Senior Payload Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation•Rio, VA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

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. The National Systems Group serves as the technical advisor to the Intelligence Community and its mission partners involved in the collection and distribution of national and tactical intelligence, including electronics programs, advanced technologies, ground and communications, imagery programs, and systems engineering and launch. As a Senior Payload Engineer within Electronic Programs Division’s Adaptive Mission Systems Office, you will provide embedded support within the government program office to guide the development, verification, and deployment of novel reconnaissance systems. You will provide RF engineering expertise to analyze payload performance, assess risk, lead and support impact studies and trades, and provide independent assessment of requirements verification. Work Model: This is a full-time position based in Chantilly, VA, requiring 100% onsite work.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited program in Electrical Engineering or a related technical field
10+ years of relevant experience in RF design, signal processing or RF testing
Comfortable in common and relevant programming languages (e.g., MATLAB, Python) for data analysis, scripting, or building custom analysis tools
Strong technical writing skills for preparing documentation, design reports, and presenting findings to cross-functional teams
Experience in troubleshooting or conducting failure analysis of payload electronics
This position requires travel, approximately 4 trips per year
This position requires a current and active TS/SCI security clearance and CI polygraph, issued by the US Government.
U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance

Nice To Haves

Advanced technical degree, MS or PhD, in Electrical Engineering or another related discipline with a focus on Electromagnetics, Communication Theory, Digital Signal Processing, or another related field
Experience with electromagnetic and RF simulation software tools such as Ansys HFSS, CST Microwave Studio, GRASP, Keysight ADS, Microwave Office, or similar tools
Experience in the acquisition of payload hardware
Working knowledge of DoD/NRO acquisition processes

Responsibilities

Serve as a technical subject matter expert for a national security satellite system payload
Provide ongoing technical consultation to the government, coordinating testing and analysis between SETA, contractor, and internal Aerospace teams
Support and lead risk reduction efforts and payload assessments to include: failure analysis, performance assessment, and mission impact assessments
Represent Aerospace in meetings and technical forums such as technical interchanges, delivery status meetings, Anomaly & Failure Review Boards, Engineering Review Boards
Formulate Aerospace risk positions and recommendations on issues and brief the customer on high interest topics
Assess and deliver reports on compliance of verification and validation activities

Benefits

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.
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.
Equal Opportunity Commitment
The Aerospace Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. 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 [email protected] . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.
Right Place
The Aerospace Corporation has over 26 locations nationwide, which allows us to build a workforce that will nurture the best ideas, and generate the most novel innovations and solutions to our nation’s toughest space enterprise challenges.
Right Path
Aerospace covers all stages of the space lifecycle, from concept to operations. We believe our people are our most valuable resource and that’s why we propel our employees forward in their careers through ongoing education, training, and professional development.
Right Purpose
We can all serve a mission much greater than ourselves, and at Aerospace that is exactly what we do. By hiring the industry’s most preeminent scientists and engineers, Aerospace advances emerging technologies that protect some of the most critical missions on Earth and above it.
Return to the Aerospace Careers site.
Aerospace employees working in organizations with technical responsibilities are required to obtain a Security Clearance. U.S. citizenship is required for those positions.