2027 Commercial Space Account Associate

The Aerospace Corporation•Crystal City, VA

7d•$100,000 - $110,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Aerospace Corporation’s Civil Systems Group is seeking a Commercial Space Account Associate (Business Development Staff II) to serve as a Customer Support Account Lead for its Direct Commercial Programs Directorate. The directorate provides full-lifecycle independent assessments, systems engineering and integration support, and mission assurance to companies across the commercial space enterprise. Working with the Federal & Commercial Programs Systems Director, CSG account managers, and business leaders, the associate will support strategic and business development across federal and commercial markets. The role involves developing growth strategies and plans aligned with customer needs, identifying long-term opportunities, and executing captures. The position is full-time and onsite at the company’s Crystal City, Virginia facility, with domestic travel of approximately 25%. Training and mentorship will be provided. Duties and responsibilities may change or be supplemented as needed.

Requirements

Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, space studies, or a related discipline, either in progress or conferred within the last 12 months.
0–1 year of industry experience.
Experience developing and capturing space industry products or services, with demonstrated ability to close new business opportunities with commercial companies.
Ability to work both as part of a geographically distributed team and autonomously.
Knowledge of and experience with federal and commercial programs, budgets, and market drivers.
Experience using enterprise-class customer relationship management (CRM) software, with accountability for qualified pipeline and other performance metrics.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of customers and corporate staff.
Competency using Microsoft 365 and collaboration technologies.
Willingness to travel domestically approximately 25%.
May need to obtain and maintain a U.S. government-issued security clearance; U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a clearance.
Strong written and oral communication skills.
Ability to work well in a team environment.
Organizational, time-management, and project-management skills.
Flexibility and ability to adapt to changing organizational needs.
Interpersonal skills to coordinate efforts and work with internal and external organizations.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in an engineering discipline and/or business administration.
Progressively responsible technical experience, including direct hands-on business development, account management, and program management work with a variety of federal government and/or commercial customers.
Established network with a range of federal civil government and commercial space customers.
Experience in a variety of program office and/or technical engineering roles.

Responsibilities

Partner with Direct Commercial Line of Business leadership to define future value growth strategies and plans across the U.S. and Allied space industrial base.
Lead strategy, planning, development, pursuit, and capture of opportunities consistent with corporate policies, goals, and business development objectives.
Identify additional, expanded, and new business opportunities and assist management in evaluating, pursuing, and capturing near- and long-term opportunities.
Maintain and expand customer relationships across federal civil space and other federal and commercial entities, partnering with program and project management personnel to meet customer needs.
Engage regularly with targeted accounts and maintain effective relationships with customer decision-makers.
Establish and maintain a reputation with customers as a problem solver and thought leader.
Work on integrated teams with account representatives and experts in capture management, proposal management, program management, program execution, administration, and technical applications.
Support interfaces with Aerospace contracts, legal, and pricing teams to manage contract vehicles.
Lead multiple concurrent opportunities through a structured capture process.
Regularly review, update, and maintain customer information and business development pipeline databases.

Benefits

Comprehensive health care and wellness plans.
Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation.
Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options.
401(k) plan with total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service, plus matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested upon hire.
Flexible spending accounts.
Variable pay program for exceptional contributions.
Relocation assistance.
Professional growth and development programs.
Education assistance programs.
Inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect.