Senior Program Planning and Control Expert Program Engineer

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.

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 Senior Program Planning and Control Expert Program Engineer (Senior Project Engineer- Technical Project Management). supporting executive level NASA Program Planning and Control (PP&C) insight across all aspects of project planning, scheduling, cost management, and performance tracking across a NASA programs, ensuring projects adhere to budget, timelines, and technical requirements by leading the implementation of robust planning and control methodologies, Information technology (IT), monitoring progress and identification of potential risks, while collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive mission success. Representing Aerospace on this NASA team, you will shape the PP&C requirements and implementation approach for NASA respective leaders, stakeholders and teams.

Work Model

This is a full-time position based at Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, offering a 100% onsite work model that combines 4-5 regular onsite workdays and remote flexibility as the business needs allow. 

 What You’ll Be Doing

• Developing Integrated Plans: Creating comprehensive program plans with detailed cost, schedule, and technical baselines, including Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), to guide project execution. 
• Performance Monitoring: Continuously tracking project progress against the baseline using metrics, identifying deviations, and initiating corrective actions. 
• Risk Management: Identifying and assessing potential program risks, developing mitigation strategies, and monitoring their effectiveness. 
• Cost Control: Managing program budgets, forecasting future expenditures, and identifying cost-saving opportunities. 
• Information Technology: Supporting IT topics from a program perspective as well as export control and other program security matters
• Schedule Management: Analyzing critical path activities, managing dependencies, and implementing schedule recovery plans when necessary. 
• Data Analysis: Utilizing data analytics tools to generate insights into program performance, identify trends, and inform decision-making. 
• Stakeholder Communication: Regularly reporting program status to senior leadership, project teams, and external stakeholders. 
• Process Improvement: Identifying opportunities to enhance program planning and control processes, implementing best practices, and ensuring compliance with NASA standards. 
• Serve as a highly proactive technical specialist, understanding issues and formulating options/recommendations, while working closely with the headquarters and program teams across other offices, working groups and panels.
• Lead forums and venues to formulate and prepare recommendations on improving the mission integration and operations process and drive an outcome.
• Perform other duties for the customer as required.

What You Need to be Successful – Senior Project Engineer- Technical Project Management

Minimum Requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree or advanced degree from an accredited program in a technical discipline
• 10+ years’ experience working in technical disciplines across large government programs
• Excellent teaming and leadership skills with an ability to multi-task across various issues/disciplines simultaneously
• Excellent presentation and communications skills, including development of and briefing of decision packages and complex information in a succinct and polished manner.
• Experience working across diverse teams and many different engineering disciplines.
• Strong project management skills and exceptional interpersonal skills
• Ability to work within a team environment, where the team is distributed across multiple NASA and Aerospace Corporation organizations, projects and programs.
• Ability to identify and communicate concerns to leadership in a diplomatic manner
• Superior analytical, planning, problem solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple concurrent tasks and provide direction on competing priorities.
• Extensive knowledge of scheduling principles, tools, and analysis techniques.
• Experience performing probabilistic schedule risk analysis and schedule health analysis.
• Advanced experience with Microsoft Office tools, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc.
• Extensive experience using commercial schedule management tools such as Microsoft Project or Primavera.
• Experience with implementation and management of integrated scheduling tools.
• Willing to travel occasionally approx. 10%
• 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:

• 15+years’ experience with NASA or on NASA commercial systems and international partners
• Understanding of specific NASA Human Spaceflight topics
• Extensive project management expertise
• Demonstrated experience with collaborations supporting multiple disciplines/specialties

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, as well as the Pay Transparency Policy Statement.