Pressurized Rover (PR) Lifecycle Review Lead, Senior Project Engineer

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.

Within the CSG, the Human Exploration and Space Flight (HESF) Division supports our NASA customer in all aspects of human space flight. We are looking for a Pressurized Rover (PR) Lifecycle Review Lead (Senior Project Engineer – Technical Project Management).  In this role, you will support the NASA Johnson Space Center Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program’s (EHP), Pressurized Rover (PR) project office. NASA’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program provides safe, reliable, and effective spacewalking and surface mobility capabilities that allow astronauts to survive and work outside the confines of a spacecraft to explore on and around the Moon.

Work Model

This is a full-time position based at Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, offering a 100% onsite work model and remote flexibility as the business needs allow.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Acts as a senior technical authority for Pressurized Rover (PR) Lifecycle Review (LCR) processes.
• Mentors less experienced Aerospace LCR MTS team members and serves as role model.
• Provides senior-level expertise in leading/coordinating collaborative efforts across cross-functional teams comprised of diversely skilled engineers.
• Serves as the senior lead LCR team member to provide guidance and facilitate adherence to requirements in preparation for all Life Cycle Reviews (LCRs) or Key Decision Points (KDPs).
• Provides expertise related to the level of the maturity matrix products for each stage of the LCR or phase of the KDP.
• Drafts, develops, and manages the Project Plan and manages all Maturity Matrix Products for baseline and revision for all LCR/KDPs.
• Reviews all Program and Project maturity matrix products within the milestone tool for all LCRs or KDPs.
• Interfaces with management to assist with the development of the Executive documentation and facilitates communication with the NASA Headquarters secretariat, when required.
• Provides a consistent interface with management to progress the processes developed and used by the office; provides expert guidance to internal teams and gathers information on new or upcoming processes in-work to prepare for implementation within the office or on an LCR.
• Serves as the primary interface with SE&I manager and LCR Review Managers. Meets regularly to create and develop a successful technical plan for executing all project LCRs. 
• Attends and leads/drives the LCR schedules, refines, or collaborates on LCR practices/processes, executes lessons learned, etc. 
• Coordinates and effectively communicates day-to-day activities related to LCR reviews, including:
  • Data distribution/access
  • Facility scheduling
  • Support systems
  • Preparation of final reports including Board minutes

• Collaborates with stakeholders to develop/update and present the following:
  • The milestone Review Technical Plan
  • The entrance checkpoint review (Readiness Assessment)
  • Kickoff meeting
  • LCR Board meeting (Closure Board)
  • Conclusion meeting

• SharePoint and Teams development and maintenance (20%)
  • Creation of new SharePoint Online (SPOL) pages as requested by the customer.
  • Maintenance of existing SPOL pages, including retirement of old pages, by working with team leadership to ensure content and links on internal NASA pages is current and correct.
  • Creation and maintenance of Team channels as requested by the customer.
  • Interface with NASA leadership and team members as well as serving as SharePoint POC in related teams.
  • Review coordination of internal documents: Working with the product owners on timelines and distribution/tracking of documents across the agency.
• Improve and update SPOL and Teams as vendor updates become available.
• Perform other duties for the customer, as required.

What You Need to be Successful

The minimum requirements for the Senior Project Engineer- Technical Project Management include:

• Advanced degree in a STEM-related field.
• Demonstrated senior-level (12+ years) professional experience and related expertise applicable to Lifecycle Review (LCR) management, including innovation, creativeness, and initiative within multi-disciplinary systems engineering and/or project or program environments.
• Demonstrated senior-level (12+ years) ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and/or customers across the agency.
• 12+ years of experience leading small technical teams.
• Widely recognized internally and externally by peers and management for demonstrating advanced expertise in a related field.
• Deep level of understanding of the NASA program life cycle processes and program/project management stages.
• Expert-level ability to effectively utilize oral and written communication to express concepts and recommendations to personnel at all technical and managerial levels, including development of and briefing of decision packages and complex information in a succinct and polished manner.
• Proven expertise working effectively and quickly in real-time environments of rapid change, conflicting requirements, and occasional pressure.
• Willing to travel domestically and/or internationally, approx. 10%.
• Advanced knowledge and working experience within SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams environments, and Microsoft Tool Suite (Excel, Project, PowerPoint)
• This 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:

• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Advanced knowledge of exploration mobility topics and technology.
• Advanced knowledge of the NASA program life cycle, NASA analysis cycles and system engineering processes.
• Experience with International Partner and/or Commercial vendor integration and coordination.

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.