Interested in career opportunities at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory? View open positions here, and connect with a Jet Propulsion Laboratory recruiter here.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to be among the cleared professionals helping the U.S. on its quest to get to Mars – engineers, security planners and strategic specialists are just a few of the positions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory headquarters in Pasadena, Calif.

What is the Jet Propulsion Laboratory?

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory uses robotic spacecraft to explore the earth – and beyond. It combines two of the most exciting and cutting edge fields you can imagine – robotics and space – and they’re looking for creative and talented individuals who can help them accomplish the mission.

If your mission is to accomplish great things on an amazing team, JPL may be the place for you – here are five other reasons to add the organization to your employer watch list.

1. You’re working with people who have their heads in the clouds – literally.

If you’re looking for a work environment where everyone is down to earth – JPL isn’t for you. These professionals spend their days plotting how to send advanced robotics into the solar system – exploring both earth and other planets. But if you want to say you were a part of the team that sent a human to Mars – or even further, discovered a new planet – join the team at JPL.

2. You get to stand between Earth and Armageddon.

Ever heard of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program Office? It’s located at JPL. Astroid watch is a thing, and engineers at JPL manage the systems in place to watch for near-Earth objects. So, yeah, you just might get to save the planet someday. Or find some really cool space junk.

3. You’re working with creative people, in a creative place.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is located on a campus in the San Gabriel Mountains. If you’re an engineer looking for a contrast from Huntsville or Washington, this may be the place for you.  JPL expects its engineers to be technically competent, but also passionate. They have the support of both the government and academic community. Efforts are interdisciplinary and team-oriented.

4. It’s Mission: Impossible Every day.

If you’re the kind of person who considers ‘it can’t be done’ a challenge, then you’re the kind of engineer who will succeed at JPL. If you love working with a team and solving problems, that’s another good sign JPL may be the place for you. If you like being the best at what you do and working with other people who feel the same, join the scientists and engineers at JPL, and turn the impossible into the actual.

5. You’re working for the government agency that frequently ranks top.

NASA always finds itself on the top of lists of the federal government’s best agencies to work for. There’s good reason for that – you’re often working with the best, salaries are competitive, and the intangible rewards of making a difference – and potentially making history – are very real. At JPL, you have the benefit of being in a ‘creative’ space on the CalTech campus, but you also have the infrastructure afforded by working for the global leader in space exploration. If you won’t settle for anything less than the best in your career, and you have the skills to prove it, consider putting them to use at JPL. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the one behind the science that makes our next big discovery on Mars.

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Lindy Kyzer is the director of content at ClearanceJobs.com. Have a conference, tip, or story idea to share? Email lindy.kyzer@clearancejobs.com. Interested in writing for ClearanceJobs.com? Learn more here.. @LindyKyzer