Integrated Protection Strategy Engineer – Senior

KBR, Inc.•Springfield, VA

17h•Onsite

About The Position

KBR’s National Security Solutions team provides high-end engineering and advanced technology solutions to our customers in the intelligence and national security communities. In this position, your work will have a profound impact on the country’s most critical role – protecting our national security. KBR is seeking Integrated Protection Strategy Engineer – Senior, to lead the efforts to ensure safe and reliable operations of space assets through advanced conjunction assessment and mitigation strategies. This role involves developing, validating, and implementing collision avoidance algorithms, tools, and processes to protect critical systems in dynamic orbital environments. The engineer will collaborate with mission planning, flight dynamics, and operations teams to analyze risk and execute avoidance maneuvers when necessary. Candidates should demonstrate strong technical expertise, leadership in complex problem-solving, and the ability to operate under strict timelines in high-stakes scenarios. This position offers the opportunity to influence enterprise-level safety standards and advance space situational awareness capabilities. This role is performed full-time on site at a government facility and is contingent upon contract award.

Requirements

Master’s degree and 11 years of relevant experience with demonstrated expertise, OR Bachelor’s degree and 12 years of relevant experience with demonstrated expertise, OR No degree and 14 years of relevant experience with demonstrated expertise.
Demonstrated expertise in orbital mechanics, astrodynamics, or related aerospace engineering disciplines.
Proficiency with conjunction assessment tools and orbital propagation software (e.g., STK, FreeFlyer, or equivalent).
Active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance with adjudicated polygraph

Nice To Haves

Experience with automated collision avoidance systems and large-scale space traffic management.
Familiarity with international space safety standards and coordination protocols (e.g., CCSDS, ISO).

Responsibilities

Lead the design, development, and validation of collision avoidance algorithms and decision-support tools.
Perform conjunction assessments using industry-standard and proprietary models to evaluate collision risk.
Coordinate with mission operations teams to plan and execute avoidance maneuvers.
Analyze orbital data and propagate trajectories to predict potential conjunctions.
Develop and maintain documentation for collision avoidance processes, including risk thresholds and maneuver protocols.
Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers and analysts.
Interface with external organizations (e.g., government agencies, commercial partners) for data exchange and coordination.
Support anomaly resolution and post-event analysis for conjunction-related incidents.
Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives for automation and accuracy in collision avoidance systems.
Ensure compliance with applicable standards, regulations, and best practices for space safety