Space Research Jobs in Silver Spring, MD (NOW HIRING)

Lead the Team Ensuring Safe Operations in an Increasingly Contested Space Environment

The space domain has never been more crowded or complex. Tens of thousands of tracked objects orbit Earth. Mega-constellations are launching at unprecedented rates. Debris events threaten critical assets. Every decision about operating safely in space depends on rigorous risk assessment and mitigation analysis.

The Aerospace Corporation is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) providing technical expertise to the nation's space programs. We deliver innovative solutions across satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil, and commercial customers.

The Opportunity

The Mission Operations Subdivision seeks aDirectorfor ourSpace Object Risk Department (SORD). Lead a world-class team of orbital analysts, debris modeling experts, and space domain awareness specialists who assess and mitigate hazards across the entire space environment.

Partner directly withDoW, Intelligence Community, NASA, FAA, FCC, and commercial space operators to develop data-driven insights, risk assessments, and mitigation strategies that enable safe, sustainable operations in an increasingly congested and contested domain.

As Director, you'll shape the strategic vision for national space safety capabilities, drive technical innovation in risk assessment methodologies, and mentor the next generation of experts while bridging defense, intelligence, civil, commercial, and international communities.

Work Model

Full-time position,minimum four days per week onsitebased inChantilly, VA; Colorado Springs, CO; orEl Segundo, CA.

What You'll Be Doing

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute strategic vision for a multi-location department managing 30+ technical staff and managers

• Positiondepartmentas the technical authority in space object risk assessment and partner with customers to deliver innovative solutions

• Formulate business strategies alongside Engineering and Technology Group partners in critical domains such as collisionandelectromagneticrisk assessment, debris forensics, space traffic management enterprise modeling, and cataloging process improvement

• AdviseAerospace leadership on technical investments and organizational strategies for space safety and sustainability

Technical Innovation

• Drive excellence acrosslaunchand on-orbitrisk assessment, debris event analysis and forensics, long-termdebrisenvironment evolution, and disposal/reentry analysis

• Infuse AI/ML into catalog creation and prediction, risk assessment, and debris modeling techniques to transform space domain awareness andcollisionpredictionmitigation

• Advance space environment data aggregation throughcorporate data repositories

• Collaborate acrossorganizationsto integrate space object risk assessment with flight dynamics, mission operations, and multi-disciplinary systems analysis

Business Development & Customer Engagement

• Cultivate relationships across defense agencies, intelligence organizations, civil space agencies, regulatory bodies, and commercial operators

• Drive business development and capture planning for organizational growth incore department areas

• Represent the department at customer engagements, regulatory forums, corporate events, and technical conferences

Team Development

• Lead workforce development including recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and retention strategies

• Manage department resources including staffing, facilities, and classified IT infrastructure

• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence

What You Need to be Successful (Minimum Requirements)

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, physics, mathematics, statistics, or related STEM field

• 10+ years of progressively responsible technical experience inorbital mechanics, space traffic management,collision risk assessment,debris modeling, orspace domain awareness

• Proven leadership experience managing technical organizations, including staff development, performance evaluation, strategic planning, and R&D portfolio development

• Demonstrated success building partnerships across organizations

• Business development acumen with proven track record of expanding customer relationships

• Exceptional communication skills to influence senior government officials, regulatory bodies, industry partners, and internal stakeholders

• Experience managing distributed teams across multiple geographic locations

• Strategic thinking to synthesize complex technical, programmatic, and customer needs into actionable vision

• Collaborative leadership fostering excellence across organizational boundaries

• Willingness to travel domestically based on organizational and customer needs

• Current TS/SCI and/or TS/SAP access

How You Can Stand Out

Academic Excellence

• Advanced degree (Master'sor Ph.D.) in aerospace engineering, astronautics, applied mathematics, statistics, or related field

Technical Depth

• Deep expertise in collision probability assessment, debris breakup modeling, long-term debris environment evolution, spaceobjectcatalog analysis

• Knowledge of AI/ML applications for risk prediction, automated conjunction screening, and space traffic coordination

• Experience with space environment databases, orbit determination, covariance modeling, or sensor performance analysis

Mission Experience

• Operational experience supporting conjunction assessment, debris event response, launch collision avoidance, or space traffic coordination decision-making

• Experience with space policy development, regulatory compliance assessment, or international space sustainability initiatives