Jobs at Mars Science Laboratory

Designs, analyzes, simulates, and validates advanced spacecraft and payload guidance, navigation, and control systems. Develops GNC algorithms and flight software, leads subsystem testing and verification, coordinates performance documentation, and supports integration, commissioning, and on-orbit operations. The role requires expertise in aerospace guidance, estimation, control, precision pointing, and technical leadership, with experience in MATLAB/Simulink and advanced aerospace system development.

Develops spacecraft and payload guidance, navigation, and control systems, including architectures, algorithms, simulations, flight software, testing, verification, and on-orbit operations. Leads technical teams, validates subsystem performance, and supports advanced aerospace technology development involving precision pointing, estimation, autonomous navigation, dynamics, and integrated hardware/software systems.

Provides laboratory-wide pricing and cost-estimation support for proposals, task plans, ROMs, and task orders. Analyzes labor, materials, subcontractor costs, and supporting cost documentation; applies approved rates and government contracting regulations; supports audits, management reviews, compliance reviews, and pricing approvals. The role also participates in peer reviews, evaluates subcontract proposals, supports engineering and business functions, and educates personnel on cost estimation and proposal processes.

Leads financial and operational management for a high-priority technical project portfolio. Provides strategic decision support, budget formulation, cost and schedule accountability, Earned Value Management, resource modeling, contract guidance, executive reporting, and corrective-action planning. Serves as the liaison among project teams, customers, and executives while leading a multidisciplinary business team. Requires extensive experience managing complex technical projects, project controls, cost estimation, pricing, and multifunctional organizations, preferably in aerospace or defense.

Develop advanced computer vision and machine learning capabilities for autonomous spacecraft navigation, including mapping, localization, hazard detection, illumination invariance, and 3D structure recovery. Design novel training architectures, integrate vision into guidance and control systems, collaborate with scientists and commercial partners, support lunar and planetary missions, and pursue research funding.

Designs, develops, procures, integrates, tests, and flight-qualifies inertial and optical guidance, navigation, and control sensors for spacecraft missions. Leads hands-on hardware development, complex test beds, prototype field testing, and technology development for future flight projects. Responsibilities include securing development funding, supporting integrated hardware and software systems, managing technical contracts, and providing team leadership across deep-space and Earth-orbiting missions.

Supports hardware configuration and information management for JPL missions. Responsibilities include planning and controlling documentation, administering project data throughout its lifecycle, managing configuration tools, coordinating change control boards and engineering change requests, tracking actions, preparing status metrics, implementing access controls, and ensuring compliance with JPL, AS9100, NASA, CUI, ITAR, and EAR requirements.

Facilitates hardware certification reviews for robotic space missions, coordinating preparation, meetings, documentation, and action-item closure. Performs hardware quality assurance activities including inspections, standards verification, supplier and source inspections, nonconformance investigations, corrective actions, and process improvement. Partners with engineering, mission assurance, project leadership, and industry stakeholders to ensure quality across procurement, integration, testing, and delivery.

Facilitates hardware and support equipment certification reviews for robotic space missions, coordinating preparation, meetings, documentation, and action-item closure. Performs hardware quality assurance activities including inspections, workmanship and electrostatic discharge compliance, source inspections, nonconformance investigations, corrective actions, and supplier quality oversight. Supports procurement, integration, delivery, process improvement, risk management, and development of quality assurance procedures across aerospace hardware programs.

Build, maintain, analyze, and report integrated master schedules for JPL flight projects. Assess schedule and cost baseline integrity, analyze critical paths and anomalies, support cost-schedule integration and change control, develop what-if scenarios, and manage earned value reporting. The role prepares executive schedule reports, identifies schedule risks and impacts, supports monthly reviews, and completes ad hoc project assignments with minimal direction.

Provides project financial planning and control support, including work breakdown structures, funding monitoring, cost estimates, time-phased budgets, estimates at completion, variance analysis, earned value management, and financial reporting. Partners with program management, analyzes project performance and risks, supports forecasting and corrective actions, and contributes to planning, budgeting, audits, and baseline change control.

Lead the design, development, customization, and integration of Siemens Teamcenter PLM solutions. Responsibilities include configuring Teamcenter modules, developing server- and client-side extensions, integrating enterprise systems, troubleshooting complex PLM issues, supporting upgrades and migrations, improving performance, documenting solutions, and mentoring junior developers. The role partners with engineering, IT, and program teams to deliver scalable PLM capabilities for mission-critical aerospace work.

Supports section management with budgeting, financial analysis, workforce planning, reporting, proposals, awards administration, HR activities, facilities, safety, property management, and Workday operations. Prepares financial and operational reports, analyzes workforce and project needs, maintains work-in-process orders, supports requisitions and compensation processes, presents findings to management, coordinates reporting, improves administrative procedures, and serves as a liaison and backup to the Section Business Manager.

Develops mechanisms, actuators, sensors, controllers, structures, and robotic assemblies for spacecraft and payloads. Supports mechanical systems engineering across architecture, design, fabrication, integration, testing, delivery, and flight operations. Performs design analysis, maintains engineering documentation, supports technical reviews, verifies requirements, and contributes to cost and schedule planning while collaborating across disciplines.

Supports mechanical hardware and systems engineering for spacecraft, payloads, instruments, and robotic systems across design, integration, testing, and flight operations. Responsibilities include design and analysis, technical documentation, trade studies, verification and validation, requirements and interface management, technical reviews, and coordination across engineering disciplines. The role also contributes to cost and schedule planning and requires CAD, PDM, GD&T, and collaborative engineering experience.

Manages an organizational unit at JPL, including staffing, employee development, performance, subcontractor output, safety, customer focus, compliance, goal setting, and continuous process improvement. Responsible for hiring and retaining qualified staff, coaching direct reports, applying best practices, and ensuring adherence to laboratory policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.

Conducts postdoctoral research on advanced command and control systems for single- and multi-asset platforms. Develops AI-based constraint propagation, heuristic search, operations research, and distributed multi-agent optimization methods. Works with centralized and distributed task execution systems, deploys algorithms to edge and embedded platforms, and publishes findings in peer-reviewed journals and conferences.

Develops and analyzes optical systems and instrumentation for space-based missions, including telescopes, spectrometers, coronagraphs, and imaging cameras. Responsibilities include optical architecture, performance error budgets, requirements development, verification and validation, calibration, alignment, testing, and image-chain analysis. The role collaborates across multidisciplinary teams, supports system-level performance, and may lead small technical teams. An active Top Secret clearance with SCI access is required.

Develops mechanisms, actuators, sensors, controllers, structures, and other electromechanical systems for spacecraft and payloads. Responsibilities include mechanical design, analysis, fabrication, integration, testing, technical documentation, requirements verification, planning, technical reviews, and mentoring. The role supports spaceflight hardware across the full mission lifecycle and collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, vendors, and project leaders.

Supports the design, analysis, development, integration, testing, and flight operations of mechanical systems for spacecraft, payloads, instruments, and robotic systems. Responsibilities include requirements management, trade studies, verification and validation, technical documentation, cost and schedule planning, technical reviews, hardware delivery, and mentoring junior engineers.