SDA Mission Planning SME

Own Your Future.

Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. (MTSI) is seeking Mission Planning SME to fill a SETA (Scientific, Engineering, and Technical Assistance) position with the Space Development Agency (SDA).  SDA is breaking the norms of the DoD acquisition cycle, delivering a new tranche of hundreds of satellites every two years. SDA is a fast-paced organization and is changing the way that the Department of Defense acquires space systems by building the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). The Mission Planning SME will be responsible for overseeing the design, development integration, and test of coordinated mission planning algorithms and software for the hundreds of satellites in the PWSA. The Mission Planning SME will ensure that the mission planning software is flexible to meet the evolving needs of the PWSA users while limiting disruptions in the mesh network. This position is part of an MTSI team supporting SDA in Chantilly, VA, although remote and/or hybrid arrangements may be possible, with a preference for locations in Chantilly, VA, and Phoenix, AZ. 

Why is MTSI known as a Great Place to Work?

• Interesting Work:  Our co-workers support some of the most important and critical programs to our national defense and security.  
• Values: Our first core value is that employees come first.  We challenge our co-workers to provide the highest level of support and service, and reward them with some of the best benefits in the industry. 
• 100% Employee Ownership: we have a stake in each other's success, and the success of our customers.  It's also nice to know what's going on across the company; we have company wide town-hall meetings three times a year.  
• Great Benefits - Most Full-Time Staff Are Eligible for: 
• Starting PTO accrual of 20 days PTO/year + 10 holidays/year
• Flexible schedules
• 6% 401k match with immediate vesting
• Semi-annual bonus eligibility (July and December)
• Company funded Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) - a separate qualified retirement account
• Up to $10,000 in annual tuition reimbursement
• Other company funded benefits, like life and disability insurance
• Optional zero deductible Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance plan
• Track Record of Success:  We have grown every year since our founding in 1993

Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. (MTSI) is a 100% employee-owned engineering services and solutions company that provides high-demand technical expertise in Digital Transformation, Modeling and Simulation, Rapid Capability Development, Test and Evaluation, Artificial Intelligence, Autonomy, Cybersecurity and Mission Assurance.

MTSI delivers capabilities to solve problems of global importance. Founded in 1993, MTSI today has employees at over 20 offices and field sites worldwide.

For more information about MTSI, please visit www.mtsi-va.com.

Responsibilities:

As a Ground I&T Lead with MTSI, you will apply knowledge and expertise to develop and execute system level test and evaluation strategies focused on the PWSA Ground Segment.  Occasional travel will be required. Applicant will provide subject matter expertise to support SDA’s mission planning efforts. SDA coordinates the activities across multiple satellite vendors through a single mission planning system. Applicant will advise on the development of the system through design and into operations, including working with each stakeholder (space segment, ground segment, and operations) to ensure all needs are met. Remote work is a possibility, but preferred locations are near SDA’s technical headquarters in Chantilly, VA or near the ground segment contractor’s location in Scottsdale, AZ.

Your essential job functions will include but may not be limited to:

• Overseeing the SDA ground contractor’s development of the PWSA mission planning and scheduling algorithms
• Evaluating PWSA user needs and ensuring that the mission planning algorithms support those needs
• Coordinating the mission user needs, ground and space segment operator needs, and system development
• Ensuring the integration of space vehicle vendor mission planning and ground segment contractor mission planning, including understanding and incorporating the space vehicle attitude profiles and operational constraints and limitations
• Participating in the ground segment contractor’s agile development process of the mission planning system
• Creating design reference missions to simulate the performance of the mission planning system and to explore different planning algorithms
• Evaluating and modeling mesh network routing paths and data flows throughout the PWSA network to understand performance

Qualifications:

• Domain knowledge of satellite mission planning systems, including restrictions inherent to satellite communication and end user support
• 5 or more years working on mission planning and scheduling systems, including algorithm development
• Demonstrated understanding of satellite operations and constraints
• Experience working DoD or Intelligence community programs
• Experience developing and/or analyzing system level performance models using tools such as STK and AFSIM
• Familiarity with mesh networking fundamentals
• Strong leadership and communication skills

Preferred/Desired Experience:

• Experience working with commercial and/or Government satellite systems,
• Software development experience in a modern programming language
• Detailed knowledge and experience in one of the following areas:
• Optical communications links
• IR sensor processing algorithms and sensor hardware
• Mesh networking
• Tactical data links including IBS or Link 16

Education Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, electrical engineer, systems engineering, physics, or a closely related field from an accredited university (REQUIRED)
• Master’s degree in aerospace engineering, electrical engineer, systems engineering, physics, or a closely related field from an accredited university (DESIRED)

Certification Requirements:

• None

Clearance Requirements:

• Active Secret Clearance (Required)
• Active Top Secret Clearance (Desired)
• TS/SCI Eligibility (Required)
• U.S. Citizenship is required for this position.

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