed within the scope of the department
• Casual employment is normally for fewer than 20 hours a week, usually non-continuous, irregular, and infrequent
• This is a temporary position with a maximum duration of 18 months

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in STEM, emphasis in majors such as  computer science, electrical or industrial engineering, mathematics, or closely related technical field.
• Eight or more years of experience in software development
• Strong technical background with expertise in software development processes including requirements gathering, specification creation, backlog refinement and software architecture design.
• Extensive experience in system design, implementation, and unit testing, with a strong track record of delivering results within agile methodologies.
• Familiarity in integration, systems, and regression testing
• Proven expertise in software configuration management, quality assurance, and process coaching with a focus on optimizing workflows and mentoring teams to achieve operational success
• Demonstrated ability to excel both independently and as a collaborative team member contributing to shared goals
• Strong verbal communication skills, evidenced by track record of publications and effective presentations
• Ability to apply standards, methods, and techniques used in the department, including but not limited to software process standards, process assessment techniques and instruments, measurement methods (GQM, PSM), and process improvement methods such as Six Sigma
• Willing to travel domestically approximately 10% 
• Casual employment is normally for fewer than 20 hours a week, usually non-continuous, irregular, and infrequent
• This position requires U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance issued by the U.S. government

How You Can Stand Out

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

• Advanced degree in STEM, emphasis in majors such as computer science, electrical or industrial engineering, mathematics, or closely related technical  field
• Experience managing software development projects, including project estimation, risk management, process coaching, progress measurement and reporting, and monitoring product verification results
• Familiarity and use of GQM and PSM
• Experience interpreting software metrics and recommending or implementing process improvements
• Experience analyzing and improving processes using Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, IDEAL, or other widely accepted approaches

• Working knowledge of statistics for analyzing simulation model inputs and outputs
• Experience conducting modeling study engagements from proposal through delivery of results, including process and data elicitation, modeling (input analysis, runs for statistics, output analysis), and verification and validation
• Experience in modeling and simulating software development processes
• Experience in statistical design of experiments (DOE) for simulation models
• Active DoD TS/SCI clearance

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 - $181,100.00

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.