Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Flight Systems and Mission Support

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Department: College of Science

Classification: Post Doc 12 month

Job Category: Postdoctoral Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Restricted: Yes

Criminal Background Check: Yes

Financial Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

George Mason University, a Carnegie Research I institution, is Virginia's largest and most diverse university with more than 38,000 students. Located in Fairfax, Virginia, Mason is part of the Washington DC metropolitan area offering easy access to the scientific and political resources of the nation's capital.

The Landolt Mission teamis responsible fordeveloping and executing a NASA space-based mission through coordinated work across science, payload, spacecraft bus, software, systems engineering, integration and test, mission assurance, and project management functions. The unit provides an interdisciplinary research and training environment for faculty, postdoctoral researchers, engineers, staff, and students working collaboratively with federal, academic, commercial, and other external partners.

Statement on Building an All-Inclusive Culture: George Mason University College of Science (Mason Science) is committed to advancing inclusive excellence and fostering an environment free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation throughout our STEM community. At Mason Science, our values include cultivating an organizational culture that promotes belonging, respect, and civility. We believe that varied opinions, cultures, and perspectives are what provides vibrancy, innovation, and growth to an academic community. By prioritizing cultural responsiveness in academics, teaching, research, and global engagement, we strive to attract faculty and staff who exemplify the Mason Science mission and vision.

About the Position:

The Mason Space Center is an academic center at George Mason University established to provide administrative, facilities, academic, and outreach infrastructure supporting space mission activities at GMU.

This position is sponsored by the NASA Landolt mission and Mason Space Center (MSC). The Landolt project will develop and operate a small satellite with calibrated light sources onboard to simulate a star and use ground telescopes to transfer absolute brightness calibration to selected real stars. Radiometric calibration of apparent stellar brightness is a fundamental astrophysical challenge.

This grant-funded postdoctoral position is intended to support the Landolt mission through scientific, technical, and programmatic contributions. Under general supervision, the postdoctoral fellow will work closely with mission leadership, scientists, engineers, faculty, staff, and students to support mission execution, project management, documentation, technical coordination, and scholarly dissemination.

The position will provide opportunities to contribute to mission planning, project management, technical analysis, review preparation, reporting, and collaboration across government, academic, and commercial stakeholders while developing an independent research profile aligned with the Landolt mission and related space science activities.

Responsibilities:

Programmatic

• Support mission development and execution through technical analysis, project management, coordination, and documentation;
• Contribute to schedule, budget, and project-plan support activities as assigned, including tracking progress against mission objectives, timelines, and resources;
• Assist with the preparation of key mission documents, progress reports, technical memos, and review materials, including materials associated with NASA requirements and mission milestones;
• Support mission reviews and technical meetings, including Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review, and Flight Readiness;
• Review and related project review activities, as appropriate;
• Work closely with mission leadership to evaluate technical progress, assess risks, and support planning efforts related to testing, execution, and mission readiness;
• Support, guide, and lead mission flight operations tasks at planning, execution, and post-hoc review stages;
• Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders, including government, academic, and commercial partners, as needed to advance mission objectives; and
• Travel occasionally for meetings with NASA and other stakeholders, estimated at approximately two days per month.

Non-Programmatic

• Contribute to a positive, collaborative, and inclusive center and mission culture;
• Conduct independent and collaborative research related to the NASA Landolt mission and associated flight systems and scientific activities;
• Collaborate with scientists, engineers, and students involved in the Landolt mission and Mason Space Center activities;
• Participate in outreach, professional development, and other mission-related activities; and
• Prepare research results for conference presentations, technical reports, and peer-reviewed publications.

Required Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in astronomy, physics, astrophysics, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a closely related field within six months of the appointment start date;
• Demonstrated experience in research, technical analysis, or mission-relevant project work through doctoral study or related research projects;
• Knowledge of project or technical coordination best practices, including planning, tracking deliverables, and supporting team-based work in a technical environment;
• Ability to communicate technical and scientific information clearly in writing and orally;
• Ability to prepare reports, presentations, and scholarly or technical documentation;
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team;
• Ability to work in a hybrid work environment with a distributed team;
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a research-driven project environment;
• English proficiency sufficient for research communication, technical documentation, and collaboration;
• Agility in responding to evolving project needs; and
• Eligibility to work on projects subject to U.S. export control requirements, including qualification as a U.S. person under EAR/ITAR.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Research experience relevant to space missions, astronomical instrumentation, radiometric calibration, observational astronomy, systems engineering, or satellite mission operations;
• Experience with space systems development and testing;
• Experience in the design, development, and testing of space instruments, payloads, and electronic systems;
• Experience working across academic, government, and/or industry collaborations;
• Experience supporting a space mission or technically complex research project;
• Demonstrated record of scientific publication, technical presentation, or other scholarly dissemination;
• Experience mentoring undergraduate and/or graduate student researchers;
• Additional experience in CAD structural design for mechanical components, electronic prototyping, and Python programming would be beneficial;
• Experience with embedded system development, particularly programming MSP430 microcontrollers in C, is also preferred;
• Familiarity with NASA requirements, procedures, practices, reporting, and mission review processes;
• Familiarity with space systems development, integration and testing;
• Possess a solid foundation in optics, hardware, electronics, and embedded software for space applications, along with proficiency in Linux;
• Strong programming skills in Python and C are also desired; and
• Ability to contribute to an inclusive, team-oriented workplace and interest in leadership development within collaborative scientific programs.

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Flight Systems and Mission Support at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent with Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: September 25, 2026

For Full Consideration, Apply by: November 1, 2026

Open Until Filled: Yes