Principal Director - Space Systems Integration, Global Mission Operations

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

At Aerospace, we are committed to providing an inclusive and diverse workplace for all employees to share in our common passion and aspiration – to carry out a mission much bigger than ourselves.

Aerospace is seeking a strategic, innovative, and driven leader within the Space Architecture and Integration Division. The Global Mission Operations Principal Director is responsible for leading and managing Aerospace efforts in support of and advising senior customer leadership of the Global Mission Operations Division (SSC/BZG) within the Space Systems Command (SSC) Space Systems Integration Office (SSIO).

The work program includes performing and leading space integration across the enterprise, with a particular emphasis on space support missions for the USSF and other services. This position supports a customer organization that spans space, ground, and cyber responsibilities. The Principal Director will be responsible for leading a team that will be working across the National Security Space Enterprise, bringing stakeholders together from multiple acquisition agencies, operator communities and commercial partners to evolve the space architecture baseline toward the delivery of end-to-end warfighter effects. The role requires collaboration across SSC, US SPACECOM, Space Operations Command (SpOC), Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM), and mission partners as well as with representatives of other services. The selected candidate will be expected to provide proactive support to the customer, cultivate productive working relationships in a fast-paced multi-stakeholder environment, execute a strategic vision for an emerging customer area, work and develop staff members to solve Enterprise Integration problems.

Work Model: This position is located in El Segundo. Daily onsite presence is expected to work with the customer and staff.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead and manage Aerospace support to SSC/BZG (Global Mission Operations), including forward deployed personnel from ETG and other program offices
• Establish trusted relationships with the SSC/SSIO leadership team with a focus on end to end integration to enable capability delivery for the space enterprise architecture
• Provide senior technical guidance within teams of Government, Aerospace, support contractors, and other FFRDC personnel to monitor program efforts, identify and resolve technical and performance integration risks/issues, and develop strategic roadmaps
• Provide leadership for team members and staff, setting strategy, goals, expectations and direction, mentoring, providing feedback, succession planning, and coaching aimed at building and maintaining an agile and capable team
• Collaborate with colleagues across Aerospace groups to deliver coordinated technical products in a timely and effective manner
• Demonstrate technical leadership in order to drive the development of systems engineering products in support of complex integration problems
• Conduct budget planning and allocation of resources, including identifying and hiring to fill needed positions and coordinating ETG support.
• Provide proactive support to customers to identify high value work for Aerospace, translating customer requests into technical priorities and planning and managing the team accordingly
• Report on the organization’s activities, progress, and achievements through written and oral reports.
• Moderate level of travel will be required

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, science, mathematics or equivalent discipline
• Minimum 12 years of progressively demonstrated management and technical experience, including multi-disciplinary systems engineering
• Previous people management experience and the ability to perform resource planning, staffing, coaching and mentoring, and performance and development of team.
• Proven experience with building, leading, and maintaining integrated multidisciplinary mixed government, SE&I, SETA and FFRDC teams
• Demonstrated ability to make time-critical mission success decisions with ambiguous or incomplete data
• Demonstrated experience working across organizations and leading teams of technical experts and support staff; success as a relationship builder, complex problem solver, deep critical thinker, mentor, and coach
• Broad experience across a variety of space disciplines such as acquisition, systems engineering, integration & test, or operations
• Excellent social skills enabling effective communication and relationship building with customers, direct reports, colleagues, and senior management.
• Ability to travel as required (approx. 15 %)
• Active Top Secret / SCI clearance with ability to obtain Special Access (SAP) and maintain clearance, issued by the US government. U.S citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:

• 15 or more years of progressively responsible professional engineering/scientific experience

• Advanced technical degree in engineering, science or math
• A strategic vision for how you would leverage the organization to address near-term integration challenges
• Experience leading a technical organization
• Demonstrated ability to work across a diverse array of partners in the National Security Space Enterprise including partners beyond SSC.
• Experience performing systems integration in other domains, in addition to space
• Prior management role in direct support of a government customer in program office
• Proven ability to work in fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
• Experience operating across multiple security compartments
• Current Special Access (SAP) clearance

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business.  The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below.  Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills. 

(Min - Max)

$240,000 - $280,000

Pay Basis: Annual

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:

• Operate Strategically
• Lead Change   
• Engage with Impact   
• Foster Innovation   
• Deliver Results  

Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type.  A few highlights include:

• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans

• Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation

• Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options

• 401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire

• Flexible spending accounts

• Variable pay program for exceptional contributions

• Relocation assistance

• Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career

• Education assistance programs

• An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect

We are all unique, from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each other—the belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.

Equal Opportunity Commitment

The Aerospace Corporation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We believe that a diverse workforce creates an environment in which unique ideas are developed and differing perspectives are valued, producing superior customer solutions. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, color, religion, genetic information, marital status, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If you’re an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process, please contact us by phone at 310.336.5432 or by email at ieo.mailbox@aero.org. You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal, as well as the Pay Transparency Policy Statement.