Landsat Flight Systems Manager - MOC Systems 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.

Building on The Aerospace Corporation's reputation as a trusted, impartial advisor with integrity and dedication to mission success, the Civil Systems Group (CSG) combines deep technical expertise with market-leading innovation to help our customers solve complex systems engineering and integration challenges. CSG is organized by core customer-facing lines of business to manage and grow programs within NASA, NOAA, and the NNSA, while extending our capabilities to other civilian federal government agencies fully integrated within Aerospace rules, regulations, processes, values, and behaviors.

This full-time, permanent Landsat Flight Systems Manager (FSM) position falls within our Environment Remote Sensing Directorate in support of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center's Landsat program as the primary customer for this role. Landsat 8 and 9 satellites are currently in operations, while the follow-on mission, Landsat Next, is in formulation and scheduled for launch in the early 2030s. We are looking for a Landsat Flight Systems Manager (Senior Project Engineer - Operations Systems Engineering) in support of USGS roles and responsibilities. The Landsat FSM will provide technical leadership, including satellite control authority, for Landsat 8 and/or Landsat 9 day-to-day flight operations, ensuring satellite health and safety, land imaging acquisitions, operational protocols, and strategic planning for mission enhancements are achieved. Furthermore, the FSM will provide key insights for Landsat Next formulation, procurements, development, and implementation activities.

Our Environment Remote Sensing Directorate provides the Aerospace technical leadership team supporting USGS Landsat mission operations while playing key roles in the development and implementation of Landsat Next. Our efforts build on a Landsat legacy spanning more than 50 years of continuously capturing images of the Earth's land surfaces.

Work Model

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, Maryland.

What You'll Be Doing

Provide technical leadership and management for USGS Landsat 8 and/or 9 flight operations performing the following:

• Provide operational oversight for daily satellite operations, ensuring mission protocols and best practices, from telemetry monitoring to orbit maintenance, are executed effectively and safely.
• Foster a strong collaborative and trusting environment dedicated to operations excellence, across the government and its contracted flight operations team.
• Coordinate and lead multidisciplinary teams, including engineers, mission planners, and fight control operators.
• Lead anomaly review boards and implement contingency procedures prioritizing health, safety, and minimizing mission disruptions.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate spacecrafts, imaging instruments, and ground operations technical risks to the missions, including likelihood and consequence outcomes.
• Develop and enforce robust operational standards and processes, ensuring compliance with USGS policies and practices, along with continuous improvement initiatives.
• Act as primary liaison to USGS EROS, external agencies, and partners to effectively communicate mission status, lessons learned, and recommendations for strategic priorities.
• Support Landsat Next Mission Operations Center acquisition strategy development, requirements formulation, implementation, and mission readiness activities.

What You Need to be Successful: Technical Project Management - Operations Systems Engineering

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited program in applicable STEM areas.
• Ten or more years of increasingly responsible, professional spacecraft or flight operations engineering experience in satellite operations.
• Direct operations engineering experience and leadership in two or more of the following: spacecraft operations, mission or ground systems operations, flight systems integration and test, mission launch, early operations and commissioning (LEOC), science data acquisition, and anomaly resolution.
• Technical engagement and leadership for special studies, mission simulations analyses, and formulation of integrated, technical recommendations intended to solve complex challenges.
• Responsibility for application and oversight of operations best practices, including configuration management, flight dynamics, conjunction assessment, mission planning, spacecraft and payload fault tolerance, and health and safety protocols.
• Willing to travel domestically to customer and vendor sites. Approximately 6-8 trips annually.
• Position may require the 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.

How You Can Stand Out

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

• Direct experience within USGS, NASA, or NOAA flight systems engineering and/or operations.
• Direct experience leading multi-disciplinary satellite flight operations and/or engineering teams.
• Direct experience with Northrop Grumman LEOStar-3 spacecraft.
• Experience with Mission Operations Center (MOC) formulation, implementation, integration and test, or autonomous operations best practices.
• Current and Active Secret or Top Secret security clearance.

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 - $226,900

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 or by email at . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.

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