Are you passionate about human space exploration, understanding the origins of the universe, and working with a passionate and diverse team to make a difference? If you are, we need you!
We need your talent, teamwork, and energy to help us achieve great things that inspire people all over the globe. We need you to bring creative ideas and diverse backgrounds to help us envision, shape, and deliver systems that will enable the exploration of space while benefiting people here on Earth. We are excited about what we do, and we need you on our team as we take on exciting challenges for NASA’s pursuits in deep space exploration. As NASA’s largest engineering solutions provider working together with NASA at centers across the United States.
We have an exciting opportunity for a Advanced Mission Design Engineer to join the team. This position is on the JETS Advanced Mission Design Team providing mission analysis and design across the Orion and commercial crew programs.
The Advanced Mission Design Engineer will:
Provide trajectory products supporting spacecraft mission design & analysis for advanced Orion crewed missions such as Artemis I-III and related missions.
Perform trajectory optimization runs to characterize vehicle performance and mission availability for a variety of scenarios.
Develop, integrate, and test new algorithms for evaluation of vehicle and mission performance.
Provide software development and scripting of NASA's Copernicus trajectory optimization tool and related applications.
Integrate Copernicus with other trajectory software and tools.
Develop requirements documentation for mission design products.
Provide recommendations for improvements in design and software development processes.
Perform other duties as required.
Requisition Qualifications:
This position has been posted at multiple levels. Depending on the candidate's experience, requirements, and business needs, we reserve the right to consider candidates at any level for which this position has been advertised.
Typically requires a bachelor’s degree in Engineering and a minimum of 2-5 years of experience in the field or in a related area.
Experience with orbital mechanics and designing spacecraft trajectories.
Experience with development of spacecraft mission design algorithms and analyzing spacecraft performance.
Experience developing, verifying, and validating simulation models.
Excellent communication skills
Experience working in a team environment consisting of NASA civil servants and contractors.
Strong interpersonal skills to enable successful performance in a collaborative environment.
Ability to organize and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines and schedules with limited supervision.
Ability to prepare written documents and to verbally present at meetings.
Experience with Microsoft Office products.
Requisition Preferences:
A bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET accredited engineering school with five (5) years of related engineering experience, a master's degree from an accredited engineering school and four (4) years of related engineering experience, or a Ph.D. from an accredited engineering school and zero (0) years of related experience.
PhD in Aerospace Engineering with a focus on trajectory design, optimization, and orbital mechanics
Experience with 3-DOF spacecraft simulations
Proficiency in software development using programming languages such as Modern Fortran, Python, C++, bash, and Julia.
Experience with Python package management systems such as conda/mamba
Experience with 3D graphics libraries such as OpenSceneGraph, OpenGL, and OpenFrames.
Experience with GUI development in Python and Qt
Experience with multiple operating systems such as Windows, macOS Linux
Experience with product delivery and management
Experience with source code management tools such as Git/GitLab and continuous integration systems such as GitlabCI
Why Join Our Team?
In addition to exciting career opportunities, we also have:
- Excellent personal and professional career growth
- 9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off), when applicable
- Onsite cafeteria (breakfast & lunch)
- Much, much more!
For more information on our partnership with NASA at Johnson Space Center (JSC), please visit www.wehavespaceforyou.com
- Proof of U.S. Citizenship or US Permanent Residency may be a requirement for this position.
- Must be able to complete a U.S. government background investigation.
- Management has the prerogative to select at any level for which the position is advertised.
Essential Functions
Work Environment
Generally, an office environment, but can involve inside or outside work depending on task.
Physical Requirements
Work may involve sitting or standing for extended periods (90% of time). May require lifting and carrying up to 25 lbs. (5% of time).
Equipment and Machines
Standard office equipment (PC, telephone, printer, etc.).
Attendance
Regular attendance in accordance with established work schedule is critical. Ability to work outside normal schedule and adjust schedule to meet peak periods and surge requirements.
Other Essential Functions
Professional behavior that enhances productivity and promotes teamwork and cooperation. Grooming and dress must be appropriate for the position and must not impose a safety risk/hazard to the employee or others.
#JETS #JETSII
Compensation Details:
EN2-ESS
The compensation range or hourly rate listed for this position is provided as a good-faith estimate of what the company intends to offer for this role at the time this posting was issued. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as job responsibilities, education, experience, skills, internal equity, market data, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and relevant laws.
Benefits Overview:
Our health and welfare benefits are designed to support you and your priorities. Offerings include:
Health, dental, and vision insurance
Paid time off and holidays
Retirement benefits (including 401(k) matching)
Educational reimbursement
Parental leave
Employee stock purchase plan
Tax-saving options
Disability and life insurance
Pet insurance
Note: Benefits may vary based on employment type, location, and applicable agreements. Positions governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), or other employment contracts may include different provisions/benefits.
Original Posting:
05/08/2026 - Until FilledAmentum anticipates this job requisition will remain open for at least three days, with a closing date no earlier than three days after the original posting. This timeline may change based on business needs.
Amentum is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, ancestry, United States military or veteran status, color, religion, creed, marital or domestic partner status, medical condition, genetic information, national origin, citizenship status, low-income status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law. Learn more about your rights under Federal laws and supplemental language at Labor Laws Posters.
Skills Required
- Bachelors degree in Engineering
- 2-5 years of experience in the field or related area.
- Experience with orbital mechanics and spacecraft trajectories.
- Experience with spacecraft mission design algorithms.
- Experience developing simulation models.
- Excellent communication skills
- Strong interpersonal skills for team environment
- Ability to organize and prioritize tasks
- Experience with Microsoft Office products
Amentum Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Amentum and has not been reviewed or approved by Amentum.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare offerings are described as comprehensive, with medical, dental, and vision plans and multiple PPO/HSA options. Mental health support via an employee assistance program and other wellness resources is also included in the benefits mix.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support is positioned as a meaningful part of total rewards through a 401(k) plan with employer matching. Profit-sharing contributions and immediate or near-term vesting in some cases further strengthen the retirement value proposition.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time-off benefits are presented as solid for the sector, including tiered PTO accrual by tenure and a set of paid holidays. Role-dependent flexible or remote work options and leave programs add to perceived work-life support.
Amentum Insights
What We Do
Amentum is a premier global technical and engineering services partner supporting critical programs of national significance across defense, security, intelligence, energy, and environment. We draw from a century-old heritage of operational excellence, mission focus, and successful execution underpinned by a strong culture of safety and ethics. Headquartered in Germantown, Md., we employ more than 20,000 people in 48 states and 28 foreign countries and territories. Visit us at amentum.com to explore how we deliver excellence for our customers’ most vital missions.
