Rendezvous and Proximity Operations Visiting Vehicle Lead 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 Rendezvous and Proximity Operations Visiting Vehicle Lead for the International Space Station (Project Engineer/Sr. Project Engineer –Technical Project Management). In this role you will support the NASA Johnson Space Center Engineering Aeroscience and Flight Mechanics Division (AFMD) as a Rendezvous and Pros Ops expert lead supporting ISS Visiting Vehicle activities. The AFMD provides technical leadership in the engineering disciplines of aerodynamics and aerothermodynamics; guidance, navigation, and control flight performance; mission design; and autonomous systems. The division provides engineering design, development, testing, and evaluation for all phases of space flight (ascent, entry, orbit, and interplanetary) and for all types of human spacecraft.

Work Model

This is a full-time position based at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, TX, offering a hybrid work model that combines 3-4 regular onsite workdays and remote flexibility as the business and customer needs allow. 

What You’ll Be Doing

• Serve as the lead for ISS Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) Visiting Vehicles, providing technical oversight, program integration, and certification of ISS visiting vehicle Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) matters
• Perform detailed analysis and formulate recommendations to senior-level Engineering Directorate and ISS Program Management
• Certify GN&C system requirements compliance through review of analysis and test reports, including assessment of navigation sensor performance, trajectory dispersions, and other GN&C parameters
• Certify fault tolerance safety requirements compliance through review of GN&C related hazard reports and associated verification evidence, including communicating issues to a Safety Review Panel
• Communicate status of compliance reviews to ISS program management
• Conduct performance assessments on visiting vehicle GN&C data for Program compliance
• Review trajectory analyses using independent 6 degrees-of-freedom simulations
• Provide input to operational products, such as flight rules and on-orbit demonstration plans
• Provide visiting vehicle's GN&C mission console support during real-time ground monitoring
• Perform evaluation of operational needs and verification of mission plans
• Serve as a highly proactive technical specialist while working closely across various engineering disciplines, flight operations, crew office, commercial providers and program teams, working groups and panels to ensure visiting vehicle success
• Lead forums and venues to formulate and prepare technical findings and recommendations
• Coordinate and evaluate technical objectives, requirements, interfaces, standards, issues
• Perform other duties for the customer as required

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for the Project Engineer-Technical Project Management

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited program in a science, engineering, or another related technical discipline
• At least 6 years of increasingly responsible professional engineering/scientific experience, including experience in systems engineering, GN&C, entry, descent, and landing systems
• Experience with spacecraft rendezvous, proximity operations, and capture/docking
• Familiarity with spacecraft docking systems
• Working knowledge of NASA, JSC, and ISS standard practices and requirements, including safety and fault tolerance
• Experience with NASA flight operations and procedures
• Excellent teaming and leadership skills with an ability to working across diverse teams and multi-task across various issues/disciplines simultaneously
• Exceptional interpersonal, presentation, and communications skills, including development of and briefing of decision packages and complex information in a succinct and polished manner 
• Ability to work within a diverse team environment and many engineering disciplines, where the team is distributed across multiple NASA and Aerospace Corporation organizations, projects, and programs
• Willing to travel occasionally to work location/domestically/internationally approx. 4-6 times a year
• 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.

In addition to the above, the minimum requirements for the Senior Project Engineer-Technical Project Management include:

• At least 10+ years’ experience with NASA or on NASA commercial systems visiting the ISS
• Demonstrated expertise performing detailed analysis and formulating recommendations to senior-level leadership
• Proven expertise in managing multiple concurrent tasks and provide direction on competing priorities

How You Can Stand Out

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

• Advanced degree from an accredited program in a technical discipline
• Established experience in building on NASA Human Spaceflight topics and safety matters
• Prior working experience in the ISS Program and decision-making structure
• Superior analytical, problem solving, and decision-making skills

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.