Launch Operations and Integration Engineer

SwiftCruit; Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (FL); On-site; USD 151,300 - 226,900; Full time

Job summary

Aerospace Corporation is seeking a Launch Operations and Integration Engineer to support mission execution at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This role requires a bachelor's degree in engineering and at least 10 years of relevant experience in spacecraft launch site processing.

The ideal candidate will provide technical evaluations, conduct risk assessments, and lead mission assurance activities. A TS/SSBI/SCI clearance is required. Comprehensive understanding of systems engineering principles is essential for success.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience with increasing responsibilities.
• Experience with spacecraft launch site processing.
• Ability to work with autonomy and be proactive.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical support for mission execution and success.
• Deliver evaluations on payload processing and launch infrastructure.
• Conduct assessments against mission requirements and baselines.
• Evaluate designs and recommend actions for discrepancies.
• Support day-of-launch objective readiness certifications.

Skills

Proactive problem solving

Systems engineering principles

Communication with senior leadership

Solid understanding of spacecraft processing systems

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or systems engineering

Tools

Ground support equipment engineering design

Data acquisition systems

Job description

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.

The National Systems Group (NSG) 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.

The NSG Launch Directorate provides direct technical support to the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Office of Space Launch (OSL) in the areas of Launch Systems and Launch Site Engineering, Mission Integration, Mission Assurance, and specialized testing. In this role as the Launch Operations and Integration Engineer (Senior Project Engineer - Systems and Mission Assurance Engineering), you will be part of an integrated government/contractor operations team and will perform technical verifications and mission assurance activities. You will provide engineering expertise for systems and facilities that enable spacecraft launch base processing, including propellant and commodity systems, aerospace ground support equipment, and launch base systems and infrastructure.

This is a full‑time position working onsite at a customer facility at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Provide subject matter expertise to a government/contractor team focused on mission execution and mission success, including risk assessments, technical verifications, and readiness assessments.
• Deliver sound technical evaluation to the Government Director of Engineering (DE) and Director of Operations (DO) on payload processing, launch infrastructure, and systems, primarily pertaining to the Eastern Processing Facility (EPF) and CCSFS launch complexes, often on aggressive and dynamic timelines.
• Conduct deep‑dive technical support through robust Mission Assurance and Engineering application and lead Aerospace engineering matrix resources to apply specialized knowledge and capabilities to the customer’s most challenging problems.
• Track mission requirements and provide assessments against the services’ capability baseline and evaluate Interface Control Documents (ICD) against mission requirements.
• Evaluate designs, concepts of operation, requirements, processes, procedures, corrective action reports, and non‑recurring engineering efforts.
• Provide recommended courses of action to remedy observed shortfalls or discrepancies in new or upgraded systems/processes as compared to established operating baselines.
• Provide systems engineering guidance, review, assessments, and recommendations as a member of integrated mission teams responsible for launch site space vehicle processing, spanning space vehicle transport through on‑orbit delivery.
• Support program milestones and day‑of‑launch readiness activities and provide objective readiness assessments in support of formal readiness certification.
• Conduct day‑of‑launch on‑console assessments of real‑time technical data.
• Evaluate non‑Intelligence Community satellites processing through the EPF for potential risks to OSL infrastructure and impacts to other satellites that may be concurrently processing.
• Assist in the development, testing, and operations of launch base products, processes and/or systems.
• Support OSL Chief Engineer’s Office from a Cape launch perspective; new entrant status, risk assessments, documentation review, and operations support.

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for Senior Project Engineer- Systems and Mission Assurance Engineering:

• A bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or systems engineering or a related technical field from a recognized institution.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant systems engineering experience with progressively increasing responsibilities.
• Experience with one or more of the following: spacecraft launch site processing, launch vehicle processing, launch site infrastructure systems, data acquisition systems, ground support equipment engineering design and analysis, spacecraft integration and testing.
• Proactive approach to problem solving, ability to work with autonomy.
• Demonstrated use of systems engineering principles, concepts and practices.
• Ability to successfully team and communicate with a broad range of customers, colleagues, contractors, and senior government leadership.
• Solid understanding and experience with spacecraft processing systems, including air & road transport, mechanical ground support equipment, radio frequency detection/protection, and/or environmental monitoring systems.
• Willingness to travel occasionally (approximately 10%).
• This position requires a current and active TS/SSBI/SCI security clearance and polygraph, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

How You Can Stand Out

• Advanced degree from an accredited program in aerospace, mechanical or related STEM discipline.
• Experience in launch site satellite vehicle processing, propellant systems, integration, testing, and countdown operations.
• Ability to apply systems engineering and technical analysis principles, theories, and methods to assess satellite processing requirements, launch site infrastructure capabilities, procedures, and mission assurance verifications.
• Program office experience or prior experience in requirements development, acquisition, and project/engineering management.
• Experience with national security space systems characterization, testing, demonstration and operations.

$151,300.00 - $226,900.00 Pay Basis: Annual

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, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.