Commercial LEO Development Program (CLDP) Office Program Planning and Control (PP&C) Project Manager

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. 

The Human Exploration and Spaceflight (HESF) Sub-Division, within the NASA Programs Division (NPD) of CSG, maintains the company subject matter expertise for human spaceflight.  HESF supports NASA and its bold human exploration missions from the NASA Headquarters Mission Directorates to the Moon to Mars Office, down to every Artemis Program in operation.  We also support the International Space Station (ISS), Commercial LEO Development Program, Commercial Crew Program, Human Health & Performance. And the Gateway Program.  HESF support spans from architecture and mission design to technology development, requirements and design reviews, and finally to verification, safety, and on orbit operational reviews and concurrences. 

The Commercial LEO Development Program (CLDP) Office Program Planning and Control (PP&C) Project Manager (Project Management Staff V) will support the CLDP Program Office across multiple disciplines.  These disciplines include, but are not limited to, standard PP&C tasks, Life Cycle Review (LCR), Procurement, and general Programmatic support. 

The selected candidate will be required to work part-time, on-site at our facility at Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.

  

What You’ll Be Doing 

• Developing Integrated Plans: Creating comprehensive program plans with detailed cost, schedule, and technical baselines, including Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), to guide project execution.  
• Performance Monitoring: Continuously tracking project progress against the baseline using metrics, identifying deviations, and initiating corrective actions.  
• Risk Management: Identifying and assessing potential program risks, developing mitigation strategies, and monitoring their effectiveness.  
• Performing as CLD PP&C LCR team member to facilitate requirements levied by NPR 7120.5 in preparation for all CLD Life Cycle Reviews (LCRs) or Key Decision Points (KDPs) or Source Selection activities. 
• Facilitate guidance to the CLD on the level of the maturity matrix products for each stage of the LCR or phase of the KDP. 
• Draft, develop, and manage the CLD Project Plan and manage all CLD PP&C Maturity Matrix Products for baseline and revision for all LCR/KDPs. 
• Schedule Management: Analyzing critical path activities, managing dependencies, and implementing schedule recovery plans when necessary.  
• Stakeholder Communication: Regularly reporting program status to senior leadership, project teams, and external stakeholders.  
• Process Improvement: Identifying opportunities to enhance program planning and control processes, implementing best practices, and ensuring compliance with NASA standards.  
• Serve as a highly proactive technical specialist, understanding issues and formulating options/recommendations, while working closely with the headquarters and program teams across other offices, working groups and panels. 
• Perform other duties for the customer as required. 

  

What You Need to be Successful 

Minimum Requirements:  

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited program in a related discipline 
• 15+ years’ experience working in technical disciplines across large government programs 
• At least 8+ years’ experience with NASA or on NASA commercial systems  
• Outstanding teaming and leadership skills with an ability to multi-task across various issues/disciplines simultaneously 
• Excellent presentation and communications skills, including development of and briefing of decision packages and complex information in a succinct and polished manner. 
• Strong project management skills and exceptional interpersonal skills 
• Ability to work within a team environment, where the team is distributed across multiple NASA and Aerospace Corporation organizations, projects and programs. 
• Strength in identifying and communicating concerns to leadership in a diplomatic manner 
• Superior analytical, planning, problem solving, and decision-making skills 
• Ability to effectively manage multiple concurrent tasks and provide direction on competing priorities. 
• Extensive knowledge of scheduling principles, tools, and analysis techniques. 
• Experience performing probabilistic schedule risk analysis and schedule health analysis. 
• Advanced hands-on experience with Microsoft Office tools, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc. 
• Expertise in implementation and management of integrated scheduling tools. 
• Willing to travel approx. 10%  
• This 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: 

• Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Aerospace Engineering or closely related field desired  
• Extensive project management experience 
• Understanding of specific NASA Human Spaceflight topics 
• Demonstrated experience with collaborations supporting multiple disciplines/specialties 

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)

$120,300.00 - $180,400.00

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 310.336.5432 or by email at peoplemangmnt.mailbox@aero.org . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.