Flight Dynamics Engineer

The Enterprise Effects Division (EED) drives integration of Aerospaces 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.

As a core component of EED the Earth Orbit Flight Dynamics Department (EOFDD) provides flight mechanics expertise for launch vehicles and space vehicles with particular focus on rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO). Relevant skills include orbital mechanics astrodynamics trajectory design and optimization and atmospheric flight modeling and simulation. We are looking for an Engineering Specialist to join the EOFDD team in the RPO Maneuver and Orbits Section (RMOS). The selected candidate will provide expertise for a wide range of customer flight mechanics needs supporting both analysis and research and development requests. The work will require candidates to provide leadership of deep technical solutions while also collaborating with engineering partners to facilitate integrated solutions for our customers hardest problems. Customers will include defense intelligence and civil and commercial organizations.

Engineering Specialists typically conduct specialized technical studies and are expected to be thought leaders for new efforts and customer relationships. They have opportunities to construct and lead technical teams to meet customer needs and advance department technical and strategic objectives. They are expected to provide innovation and initiative while providing effective communication to customers.

Work Model

• This position will be a hybrid work model based in El Segundo CA Colorado Springs CO Chantilly VA or Albuquerque NM with the expectation that the selected candidate works at least 3 days a week onsite as the business needs allow.

What Youll Be Doing

Primary Support

• Maneuver and orbit design selection and optimization for missions that support Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) objectives with complex operational constraints

• Trajectory design and optimization for launch vehicles and spacecraft for missions operating in LEO MEO HEO GEO and other earth-centric regimes

• Astrodynamics and orbital mechanics analysis including orbit propagation and maneuver design and optimization for orbit transfer station keeping graveyard disposal and reentry events

• Analysis of vehicles with chemical and/or electric propulsion

• Evaluating contested missions applications for space systems to understand threat performance assess vulnerabilities and improve system resiliency

• Developing Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) exploring Tactics Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) and incorporating operational constraints into the design and maturation of space systems

• Providing operational support for nominal launch and spacecraft deployment and transfer sequences anomaly resolution and on-call emerging events

• Utilizing optimal control flight mechanics and computer science/algorithm development skills to create new capabilities to service customer requests as stand-alone services and/or ready-to-integrate submodules

• Performing research and development and building new flight dynamics tools to cultivate and maintain a healthy and modern internal tool base

• Leveraging external tools like ASSET GPOPS-II SNOPT POST OTIS Copernicus GMAT EMTG etc. where appropriate to augment internally developed capabilities

• Lead and manage the full lifecycle of complex technical projects from conception to delivery

• Develop project plans timelines budgets and resource allocations

• Effectively communicate project status risks and issues to stakeholders

Additional inter-department partnership collaborations opportunities:

• Cislunar and exploration-class orbital mechanics analysis and trajectory optimization

• Hypersonics missiles interceptors and reentry vehicle trajectory design and optimization

• Time-dependent Traveling Salesman Problems and Facility Location Problem analysis

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for the Engineering Specialist Flight Mechanics position:

• Bachelors degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering physics or applied mathematics or related disciplines

• Typically eight years of experience in flight mechanics astrodynamics maneuver optimization trajectory optimization launch vehicle trajectory design hypersonic vehicle modeling or general trajectory modeling and simulation

• Proficiency in one or more of the following programming languages and environments: C C Fortran Python Linux and/or MATLAB

• Willing to travel domestically approx. 10%

• The ability to obtain and maintain a TS//SSBI (SCI) clearance which is issued by the U.S. government is strongly preferred; U.S citizenship is to obtain a security clearance (applicant will be submitted for this clearance upon hiring if they do not currently possess it)

How You Can Stand Out

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

• Advanced degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering physics or applied mathematics or related disciplines is strongly desired

• Graduate level course work research and/or experience in one or more of the following areas: orbital mechanics astrodynamics ascent trajectory modeling hypersonic flight simulation optimal control flight mechanics and/or trajectory modeling and simulation

• Experience using or building analysis software to combine numerical methods orbital or flight mechanics and optimization approaches for launch vehicles missiles interceptors spacecraft or reentry vehicles (hypersonics)

• Experience with nonlinear programming (non-linear programming) direct methods gradient-based optimization parameter optimization genetic algorithms evolutionary algorithms heuristic optimization methods indirect methods and/or calculus of variations

• Advanced algorithm development skills to include parallel processing and scripting experience

• Experience with contested space trajectory applications military exercises and wargaming events

• Current TS/SCI and/or TS/SAP Access