Risk and Reliability Engineer / Senior Risk and Reliability Engineer

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.

The Systems Engineering Division (SED) delivers unparalleled systems engineering expertise to the U.S. government and a broad network of public and private agencies, universities, nonprofit organizations, consortia, and commercial partners advancing space and space-related technologies, programs, and capabilities—including human spaceflight. Spanning the full acquisition lifecycle, SED's capabilities include life cycle systems engineering, acquisition planning, CONOPS development, design and analysis, mission assurance, digital engineering, integration engineering, cost and schedule assessment, supply chain technical risk, and infrastructure design and risk analysis. SED applies a broad array of engineering and business disciplines across a diverse and dynamic portfolio of space and space related programs and national priorities, to drive smarter acquisition decisions, ensure systems are ready when and where needed, and that integrated capabilities perform reliably as intended.

The Acquisition Risk and Reliability Engineering Department (ARRED) provides critical expertise in risk management, reliability engineering, and system safety. We are looking for a Risk and Reliability Engineer (Engineering Specialist/Sr. Engineering Specialist – Safey and Mission Assurance Engineering). As a member of the ARRED team, you will work closely with national security space and civil space customers on multiple programs to develop reliable space-based systems that provide critical capabilities and while identifying and mitigating hazards throughout the system lifecycle per MIL-STD-882E principles. You’ll also support senior decision-makers by establishing effective risk management processes and performing insightful risk assessments.   

Work Model:

The selected candidate will be required to work full time on-site at our facility in El Segundo, CA or in Chantilly, VA. 

What You’ll Be Doing  

• You will help Department of Defense, intelligence community, NASA, and other government customers plan and execute their risk/reliability activities.  

• You will provide risk and reliability and system safety guidance and analysis for national security space and ground systems  

• You will work closely with program office customers to perform assessments that provide important insights to senior decision makers. You will also lead small teams to accomplish your assignments.  

• This position will enable senior leaders to make risk-informed decisions in a fast-paced environment.  

• You will be the risk, reliability, and/or system safety subject matter expert for several programs, serving as their point of contact for assessments and guidance. You will engage with other SMEs to deliver critical assessments for senior program managers.  

• You will help the department adapt to a rapidly changing space industry and customer needs by helping to shape our risk/reliability capabilities strategy, developing innovative risk/reliability approaches for new space architectures, and delivering assessments that provide essential insights on time.   

What You Need to be Successful  

Minimum Requirements for Engineering Specialist 

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, reliability engineering, systems engineering, or similar from a recognized institution  

• 10 years of experience in risk, reliability, and/or system safety  

• Strong communication skills to effectively convey insights and recommendations  

• Demonstrated ability to work both individually and as a team member.  

• Willingness to travel occasionally to work location or customer site approximately 10% of the time.    

• This position requires 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.  

In addition to the above, the minimum requirements for Senior Engineering Specialist include: 

• 12 years of experience in risk, reliability, or systems safety   

• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with customers  

• Demonstrated ability to train and mentor junior members of the staff  

• Experience in building relationships with customers and colleagues based on what and how you deliver that naturally leads both to the expansion or new work for yourself and your team.   

How You Can Stand Out  

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these: 

• Master’s or Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, reliability engineering, systems engineering, or similar from a recognized institution.

• 12 or more years of increasingly responsible experience in risk, reliability, systems safety, systems engineering, and/or mission assurance.   

• Experience working with US Space Force, NASA, NRO, FAA, and other government agencies involved in the Space Enterprise.   

• Experience leading technical teams, tracking project progress, proposing and implementing project schedules, budgets, and resources and communicating project needs.  

• Understanding statistics and their application in evaluating failures and anomalies  

• Experience in applying system safety engineering and management principles and techniques to achieve acceptable mishap risk within the time, cost, and mission effectiveness constraints throughout the life cycle of the system.   

• Expertise in reliability analysis, including software reliability, reliability testing, reliability modeling and prediction, failure analysis, root cause analysis, Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Probabilistic Risk assessment (PRA), and Failure Reporting Analysis and Corrective Action System (FRACAS).  

• Hand-on STPA (system theoretic process analysis) experience – applying this approach to identify hazards and control failures in complex systems that traditional methods can miss.

• Familiarity with key DoD, FAA, and NASA standards and handbooks: MIL-STD-882E, MIL-HDBK-217F, MIL-STD-1629, MIL-HDBK-516, 14 CFR Part 450, and the NASA System Safety Handbook.

• Demonstrated ability to effectively lead small technical teams to produce analytical products and communicate findings and recommendations to senior leadership on time and within budget.  

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)

$131,400.00 - $240,500.00Pay 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 [email protected] . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.