Senior Technology and Policy Advisor

The Aerospace Corporation; Tysons (VA); On-site; USD 151,000 - 227,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Benefits package

Relocation assistance

Telework options

Job summary

The Aerospace Corporation in Tysons Corner, VA is seeking a Senior Technology and Policy Advisor (Senior Project Engineer) to provide technical expertise, project management, and strategic advisory support to ODNI/NIC-Space while working onsite.

Applicants should have a STEM degree, 10+ years of experience, and an active TS/SCI clearance. The role demands leadership across multidisciplinary teams, strong communication, and the ability to deliver concise assessments for decision makers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in STEM fields
• 10+ years in engineering, analysis, or related roles
• Ability to balance multiple responsibilities including customer support and project management
• Proven ability to work with contractors, government customers, and engineering staff
• Strong communication, organizational, and time-management skills
• Ability to analyze technical material and provide clear assessments
• Security clearance with polygraph; US citizenship required

Responsibilities

• Advise NIC-Space leadership on space program analysis and integration
• Build relationships with IC and national security space organizations
• Manage multiple technical projects and threat portfolios with schedules and deliverables
• Collaborate with Aerospace Engineering & Technology Group on multidisciplinary teams
• Develop awareness of current and developing threats to US space architecture
• Provide timely assessments for decision making and strategic planning

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Technical analysis

Team leadership

Communication skills

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor’s or higher degree in STEM

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. Join us and take your place in space. The National Systems Group serves as the technical advisor to the Intelligence Community (IC) 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 National Intelligence Division within NSG supports the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), including the National Intelligence Council for Space (NIC‑Space). NIC‑Space, led by the Senior Director/National Intelligence Officer (SD/NIO) oversees and integrates all aspects of the Intelligence Community's (IC) mission management and analytic efforts for Space. NIC‑Space develops a Unifying Intelligence Strategy (UIS) to communicate and synchronize the Space Intelligence Community and manages the Space Threat Assessment Cell (STAC), a community resource applying foundational intelligence, technical expertise, and collaborative partnerships to frame the future space environment. Aerospace is seeking a highly motivated Senior Technology and Policy Advisor (Senior Project Engineer) to join a team providing a blend of technical subject matter expertise, project management, and direct onsite strategic advisory support to ODNI/NIC‑Space. This position requires an individual who can operate effectively in a variety of client‑facing contexts, including working shoulder‑to‑shoulder with senior customers for strategic intelligence and mission management functions, managing Aerospace support for technical projects, and contributing individual expertise to critical intelligence challenges. This is a full‑time position based in the Tysons Corner, VA area, which requires 100% onsite work with the possibility of some assignments at the Aerospace Chantilly Campus.

What You'll Be Doing

• Leverage your technical acumen and interpersonal skills as an advisor to senior leaders in NIC‑Space on issues related to space program analysis, capabilities, requirements, threats, and integration into the IC space architecture
• Build and maintain relationships with other IC and national security space organizations, facilitate the exchange of information and analysis, and perform research tasks to address future space intelligence needs with effective assessments and recommendations
• Manage and coordinate multiple technical projects and threat assessment portfolios simultaneously to advance customer mission areas, tracking resources, schedules, and deliverables to ensure customer needs are met on time and within scope
• Collaborate with the Aerospace Engineering & Technology Group and other internal subject matter experts to form and manage multidisciplinary teams to deliver strategic analysis and study results with comprehensive technical expertise
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive awareness and understanding of current and developing threats to U.S. national security space architecture, emerging capabilities, and commercial systems
• Contribute subject matter expertise and analyze technical material in areas such as counterspace threats, space system design, multi‑domain threats to space systems, foreign perceptions analysis, or space/ground systems and architecture assessments to provide clear, concise, and timely assessments in support of decision making and strategic planning

Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned as needed

Minimum Requirements for Senior Project Engineer – Enterprise Systems Engineering:

• Bachelor's or higher degree in applicable STEM areas (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) or other relevant disciplines
• 10 or more years of increasing responsibility and applicable experience in engineering, analysis, or other technical roles
• Demonstrated ability to balance multiple responsibilities: direct customer support, project management, and individual technical contribution
• Proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of contractors, government customers, Aerospace program offices, and engineering staff
• Demonstrated effective skills in communication, organization, time management, and resource tracking
• Proven ability to quickly analyze technical material and provide clear, concise, and timely assessments in support of decision making and strategic planning
• Demonstrate a motivated, positive, and success‑driven approach to tackle fast‑paced and dynamic challenges
• Demonstrated agility and ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast‑paced customer environment with a high degree of uncertainty
• This position requires a current and active TS/SCI security clearance with polygraph, which is issued by the US government.
• U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance

What You Can Stand Out

• An advanced degree in applicable STEM areas or other relevant disciplines
• Four or more years of experience within NRO, IC, Space Force, or other DoD areas in space operations, space threats, counterspace intelligence analysis and reporting, or space system acquisitions
• Demonstrated experience working within IC organizations, including understanding of IC missions and operations, organizational structures, and interagency coordination processes
• Experience in engineering or analysis of space/ground systems, counterspace threats, space system design, multi‑domain threats to space systems, foreign perceptions analysis, or architecture assessments
• Experience with intelligence analysis, including a demonstrated ability to analyze a wide variety of data and the skills to write clear and concise intelligence products
• Demonstrated experience managing technical projects, including tracking cost, schedule, and performance metrics
• Experience supporting a space‑related program office and facilitating reach back to obtain and coordinate technical support from the Aerospace Engineering & Technology Group and other Aerospace Program Offices
• Experience in multiple engineering and science disciplines, such as research and development, space and ground systems acquisition, systems engineering, systems integration, advanced sensors, end‑to‑end systems, cyber, or communications systems
• Experience leading technical, multidisciplinary, or interagency teams

We offer a competitive compensation package

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.

(Min - Max) $151,300.00 - $226,900.00 Pay Basis: Annual

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 [e-mail] . 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.

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.

Aerospace employees working in organizations with technical responsibilities are required to obtain a Security Clearance. U.S. citizenship is required for those positions.