Senior Principal SpaceOps Tool Developer

ASRC Federal•Suitland-Silver Hill, MD

17h•$140,000 - $190,000•Onsite

About The Position

ASRC Federal is seeking a Senior Principal SpaceOps Tool Developer, a specialized hybrid engineer who bridges satellite subsystems expertise (power, comm, GNC, flight dynamics, thermal) and overall system-level experience in satellite operations with modern software engineering. This role involves building, automating, and optimizing real-time command systems and offline engineering tools, leveraging AI/LLMs to enhance anomaly detection, streamline data analysis, and improve satellite operations. Unlike general software developers, SpaceOps Tool Developers possess specialized aerospace and software knowledge. The position is part of the Engineering and Mission Operations Support Services -VII (EMOSS-VII) contract, based in Suitland, MD, supporting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO) in engineering and mission operations for environmental monitoring satellites.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering or related field, and 10-12 years of aerospace engineering experience.
Proficiency in C, C++, Rust, Python, Google Apps Script, and Linux environments.
Writing and presentation skills for a wide diverse audience.

Nice To Haves

A Master’s degree in a relevant discipline is equivalent to two years’ experience.
Direct experience developing and sustaining flight dynamics and mission analysis software, such as the GOES-R Lightweight Automation-Driven Orbital Solution (GLADOS) code and its SOLAR-1 variant.
Direct experience providing trending and analysis core updates, mission unique adaptations and database updates.
Configuration management and document management supporting flight operations.
Experience with AI/ML, data platforms, and cloud infrastructure integration.

Responsibilities

Develop, maintain, and sustain operational tools for satellite ground systems, focusing on the software layer for flexibility.
Maintain current satellite operations tools (flight dynamics, data trending and analysis), develop critical enhancements, and respond to changing mission requirements.
Create user-friendly interfaces to automate operations and integrate AI-powered predictive analytics.
Design software to automate routine commanding, telemetry monitoring, fault detection, and isolation/recovery (FDIR) sequences, enabling a shift from "human-in-the-loop" to "human-on-the-loop" operations.
Develop tools to streamline data processing, trend analysis, and performance assessment, converting raw telemetry into actionable engineering insights.
Write effective control algorithms based on an understanding of satellite flight and ground systems, including GNC, communication, thermal regulation, and power management.
Implement robust automated test procedures and use AI/LLMs for interpreting complex data logs and writing operational procedures.
Understand the aerospace context of satellite actions and telemetry parameters.
Utilize Large Language Models (LLM) to translate natural language queries into database queries for instant answers.
Perform contingency real-time troubleshooting and analysis during anomalies, including real-time problem identification and resolution.
Support in-orbit anomalies and participate in the investigation of ground system anomalies.
Propose new or execute improvements to tools that will increase long-term reliability, monitoring, and anomaly detection capability.
Support integration of AI/ML, data platforms, and cloud infrastructure into cohesive, mission-ready tools that can be reused and scaled across satellite operating systems.