Senior Flight Mechanics Engineer

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 Enterprise Effects Division (EED) drives integration of Aerospace’s strategic capabilities across the national space enterprise. The division leverages its array of engineering disciplines against a broad and dynamic portfolio of programs, customers, and national challenges. EED spans the capability lifecycle from concept and architecture design to performance assessment to application of space and space-enabled capabilities.

As a core component of the Mission Operations Subdivision within EED, the Emerging Missions Flight Dynamics Department provides flight mechanics expertise for multi-domain effects supporting our broad customer base. Our department specializes in atmospheric flight, cislunar mission design, and multi-objective spacecraft maneuver strategies. We are looking for a Senior Engineering Specialist to deepen our technical excellence and support our burgeoning customer bases, corporate priorities, and department growth areas.

The selected candidate will provide expertise for a wide range of customer flight mechanics’ needs, supporting analysis, research, and development requests. Relevant skills include orbital mechanics, trajectory design and optimization, and atmospheric flight modeling and simulation. The work will require candidates to provide deep technical solutions while also collaborating across organizational boundaries to facilitate integrated solutions for our customers’ hardest problems.

This position will be a hybrid work model based in Colorado Springs, CO with the expectation that the selected candidate works at least 4 days a week onsite, as business needs allow.

• Advise key stakeholders and government customers by performing a range of flight mechanics and mission design modeling, simulation, and analysis.
• Work will be in the focus areas of space control, atmospheric flight, and multi-domain effects.
• Orchestrate technical deep dives, trade studies, and assessments.
• Supporting customers such as the U.S. Space Force, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and others.
• Develop and present timely and technically accurate briefings and reports that clearly communicate analysis results and provide recommended solutions, supporting critical decisions in collaboration with technical leads, management, and customers.
• Lead and guide the development and maturation of analysis software tools, implementation of best practices, and analysis software tool modernization.
• Provide technical mentoring to junior staff and customer personnel.

• Senior Engineering Specialist
• Graduate degree in engineering, mathematics, physics, computer science, or related field
• 12 years of relevant professional, technical work experience
• Experience in one or more of the following subjects: space mission analysis and design, advanced astrodynamics, algorithm design, software development, or mathematical modeling, multi-objective optimization, or trajectory optimization of spacecraft, missiles, or reentry vehicles
• Exceptional time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and to be comfortable acting as a technical…