You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to help shape what’s next. Explore contractors, aerospace companies, research organizations, and career pathways using public-source information. Find roles and locations across the space industry.
Free to explore. Built to help you know where to look.
A DIFFERENT PATH. THE SAME POSSIBILITY.
Your next chapter belongs in the conversation.
Service members & veteransMilitary spousesStudentsCareer changers
01 / Understand the landscape
Many skills. Many paths.
Space and aerospace careers span many employers and application routes. Start by knowing the difference.
01 — FEDERAL
Federal space careers
Explore publicly posted federal roles through USAJOBS. The agency-specific portal below is one starting point; each announcement sets its own eligibility and application requirements.
Explore companies providing operations, IT, facilities, logistics, and other services. Apply through the company and confirm the customer and worksite.
Explore JPL’s separate hiring route and aerospace or commercial space companies. Explore each organization’s career site for its own programs and opportunities.
Start with checked career portals or explore the broader research directory. Filter by employer type, career field, location keyword, or research center association. Location matches are research context and search suggestions, not verified job worksites or current vacancies.
Search recognizes common wording such as HR / human resources and project manager / project management. Results suggest employers to explore, not confirmed openings.
Loading career resources…
Found a broken link or know an employer we should research? Suggest an update ↗
Find what’s new on the official job boards.
Latest guide update: October 29, 2026. Each card shows its own career-link review date. A page loading is not confirmation of a vacancy. Some employers restrict automated access; those limits are marked on their cards. Original contract and agreement dates have not been refreshed.
Reviews are dated per link. Current vacancies and application submission were not tested.
Ready to go deeper? The workbook includes the source records, review dates, relationship details and a “Start Your Job Search” tab. One company may appear under several centers.
Website and workbook synchronized October 29, 2026. Original research snapshots and review limits are retained; future changes do not automatically sync. Confirm current opportunities with each employer.
Role Watch / October 29, 2026
See what the work can look like.
Eight selected role pages from official employer sources, spanning business, operations, facilities, planning and a student pathway.
A dated snapshot, not a live jobs feed. Each posting page was retrieved on October 29, 2026; roles may close or change afterward. Confirm availability, qualifications, work authorization, clearance, location and closing date with the employer. These are examples to explore, not personalized recommendations.
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Explore the wider network
Follow the connections.
Four public-source examples of how companies, agencies, researchers and nonprofits work together.
These are industry relationships, not partnerships with Mission Open Door. A joint venture, research collaboration, development agreement and procurement contract mean different things. The career keywords are search suggestions; participation does not prove hiring or an active contract. Source dates and review dates are shown separately.
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Know what the directory covers
A starting point that keeps growing.
Use the records to discover where to look, then verify the employer, location and current opportunity.
Is this a complete industry directory?
No. This is a growing public-source directory, not a complete inventory. Subcontractors, suppliers, newer awards and work that is not publicly documented may be missing. Being near a center or facility does not establish a contract or a job opportunity.
What do the 696 records represent?
661 original workbook research records plus 35 additional organizations. These are employer, center or organization records, not 696 distinct companies or job openings. The same company may appear under multiple centers, and older source names may differ from current company names.
Contractor, partner or association member?
These relationships are different. A contract or award record documents procurement evidence. A Space Act Agreement documents a partnership, which does not by itself establish a procurement contract or hiring. Association membership alone proves neither a NASA contract nor a workplace.
Are the jobs and locations verified?
The 79 starting points link to official career resources. Role Watch separately shows selected posting pages retrieved on its stated review date; those roles can close or change. See each card’s review details for dates and verification limits. The broader research records have varying review limits, and many need career-link verification. A center can administer an agreement without being the company’s worksite. Read each listing’s source and relationship details.
Where does the information come from?
Publicly available government award notices, contractor listings, agreement reports, employer websites, and other public directories. The site links to official career portals rather than reproducing individual job announcements. The workbook’s Source Register and evidence tabs explain the datasets, snapshot dates and remaining gaps. A past or potential end date does not prove a contract option was exercised.
When should I check for new jobs?
Employer portals show current postings when you open them. Role Watch contains selected, dated role examples. It does not automatically refresh, and later website changes do not automatically sync to the workbook. Posting schedules vary; a weekend check is a useful habit, not a verified release schedule. Set daily USAJOBS alerts or employer job alerts where offered.
03 / Broaden your search
Space needs more than engineers.
Start with skills you already have. Try these job-title keywords on official career sites, then refine by location.
People & human resources
Human resources · Talent acquisition · Workforce · Employee relations
Operations & program support
Program analyst · Mission support · Business operations · Administrative support
Facilities coordinator · Maintenance · Construction manager · Work control
IT, data & CRM
IT support · Systems administrator · Business analyst · Salesforce
Communications & marketing
Outreach · Public affairs · Technical writer · Digital marketing
Engineering & technical trades
Systems engineer · Quality · Test technician · Electronics · Machinist
A location can open a door, too
Search by role and region.
Try a job title plus a city. Relevant postings may name an employer, contract, research center, or facility.
Cities are search suggestions, not proof of a vacancy or on-site employment.
04 / Turn curiosity into a next step
Start small. Start somewhere.
Your first search doesn’t have to be perfect. Use this checklist to move from exploring to taking action.
01
Choose your route.
Federal, contractor, JPL, or broader industry? Pick one route to explore first.
02
Pick a role & place.
Combine a familiar skill or job title with a city where you’d like to work.
03
Read the details.
Check duties, eligibility, qualifications, worksite, clearance, and closing date.
04
Apply & keep track.
Tailor your resume. Save the title, requisition ID, link, and application date.
0 of 4 steps completeChecklist saved on this browser
A note from Hajjii
A resource to share. A place to start.
My past experience in the U.S. Air Force and at NASA helped me understand how many different skills contributed to aviation, space, and mission support. I created Mission Open Door independently, in my personal capacity, to help others discover career opportunities using publicly available information.
Especially when speaking with transitioning service members, I’ve recognized that sometimes the biggest challenge isn’t a lack of opportunities or resources. It’s simply knowing where to look.
I wanted to build a free resource that people could use and pass along. This guide won’t apply for jobs or guarantee a position, but hopefully it helps someone discover a door they didn’t know was there.
To anyone who’s hungry to learn, grow, and do something meaningful: this is for you.
Hajjii Frederick Creator, Mission Open Door
Know someone looking for their next chapter?
Pass the guide along. Their next opportunity might start with a link.
Help improve the guide
Know a door we’re missing?
Report a broken link, suggest an employer, correct a listing, or share a helpful career nugget. Include a public source or explain your firsthand experience. Suggestions go to a Jotform feedback form and are reviewed before publication. Contact emails are not published; public credit requires permission. Please share public business information only; this is not a job application.
“Your website helped me connect those dots. It gave me a better understanding of the opportunities available, introduced me to companies I hadn’t previously considered, and, most importantly, gave me more confidence in the direction I want to take my career.”
— Adrian Santos Gomez
Optional support
Help keep the doors open.
This guide is free to explore and share. If you’d like to support its upkeep, buying me a coffee helps me dedicate time to researching career resources, checking links, and keeping the site updated for the next person looking for a way in. Thank you for being part of it.
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