VAP and Space Mission Program Manager

Coastal Carolina University invites applications for a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering, Gupta College of Science and Engineering, to support its CubeSat program. This is a full-time, 9-month faculty position beginning immediately.

About the role

The successful applicant will manage the ChantSat-1 CubeSat mission, overseeing project schedule, milestones, risk register, and budget in coordination with faculty advisors and university administration. The role includes supervising and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students across multiple subsystem teams, coordinating with external vendors and launch service providers, and contributing to peer-reviewed manuscripts and grant proposals. This position may also teach one engineering course per semester in the applicant’s discipline.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the day-to-day technical and programmatic lead for the ChantSat-1 CubeSat mission and systems design development.
• Manage project schedule, milestones, risk register, and budget in coordination with faculty advisors and university administration.
• Supervise and mentor undergraduate and graduate students participating in satellite development across multiple subsystem teams.
• Coordinate with external vendors, launch service providers, and partners to advance integration and launch readiness.
• Produce peer-reviewed manuscripts and technical papers; assist with grant proposal development.
• Teach one engineering course per semester in the applicant’s discipline.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, applied physics, or a closely related field (degree conferred within the last five years) by the start date.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with CubeSat or small-satellite development in an academic, government, or industry setting for at least 1 year.
• Familiarity with satellite subsystems (ADCS, power, communications, payload integration) and the full hardware development lifecycle.
• Experience with satellite systems modeling and analysis tools (STK, MATLAB/Simulink, or equivalent).
• Mastery of core systems engineering processes, including requirements development and verification, risk management, interface control, configuration management, and systems trade studies.
• Strong project management, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with a proven ability to adapt to evolving program conditions.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, contributing individually while strengthening team performance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a university-based small-satellite program with undergraduate student involvement.
• Familiarity with CubeSat Design Specification standards and rideshare launch procurement.
• Background in or demonstrated interest in remote sensing, coastal science, or environmental monitoring applications.
• Experience mentoring students in a technical research environment.
• Familiarity with sun-synchronous LEO mission design.

Coastal Carolina University is a public comprehensive liberal arts institution located in Conway, South Carolina, nine miles from Myrtle Beach. The Gupta College of Science and Engineering emphasizes experiential learning and provides cutting-edge scientific equipment and resources for teaching and research.