Aerospace Engineer (Direct Hire)

Federal Aviation Administration • Los Angeles County, CA

3d

About The Position

The Office of Commercial Space Transportation works to ensure public safety while fostering growth in the commercial space transportation industry. It licenses and regulates commercial space launches, reentries, and launch and reentry site operations, and develops public safety standards and requirements to keep pace with industry developments and emerging technologies.

The Aerospace Engineer conducts technical reviews and safety evaluations of commercial space transportation activities, including assessments of public safety, system and component reliability, and organizational safety procedures. The role supports regulatory and licensing work by reviewing contractor work, technical documents, and applications for licenses, permits, and safety approvals, and by assisting in developing regulatory requirements for commercial space technologies.

The position also supports safety inspections of launch, reentry, and site operations; collects and analyzes operational data; performs trend analyses and engineering tests; and prepares technical and management reports. The engineer may assist as an initial point of contact for government and industry stakeholders and applicants seeking licensing. Candidates may qualify through relevant experience in project management and systems integration, physics-based flight safety and hazard analysis, or operational monitoring and field inspections.

The position requires U.S. citizenship, submission of transcripts to verify the positive education requirement, and compliance with applicable background investigation and drug-testing requirements. Domestic travel is 25%. A one-year probationary period may be required, and the selectee may be required to file a financial disclosure statement. The position is covered by the FAA Core Compensation plan and may be eligible for a recruitment incentive with a signed service commitment.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must meet the positive education requirement and submit college or university transcripts by the announcement closing date.
• Basic engineering qualification: an acceptable engineering degree, or an accepted combination of education and experience as specified in the announcement, including qualifying engineering registration/licensure, passing the Fundamentals of Engineering examination or equivalent written test, specified academic coursework, or an accepted related curriculum with professional engineering experience.
• For FV-I: one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to FV-H or FG/GS-12, such as designing, developing, evaluating, or integrating complex aerospace technical products or analyses; conducting trajectory, debris, or quantitative safety-risk analyses; or conducting inspections, investigations, compliance enforcement, or mishap work and writing reports that substantiate findings.
• For FV-J: one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to FV-I or FG/GS-13, such as leading design, development, evaluation, or integration of complex aerospace products and analyses; leading advanced physics-based flight-safety modeling, safety-risk analyses, or development or validation of complex engineering simulation tools; or leading a team conducting inspections, investigations, compliance enforcement, or mishap work and writing reports that substantiate findings.
• Must submit transcripts and, where applicable, foreign education equivalency documentation by the closing date; an official transcript is required before appointment if selected.
• Must undergo required pre-employment or pre-appointment drug screening; designated or random drug testing applies.
• A favorable adjudication of an Access National Agency Check and Inquiries (ANACI) background investigation is required before appointment unless a waiver is obtained.
• Must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Nice To Haves

• Experience managing or participating in complex, multi-phase space engineering projects through certification, approval, or compliance.
• Background in systems engineering and integration across software, hardware, and safety disciplines.
• Experience with advanced calculations, trajectory modeling, orbital mechanics, aerodynamics, or ballistics.
• Familiarity with Probabilistic Risk Assessment, system safety engineering such as MIL-STD-882, software reliability, explosives or blast effects, structural dynamics, or toxic hazard modeling.
• Hands-on operational experience in flight testing, mission control, military flight operations, or aerospace manufacturing environments.
• Experience with quality assurance, field inspections, compliance monitoring, or mishap, accident, and anomaly investigations.

Responsibilities

• Conduct technical reviews and safety evaluations of commercial space transportation activities, focusing on public safety, system and component reliability, and organizational safety procedures.
• Review contractor work, technical documents, and applications for licenses, permits, and safety approvals.
• Assist in developing regulatory requirements for new and existing commercial space technologies.
• Support safety inspections of commercial launch, reentry, and site operations to assess compliance with safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
• Collect and analyze operational data, perform trend analyses and engineering testing, and prepare technical and management reports.
• Assist with initial coordination and interface with government and industry stakeholders and commercial space transportation applicants seeking licensing.
• Depending on qualification level, lead or conduct aerospace engineering analyses, flight safety modeling, inspections, investigations, compliance enforcement, or mishap-related work and document findings in reports.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package for employees and their families; specific eligibility depends on position type.
• The position may be eligible for a recruitment incentive with a signed service commitment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level