Senior Systems Engineer/Acquisition Manager

Overview

Stellar Solutions, a nationally recognized “Great Place To Work”, has exciting opportunities providing Engineering solutions for innovative new-entrant space companies, as well as established space systems manufacturers, commercial space system operators and service providers, and other industry stakeholders including investors.  

At Stellar Solutions, we offer talented, energetic, and immediately productive resources to satisfy our customers’ critical needs in systems engineering and integration, mission operations, program management and strategic planning. We are a leading service and expertise provider for high-tech commercial ventures, spanning communications, earth observation and remote sensing systems and data products, to the infrastructures that support earth orbiting and beyond earth orbit businesses.

Role/Responsibilities/Qualifications

Stellar Solutions is seeking a senior systems engineer / acquisition manager to support NASA's Space Nuclear Propulsion Office. This position requires the ability to identify, analyze and solve NASA's programmatic challenges in new or different ways that involve the application of management, contracting and engineering best practices to achieve success.

As a member of the NASA Data Analysis and Technical Support Services team, the successful candidate will be working with the Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP) Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL, and be responsible for providing direct support to SNP senior leadership in the areas of systems engineering, acquisition strategy management, and technical program management. This includes:

• Development and execution of program governance and business processes
• Technical monitoring of SNP technology demonstration contracts
• Financial and risk management
• Program and portfolio management
• Contractor performance assessment and reporting
• Procurement strategy and solicitation development

The successful candidate will advise and support SNP Program Representatives during all phases of project execution on mission critical issues while managing contract performance data, coordinating and monitoring interface agreements and deliverables, and supporting overall contract administration during the development, verification and demonstration of SNP technologies. This position requires considerable subject matter expertise in systems engineering and integration, particularly in integration across government agencies, in order to provide credible recommendations senior SNP leadership, as well as professional mentoring to more junior program officers. Thorough knowledge of federal procurement processes, as well as demonstrated program management experience is required. Performance of tasks is expected to take place in a hybrid environment distributed between on-site work at MSFC and off-site work from home. All information systems and tools will be provided by the Government and Stellar Solutions.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field, and a minimum of 15 years space systems engineering and integration experience, including acquisition of space systems and multi-agency integration, or
• Minimum of 20 years space systems engineering and integration experience including acquisition of space systems and multi-agency integration
• Working knowledge of NASA systems engineering principles and applying NASA space flight program and project management requirements
• Demonstrated initiative and ability to communicate effectively with a broad range of customers, senior leadership, program managers, mission managers, systems engineers and chief engineers
• Possess strong interpersonal skills and be able to achieve results within organizationally diverse teams through influence rather than direction
• Ability to travel up to other NASA centers and supplier locations, up to 1- week per month at times

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Engineering
• Broad experience in space systems R&D and systems engineering, project and program management, financial management, acquisition and procurement management support, technology risk reduction/development expertise, and expertise development strategic relationships with industry
• General understanding of Systems Engineering fundamentals (including the concept development, systems requirements, implementation, interface management, system integration, and verification).
• Familiarity with the NASA program management fundamentals and mission development processes
• Professional certification in program management, contracting, systems engineering or other applicable fields

Deliverable(s)

Deliverables will be in the format of reports, briefings, spreadsheets, or other documents as directed by the Government, using government approved and/or mandated systems/software and processes governed by guidance/instructions/policy or direction.