Skip to content

Quality

Casual Risk and Reliability Engineer /Sr. Risk and Reliability Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation logoThe Aerospace CorporationChantilly, VA, United States of AmericaFull timePosted 1w ago
  • US citizenship

How this pay compares

This posting does not state its pay. Open quality engineer jobs in Virginia post a median of $102k a year, the middle half $81.1k–$118k, across 8 jobs that state their pay.

Quality engineers and inspectors in Virginia: pay by town and employer

About the job

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) offers unparalleled expertise in systems engineering to the U.S. government and various public and private agencies, universities, nonprofit organizations, consortia, and commercial companies involved in the advanced development and application of space systems.

From systems CONOPs and architecture development to system design and analysis, mission assurance, cost and schedule assessment, and economic market analysis, SED leverages a vast array of engineering and business disciplines across a diverse and dynamic portfolio of space programs and national challenges spanning the total space system lifecycle.

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 – Safety 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.

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. ## It would be impressive if you have one or more of these - Airworthiness experience - 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). - Familiarity with DoD standards and guidance on risk, reliability, and systems safety such as MIL STD 882E, MIL HDBK 217F, MIL STD 1629, and 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) $117,300.00 - $226,900.00 Pay Basis: Hourly ## 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,

From The Aerospace Corporation's job posting, checked 7 Nov 2026. The employer's own page is the final word on requirements and availability.

Selected agencies hiring now

  • Moseley Technical ServicesEngineering and technical staffing agency

    Engineering and technical staffing firm in Huntsville, Alabama, placing engineers and A&P, sheet metal, CNC and quality technicians.

    Places: Propulsion, Mechanical, Avionics, RF & Payloads

  • Sterling EngineeringEngineering and technical staffing agency

    Engineering and technical staffing firm for manufacturers, aerospace suppliers among them.

    Places: Mechanical, Technicians, Quality

These agencies and apps pay SpaceJobs.Now a referral fee when someone we introduce is placed or signs up. It costs you nothing and never changes your pay. Employers' own jobs below keep their own order.

Sponsored

Sponsored jobs from job networks, which pay SpaceJobs.Now when you click one.

Free tools for this application: check your resume against this job, answer the application's questions or see every free tool.

New quality and mission assurance jobs in space in Virginia, by email

One email a week with the newest ones, straight from the employers' own careers sites, with the pay each posting states. Free, stop anytime.

About The Aerospace Corporation

Nonprofit research center for the space enterprise, working mainly for the US Space Force and the NRO.

Pay on its listings: 0% of its open jobs state an hourly rate

How it pays: Paid as an employee on The Aerospace Corporation's own payroll (salaried or hourly, as each posting states).

More quality and mission assurance jobs in space

A quality or mission assurance professional?

One profile for every employer here. Space companies and their recruiters ask us for people with a specific degree, clearance, specialty or location: add yours once, and when a job fits, we introduce you, only with your yes. Free.

Create my profile

The Aerospace Corporation openings, sent to you weekly

Each week we send the newest postings from The Aerospace Corporation's own careers site, along with similar openings at other space employers. It costs nothing and you can stop anytime.