Space-Based Environmental Monitoring- Ground System Engineer

About this role

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   a broad array of engineering disciplines against a 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.    

The Vehicle and Ground Concepts Department (VGCD) in EED provides space vehicle and ground system preliminary/conceptual design; trade and architecture analysis, modeling, process   development   and leadership   expertise ; and tool development in support of conceptual design activities across the space enterprise. As a member of VGCD, you will be designing innovative spacecraft and ground segment solutions to meet the most pressing mission needs of our US Space Force, Intelligence Community, NASA, NOAA, and commercial/international customers.    

Work Model: This position will follow an in-person work model with a minimum of 4 days per week of onsite work   required   at   the   NOAA/NESDIS HQ Offices in Silver Spring, MD or   one of Aerospace’s campuses .  

What   You’ll   Be Doing   

• Provid e   concept exploration and engineering support for NOAA satellite ground system architectures supporting disaggregated observation missions  

• Lead and   participa te   in conceptual and preliminary architecture studies and trades of ground systems capable of integrating data and services from NOAA,   i nternational   p artner s , and commercial satellite assets  

• Evaluat e   ground system design and architecture concepts for multi-source data integration and   participa te   in design reviews  

• Work with applicable program offices and technical experts across Aerospace Corporation  

• Develop tools and models that support ground system concept design, architecture trades, and interoperability analysis for heterogeneous satellite constellations  

• Mentor junior members of the organization  

What You Need to be Successful   

Minimum   Requirements for   Engineering Specialist :  

• Bachelor   of Science   degree   engineering, science, or a related technical field  

• Typically,   at least 6   years of engineering experience   leading, developing, and working on multidisciplinary teams   in   the space , intelligence, and/or defense domains  

• A strong knowledge of satellite ground systems, Earth observation spacecraft systems, and systems engineering principles  

• Proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment, adapt quickly to change, and   demonstrate   initiative un der deadlines  

• Demonstrated experience in developing ground systems concepts for satellite missions  

• Demonstrated experience in mission control, mission processing systems, or data processing architectures for space-based Earth observation systems  

• Demonstrated experience in concurrent engineering tools, processes, and methodologies  

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and conduct long-term technical studies for geographically dispersed programs  

• A vailable and willing to travel domestically and internationally approx. 5-10%  

• This position requires   the ability to obtain and maintain a   Top Secret/SCI security clearance issued by the   U.S. government .   U.S. citizenship is   required   to obtain a security clearance  

How You Can Stand Out   

It would be impressive if you   have   one or more of these:  

• Advanced degree   in engineering, math, science, or related technical discipline  

• Demonstrated experience with cloud-based ground system architectures and offering (i.e., Amazon, Microsoft, or Oracle ) for   satellite operations and data processing  

• Demonstrated experience with hybrid   on-premise   and cloud infrastructure for Earth observation data systems  

• Demonstrated experience with ground station architectures, networks, antenna systems, and RF ground entry points for satellite downlink  

• Demonstrated experience with data interoperability standards and protocols for multi-mission, multi-source satellite data   integration   and Earth observation (e.g., HDF5,   NetCDF , CCSDS)  

• Demonstrated experience with communications and networking architectures supporting distributed ground systems  

• Demonstrated experience with software architectures supporting satellite data processing, including microservices, APIs, and service-oriented   architectures  

• Knowledge of agile and DevOps approaches for ground system software development  

• Familiarity with database technologies and distributed processing frameworks for large-scale Earth observation data  

• Demonstrated experience with data center design, operations, network maintenance, load balancing, and data coordination  

• Proficiency   in simulation tools/programming languages, including one or more of: MATLAB, Python, Simulink, STK, C++, etc.  

• Experience with international partnership agreements and commercial data acquisition strategies  

• Familiarity with NOAA mission requirements and operational constraints  

• Experienced in the ethical and effective application of generative AI and LLMs to streamline workflows and enhance output quality.  

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring

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