National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Lead Aerospace Engineer, AST Aerospace Vehicle Design and Mission Analysis

Kennedy Space Center, Florida Full time

Lead Aerospace Engineer, AST Aerospace Vehicle Design and Mission Analysis

Department: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Location(s): Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Salary Range: $126711 - $164729 Per Year

Job Summary: You will serve as Lead Flight Design Engineer, Flight Dynamics Branch, Flight Analysis Division, Launch Services Program providing technical oversight and independent analysis of launch vehicle and spacecraft flight mechanics and trajectory design/optimization in support of NASA's crewed and robotic missions. You will be responsible for coordinating the tasks and priorities of the Flight Design team and providing technical guidance and assistance to other engineers in the group as necessary.

Major Duties:

  • Provide leadership, coordination and control of planning, organizing, prioritizing and implementing tasks associated with commercial launch vehicle trajectory and mission design.
  • Perform detailed design, analysis, and optimization of launch vehicle trajectories in support of NASA’s crewed and robotic missions.
  • Develop mission specific trajectory-related requirements and interface with commercial launch service providers to ensure that these requirements are met.
  • Interface with other analysis disciplines and the broader Launch Services Program technical team as required to ensure system-level requirements compliance and mission success.
  • Support the Launch Services Program Engineering Review Board process as a supporting engineer and/or presenter when required.
  • Participate in internal technical peer reviews as both a presenter and reviewer.
  • Pursue opportunities to improve analytical tools, methods, and processes relevant to launch vehicle trajectory design.
  • Continuously grow and improve launch vehicle trajectory design and analysis capabilities within the Flight Dynamics Branch through independent effort and as a mentor to colleagues.

Qualifications: In addition to the Basic Education Requirement (in the Education section below), to qualify for this position you must meet the requirements below and have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade, which has equipped you with the particular competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of the position described above. NASA utilizes OPM-approved qualification and rating requirements specific for Aerospace Technology (AST) positions which recognizes NASA's unique aerospace work. The specific qualifications and minimum education requirements are further described below and within the education section of the job announcement. To qualify for GS-14, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level: Performing design and/or analysis of aerospace vehicle atmospheric flight and/or orbital mechanics and aerospace vehicle trajectory design/optimization with limited to no technical oversight; Communicating with technical colleagues, program/project management, customers, and/or suppliers pertaining to aerospace vehicle trajectory design/optimization; Providing leadership and/or mentoring experience as part of a team to provide trajectory/mission design support to systems-level aerospace projects. Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job. NASA prohibits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tool in drafting application and assessment responses. Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of AI tools during the application process.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application and have all required information available. We encourage you to provide a complete description of your educational achievements and include both paid and non-paid work in the experience portion of your resume. If you submit a resume that does not contain the required information, you may lose consideration. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: To begin the application process, you will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application process. Once logged in to your account, click on the "Apply" link. Follow the prompts to select your resume (2 pages or fewer) and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. Resumes longer than 2 pages will be rejected by the system. Resumes submitted via other document types will not be forwarded to the hiring manager, nor will they be used in the review of your qualifications. We strongly encourage you to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder when creating your resume. Using the resume builder will help you ensure your resume includes important information related to your qualifications and eligibility for this position. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. During the application process you can review, edit, delete and update your information. We'll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won't lose any changes. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the 'Include Personal Information' section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the vacancy questionnaire which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify all required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. NASA's online application process provides step by step guidance to ensure you provide all needed information. If you are unable to apply online, please contact NSSC-STAFFING@MAIL.NASA.GOV for assistance. Be advised - application materials faxed, emailed, and/or mailed to Kennedy Space Center will not be accepted for this announcement. NASA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you are an applicant with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact center listed on the job vacancy announcement. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be on a case-by-case basis.

Application Deadline: 2026-04-30