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.

The Western Range Directorate (WRD) provides critical mission assurance services and support to a broad range of customers that operate at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) to include the Air Force, Space Force, NRO, MDA, AFGSC and others by providing critical engineering assessments and guidance for their missions. WRD Missile Engineering and Operations (ME&O) provides technical assessments of strategic defense missiles and their payloads. You will join a collaborative team in a fast-paced environment to provide engineering expertise for strategic defense missile systems while working with government customers, contractors, and others.

We are looking for a Project Engineer to support Missile Engineering and Operations. In this position, the Project Engineer will serve as a program office system engineering integrator of technical specialists for Mission Assurance, perform specialized system engineering to the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) which is principally located in Huntsville, AL with an operating location at Vandenberg SFB. Specific assignments include Aegis Standard Missile, Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) and Targets & Countermeasures pedigree assessments. The position requires leadership skills and technical knowledge in interceptor and target elements, missile/payload integration, launch base processing and testing support at VSFB and other operational sites. This position is located at Vandenberg SFB, CA.

Work Model: This position has a hybrid work arrangement at VSFB, telecommuting one day per week is possible, depending on customer needs and schedules.

What You'll Be Doing

• Collaborate with the Missile Defense Agency and internal Aerospace customers to implement the MDA mission assurance assessments and other tasks associated with flight tests in various regions
• You will build effective working relationships with a government team and contractor counterparts supporting the MDA customer out of Huntsville, AL
• Lead local and matrixed staff in the mission assurance verification of MDA target and interceptor vehicles
• Support and provide electrical, avionics systems engineering expertise at MDA reviews and technical interchange meetings at Huntsville, AL and subcontractor's facilities
• Witness, analyze, and assess flight hardware qualification, acceptance and launch operational test data results
• Contribute to written reports and prepare presentation materials in support of launch campaign readiness reviews
• Report organization's activities, progress, and achievements through written and oral reports to management, subordinates, and customers
• Perform data handling and management for technical reviews of flight and ground hardware systems.

This position is available as a Level 2 Project Engineer or a Level 3 Senior Project Engineer.

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Computer Engineering or equivalent STEM field
• Eight or more years of relevant, applicable experience
• Broad understanding and demonstrated experience across a range of disciplines for missile systems engineering, design, integration, test, and risk assessment/mitigation.
• Proven team leadership, customer responsiveness, creativity in problem solving and addressing teaming/interpersonal challenges, ability to rapidly grasp new concepts, and excellent written/verbal communication skills.
• Experience working in a collaborative environment with internal and external organizations
• Effective systems engineering and analysis skills to identify problems, develop solutions, assess risk, composing technical reports, present analyses, and work with autonomy.
• Willing to travel domestically approximately 10 - 25%
• Ability to identify and discern hazardous/emergency conditions in the workplace
• Ability to don emergency life-saving equipment and exiting safely from a hazardous and/or elevated work environment at the launch site or similar work areas
• Ability to acquire and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the US government (U.S citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance)
• Support off-shift work requirements and occasional domestic travel, as needed

In addition to the above, the Senior Project Engineer must have the following:

• Twelve or more years of relevant, applicable experience
• Broad and deep experience in strategic missile and/or space launch processing or closely related field
• Extensive experience working in a collaborative environment with internal and external organizations
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary technical teams
• Support off-shift work requirements and occasional domestic travel, as needed

How You Can Stand Out

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

• An advanced degree in Electrical, Aerospace, Systems, Computer Engineering or equivalent STEM field
• Track record in development, testing, and/or failure investigation of missiles, launch vehicles, payloads, associated ground support equipment and related facility systems for DoD missions
• Experience with the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC) and Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC)
• Design, build, and test of missile weapon systems, launch vehicles and payloads.
• Mechanical/electrical equipment development, design, integration, test verification including Parts, Materials & Processes
• Expertise with tailoring and compliance with environmental test SMC-S-16, RCC-319 and related specifications/standards as well as AS9100 and ISO9001 certification
• Experience with avionics/electrical/guidance and navigation equipment development, design, integration, and test verification
• Ability to compose high quality technical recommendations, reports, and briefing material and to effectively present them to senior corporate and customer leaders
• Experience working with government customers and with FFRDC, SETA and launch contractor organizations

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 - Mid - Max)

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.