Senior Staff Aerospace Engineer SME

Position Description

We are seeking an experienced Senior Staff Aerospace Engineer SME to support the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) / Integrated Experiments and Evaluation Division (RVE) in cradle-to-grave mission support.

Responsibilities include:

Flight Experiment Mission and Operations Planning:

• Develop procedures for all mission phases

• Create Concepts of Operations (CONOPS)

• Develop Launch and Early Operations (LEOps) plans

• Conduct operational testing using simulators, virtual simulations, and flatsats

• Perform ground system testing, including operations acceptance, factory compatibility, and launch-base compatibility tests

• Support planning for mission operations centers, including facility layout and preparation

• Participate in day-in-the-life events, exercises, rehearsals, and mission dress rehearsals in roles such as operator, systems expert, or mission planner

Flight Operations Support:

• Conduct on-orbit spacecraft operations and experimentation, including on-call support

• Support operations acceptance testing, including regression testing of new components/processes

• Develop vehicle fault detection and reporting systems

• Provide anomaly resolution and reporting support

Qualifications Required:

• 15+ years of experience in aerospace engineering; recognized as a defense industry Subject Matter Expert (SME)

• Bachelors degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field

• Proven experience in integrating flight experiments including system design, test planning, execution, and post-flight analysis

• Strong understanding of aerospace systems, flight test operations, hardware/software integration, telemetry, and mission-critical systems

• Demonstrated experience in anomaly investigation and resolution, root cause analysis, and corrective action

• Familiarity with aerospace and defense industry standards and best practices for flight testing and system integration

• Expertise in systems engineering principles, including requirements definition, validation, and verification

• Active DoD Top Secret security clearance with SCI eligibility (U.S. Citizenship required)

Qualifications Desired:

• Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field