Trainee Airborne Sensor Operator Jobs in Virginia

Vantor is forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence, helping decision makers and operators navigate what’s happening now and shape what’s coming next. Vantor is a place for problem solvers, changemakers, and go-getters—where people are working together to help our customers see the world differently, and in doing so, be seen differently. Come be part of a mission, not just a job, where you can: Shape your own future, build the next big thing, and change the world.

To be eligible for this position, you must be a U.S. Citizen. This position requires an active U.S. Government security clearance, applicants who do not currently hold the required clearance will not be eligible for consideration. Employment for cleared roles is contingent upon verification of clearance status. Export Control/ITAR: Certain roles may be subject to U.S. export control laws, requiring U.S. person status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). Please review the job details below. This position requires US citizenship and an active TS/SCI clearance, or TS/SCI eligibility, are mandatory for consideration.

Model the missions. Explore the possibilities. Help shape what comes next. Vantor is looking for a Sr. Mission Analysis Engineer who wants to solve complex, real-world challenges across space, cyber, maritime, and other mission domains -- evaluating everything from individual sensor performance to integrated system and mission-level capabilities.

In this role, you’ll use modeling, simulation, data analysis, and engineering judgment to answer consequential questions: How should a future mission be designed? Which architecture performs best? Where are the limitations? What happens when the mission, environment, or technology changes? You’ll build and run simulations of satellites, aircraft, sensors, and operational scenarios; explore alternative concepts and system designs; and turn large volumes of simulation data into insights that engineers, customers, and senior decision-makers can act on. This is an opportunity to do more than execute existing models. You’ll have room to build new capabilities, improve the way we simulate complex missions, develop tools and automation, and influence the technical direction of future space and airborne systems.

If you enjoy digging into difficult technical problems, experimenting with different approaches, and seeing your analysis inform real engineering and mission decisions, we’d like to hear from you.

Model complex aerospace missions. Develop, modify, and run high-fidelity simulations of satellites, aircraft, sensors, and ISR systems to understand mission and system performance. Explore the trades that matter. Compare architectures, technologies, operating concepts, and system configurations to identify performance drivers, limitations, risks, and opportunities. Turn mission concepts into simulations. Build realistic operational scenarios that capture customer objectives, mission constraints, environments, and system behavior. Build better ways to solve problems. Create tools, scripts, automation, visualizations, and new simulation capabilities that make analyses faster, deeper, and more repeatable. Find the story in the data. Work with large simulation datasets to uncover trends, explain system behavior, and translate technical results into meaningful conclusions. Ensure the analysis holds up. Evaluate model assumptions, inputs, outputs, and analytical methods through thoughtful QA/QC and engineering judgment. Make your analysis matter. Communicate findings, trade-offs, and recommendations to engineers, program leaders, senior decision-makers, and customers.

• US Citizenship Required with an active or current TS/SCI clearance or eligibility.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university, in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or Computer Science.
• Minimum 8 years related experience.
• Willing to work on-site in a classified facility.

• You don’t need to check every box below to be a strong candidate. We’re interested in engineers with relevant experience, strong technical curiosity, and the ability to learn new domains and tools.
• Advanced degree in engineering, physics, applied mathematics, computer science, or a related technical field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 15 years industry experience.
• Knowledge or experience in one or more aerospace domains such as astrodynamics, remote sensing, spacecraft or aircraft systems, sensor performance, aerospace operations, mission engineering, or complex systems integration.
• Experience developing, implementing, or evaluating mathematical models, algorithms, simulations, or other quantitative engineering methods.
• Experience using Python or similar programming/scripting tools to automate analyses, manipulate data, develop engineering tools, or extend modeling and simulation capabilities.
• Ability to work through open-ended technical problems, evaluate assumptions and risks, and turn analytical results into defensible conclusions and recommendations.
• Experience working with customers or multidisciplinary teams to understand mission needs, communicate technical findings, and develop practical solutions.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to audiences ranging from fellow engineers to customers and senior decision-makers.
• A collaborative mindset, intellectual curiosity, and enthusiasm for solving challenging problems that have a direct impact on the mission.

• Space or airborne modeling and simulation ISR, remote sensing, or sensor phenomenology.
• Mission-, system-, or architecture-level trade studies.
• Analysis of large simulation or engineering datasets.
• Development of engineering analysis tools, automation, or visualization capabilities.
• Supporting technical studies or analyses for government customers.

To support pay transparency, Vantor includes salary ranges in all U.S. job postings. Starting pay for this role will fall within the listed range and will be based on factors such as experience, qualifications, skills, location, and market conditions. Candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the role should not expect to receive compensation at the top of the range. The listed range reflects the expected pay for this position, and final offers will be determined based on each candidate’s experience, expertise, and alignment with the role.

The base pay for this position within the Washington, DC metropolitan area is: $140,000.00 - $187,000.00 - $205,700.00 annually. For all other states, we use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop market-driven ranges for our roles, and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range.

Vantor offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond the standard, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement and pet insurance to support all aspects of your life. You can find more information on our benefits at: https://www.Vantor.com/careers

The application window is three days from the date the job is posted and will remain posted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire. If the job is reposted regardless of reason, it will remain posted three days from the date the job is reposted and will remain reposted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire. The date of posting can be found on Vantor's Career page at the top of each job posting.

Vantor is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace. We believe in fostering an environment where all team members feel respected, valued, and encouraged to share their ideas. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. Vantor is forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence, helping decision makers and operators navigate what’s happening now and shape what’s coming next.

Vantor is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace. We believe in fostering an environment where all team members feel respected, valued, and encouraged to share their ideas. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also provide reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities in compliance with federal and state laws. If you need assistance with the online application or hiring process, please email careers@vantor.com.