Associate Staff - Orbital Dynamics

The Advanced Electro-Optical Systems Group (Group 99) specializes in the rapid design and prototyping of innovative electro-optic systems that support the Department of Defense, NASA, and other U.S. government organizations. The group has deep expertise in satellite systems, electro-optical and infrared sensors, electronics, image processing, and low-SWaP (size, weight, and power) optical communications. By combining hardware and software development under one roof, the group rapidly architects, prototypes, and deploys end-to-end systems tailored to mission needs. We work closely with end users to transform enabling concepts into operational capabilities on accelerated timelines.

We are seeking self-motivated engineers and scientists with multidisciplinary skill sets and a passion for prototyping cutting-edge systems that address critical national challenges.

Job Description

Group 99 is seeking a highly motivated Associate Staff member with a focus on orbital dynamics to join our team. The ideal candidate is someone who wants to make a meaningful impact on real-world systems, thrives in technically challenging environments, and takes ownership from concept through execution.

You will work on problems spanning orbit determination, trajectory design, and space system analysis, contributing to missions and technologies that operate in complex and dynamic regimes.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and apply models for orbital mechanics, trajectory propagation, and perturbation analysis

• Perform orbit determination and estimation using real or simulated data

• Analyze space system performance, including maneuver planning and mission design

• Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to integrate orbital dynamics with broader system requirements

• Build, validate, and maintain analysis tools and simulation frameworks

• Communicate technical results clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders

Required Qualifications

• M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical field. A Bachelor’s degree with at least 5 years of experience would be considered.

• Strong foundation in orbital mechanics and astrodynamics

• Experience with scientific computing (e.g., Python, MATLAB, or similar)

• Demonstrated ability to follow through on complex technical work from initial concept to delivery

• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with orbit determination techniques (e.g., Kalman filtering, batch estimation)

• Familiarity with space mission design or operations

• Experience working with real sensor data or flight systems

• Is comfortable working in ambiguous problem spaces and helping define solutions

• Communicates clearly and works effectively in team settings

Recent Graduate Hiring Range: [[gradRange]]

Experienced Hiring Range: [[experiencedRange]]

Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered to a selected candidate will depend on various factors, including—but not limited to—the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate’s experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits.

At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, our exceptional career opportunities include many outstanding benefits to help you stay healthy, feel supported, and enjoy a fulfilling work-life balance. Benefits offered to employees include:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans

• MIT-funded pension

• Matching 401K

• Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)

• Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs

• Mentorship programs

• A range of work-life balance options

• ... and much more!

Please visit our Benefits page (https://hr.mit.edu/benefits) for more information. As an employee of MIT, you can also take advantage of other voluntary benefits, discounts and perks (https://hr.mit.edu/benefits/additional) .

Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.

Requisition ID: [[id]]