The Aerospace Corporation

Ground System Architect Engineer/Sr. Ground System Architect Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation$117K — $226K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering, science, or related technical field
  • 6+ years of engineering experience in space, intelligence, or defense domains
  • Proficiency in systems engineering and architecture methodologies
  • Experience in ground system development for space systems
  • Excellent communication skills for technical presentations and reports
  • Strong interpersonal skills for collaboration and mentorship
  • Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines
  • Active Top Secret/SCI security clearance required, along with U.S. citizenship

Responsibilities

  • Lead system architecture studies involving multidisciplinary engineering teams
  • Serve as a technical SME to identify user needs and constraints
  • Define system capabilities and interfaces for architectures
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams for concurrent engineering solutions
  • Mentor junior staff and support project planning and execution

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health care and wellness plans
  • Paid holidays, sick leave, and vacation
  • Flexible work schedules including telework options
  • 401(k) with company contributions and immediate vesting
  • Relocation assistance available
  • Professional growth and development programs
  • Inclusive work environment fostering teamwork and respect
Full Job Description
The Enterprise Effects Division (EED) drives integration of Aerospace's strategic capabilities across the national space enterprise. The division leverages a broad array of engineering disciplines against a dynamic portfolio of programs, customers, and national challenges. EED spans the capability lifecycle from concept and architecture design to performance assessment to application of space and space-enabled capabilities.

The Architecture Concepts Department (ArCon) provides expertise in architecture methods, processes, and tools to an extremely broad range of customers, including National Security Space (NSS) and other defense programs, NASA, NOAA, NNSA, DHS, and others. ArCon staff participate in and lead architecture trade studies, architecture conceptualization studies, architecture modeling tasks, and program assessment analyses at multiple levels of complexity, ranging from prototype systems to full scale acquisition systems in the space, ground, communications, and network domains. ArCon applies disciplined system architecting principles and leads cross-functional teams to provide impactful guidance to assist our customers in making key acquisition and operations decisions.

Work Model: This position will follow an in-person work model with a minimum of 4 days per week of onsite work required at one of Aerospace's campuses in Chantilly, VA, Colorado Springs, CO, or El Segundo, CA.

What You'll Be Doing

  • Lead and participate in system architecture studies of ground system concepts, to include multi-disciplinary engineering teams, supporting problem framing, gap analysis, and trade space assessment


  • Work with Aerospace program office, customer, and contractor personnel as a technical subject matter expert to elicit and identify needs, requirements, and constraints for studies; mentor junior staff; support the scoping, planning, and execution of the study; and effectively communicate task status, methods, results, and recommendations in briefings and formal technical reports


  • Define system capabilities, system of systems interfaces, and requirements for space, ground, or intersegment system architectures to address user needs and perspectives


  • Collaborate with other Aerospace personnel to marshal technical expertise in multiple technical disciplines and domains to enable concurrent engineering approaches to address complex problems


What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for Engineering Specialist:

  • Bachelor of Science degree engineering, science, or a related technical field


  • Typically, at least 6 years of engineering experience in the space, intelligence, and/or defense domains


  • Proficiency in system or enterprise architecting, systems engineering, concept design, and/or model-based systems engineering


  • Demonstrated experience in ground system development, mission control, or mission processing for space systems


  • Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present methods and results effectively in briefings, formal reports, and informal communications


  • Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with teams, customers, Aerospace program offices, and contractors; to collaborate with other functional organizations within Aerospace; and to mentor and develop junior staff


  • Exceptional time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and schedule commitments


  • Available and willing to travel domestically and internationally approx. 5-10%


  • This position requires an active Top Secret/SCI security clearance 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 Senior Engineering Specialist include:

  • Typically, at least 12 years of substantive experience in the space, intelligence, and/or defense domains


  • Ability to identify problem space, assess trade options, and independently formulate courses of action


  • Demonstrated success in organizing and leading cross-functional, cross-organizational teams to execute studies and assessments and generate quality products


  • Experience developing and presenting strategic decision-making and strategic communications artifacts for senior-level management and technical architecture design artifacts for engineering-level reviews


  • Ability to collaborate with employees, customers, acquisition program offices, and contractors


How You Can Stand Out

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

  • Advanced degree in engineering, math, science, or related technical discipline


  • More relevant work and/or graduate school experience, greater than 5 years, in system or enterprise architecting, systems engineering, or model-based systems engineering


  • More relevant work and/or graduate school experience, greater than 5 years, in space or ground systems. Experience in ground system architectures, command and control, system of systems engineering, or system test and training are desired.


  • Experience with the Satellite Control Network (SCN) or Intelligence Community ground control networks


  • Experience with telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) or tactical command and control (C2)


  • Hands-on experience with system or enterprise modeling in the Systems Modeling Language (SysML), Unified Architecture Framework (UAF), or Unified Profile for DoDAF and MODAF (UPDM)


  • Experience working closely with key Aerospace customer agencies in the defense and intelligence community, including strong knowledge of their domain and strong professional networks


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)
$117,300.00 - $226,900.00

Pay Basis: Annual

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.

About The Aerospace Corporation

The Aerospace Corporation is a nonprofit corporation that operates a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) headquartered in El Segundo, California. The corporation provides technical guidance and advice on all aspects of space missions to military, civil, and commercial customers. Aerospace also designs and develops spacecraft, sensors, and other systems in support of national security, civil, and commercial customers. The corporation has more than 4,000 employees and operates a number of laboratories and test facilities across the United States.
Learn more about The Aerospace Corporation
Size
4,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1960

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