Cost and Schedule Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation; Virginia (MN); On-site; USD 100,300 - 150,400; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care plan

Paid holidays

Telework options

401(k) plan

Flexible spending accounts

Relocation assistance

Education assistance

Career development

Inclusive work environment

Job summary

The Aerospace Corporation seeks a Senior Member of the Technical Staff - Systems Engineering to lead programmatic and technical assessments for NASA, NNSA, NSF, and other civil and commercial customers.

You will perform cost, schedule, and risk analyses across the program lifecycle, develop independent estimates, and create data-driven briefings for senior staff, using tools like MS Project, Power BI, and AI/ML applications. Travel to client locations is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in STEM field or relevant discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of multidisciplinary experience including spacecraft/launch vehicle concept design and operation.
• Experience interfacing with senior staff and delivering assessment products.
• Experience in space systems engineering, risk assessment, cost modeling and independent cost estimating.
• Knowledge of MS Project, Power BI, AI/ML tools.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance; U.S. citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Lead programmatic and technical assessments for NASA, NNSA, NSF and other customers.
• Perform cost, schedule, and risk analyses through the lifecycle using MS Project and earned value analysis.
• Develop independent cost/schedule estimates, architectures studies, and briefings for senior staff.
• Conduct strategic studies on best practices, standards and policies across agencies.
• Develop CERs, data collection/analysis, Power BI dashboards, and AI/ML applications.
• Work in a fast-paced team environment and travel as needed.

Skills

MS Project

Power BI

AI/ML tools

Cost/Performance analysis

Data-driven analysis

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in STEM

Tools

XML

VBA

Job description

Location

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time on-site in El Segundo, Pasadena, CA, or Crystal City, VA.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead comprehensive programmatic and technical assessments of current and future programs to support agency-level strategic decision-making for NASA, NNSA, NSF, and other civil and commercial customers.
• Perform cost, schedule, and risk analysis throughout the program development lifecycle using MS Project, including detailed earned value analysis to assess programmatic health and inform risk posture.
• Develop analytical products such as independent cost/schedule estimates, architecture studies, technical risk assessments, and comprehensive briefings for senior staff and customer presentations.
• Conduct strategic studies analyzing best practices, standards, and policies across NASA directorates and government agencies, utilizing databases, data sources, and data-driven analytical models.
• Develop innovative programmatic capabilities including Cost Estimating Relationships (CERs), data collection and analysis, Power BI dashboards, data visualizations, and AI/Machine Learning applications.
• Work effectively in a fast‑paced team environment managing multiple projects simultaneously, adapting quickly to changing requirements while delivering consistently high-quality products.
• Travel as needed to support various customer locations and project requirements.

What You Need to be Successful

Senior Member of the Technical Staff - Systems Engineering

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in STEM field or relevant discipline
• Minimum 5 years of relevant multidisciplinary experience, including spacecraft and launch vehicle concept design and operation, with knowledge of NASA, and/or other federal agencies, missions, technologies, development lifecycle, requirements, and guidelines.
• Experience directly interfacing with senior staff and delivering comprehensive assessment products, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience in space systems engineering, risk assessment, cost modeling and analysis, independent cost estimating, and leading technical programmatic and architecture-level studies.
• Knowledge of programmatic and portfolio analysis tools, databases, and methodologies, including commercially available and in-house capabilities (MS Project, Power BI, AI/ML tools).
• This position requires ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

Additional Minimum Requirements for Project Engineer

• Minimum 8 years of relevant multidisciplinary experience, including spacecraft and launch vehicle concept design and operation, with knowledge of NASA missions, and/or other federal agencies, technologies, lifecycle development, requirements, and guidelines.
• Demonstrated leadership in executing and managing complex technical programmatic and architecture-level studies with minimal oversight.
• Advanced customer engagement skills, including direct customer interface, stakeholder management, and delivery of high-impact assessment products with proven track record of published papers/articles, written reports, and conference presentations.
• Experience with programmatic and portfolio analysis tools, databases, and methodologies, including commercially available and in-house capabilities (MS Project, Power BI, AI/ML tools), and experience in innovative database and tool development (XML, VBA, etc.).
• Proven ability to mentor junior staff and lead cross‑functional teams across technical and customer-facing organizations.

How You Can Stand Out

• MS in Engineering or related technical field; MBA, or similar post‑graduate degree
• Previous experience with Aerospace Corporation's programmatic capabilities and organizational structure
• Demonstrated expertise in advanced analytical techniques such as Cost Estimating Relationship (CER) development, Monte Carlo simulation, or machine learning applications for programmatic analysis.
• Track record of leading high‑visibility studies or delivering strategic recommendations that influenced major program decisions at NASA or other federal agencies.
• Active security clearance.

Compensation

$100,300.00 - $150,400.00

Pay Basis: Annual

Benefits

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry‑leading benefits.

• 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

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 [e-mail] . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.