Strategic People Partner

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.

Job Summary

The Aerospace Corporation’s People Operations team is seeking a thought leader and experienced Strategic People Partner (known more commonly in our business as HR Business Partner) who would love to serve as a strategic business partner and consultant to an internal client group within our Engineering and Technology Group, helping build organizational capability to meet strategic and financial goals. The Strategic People Partner will provide leadership and be responsible for creating and implementing high impact people, cultural, and organizational strategies and solutions that result in fully engaged employees, amazing managers and leaders, performance excellence and the best workplace ever.

If the idea of being a key player in shaping company culture and strategies and collaborating with leaders to drive innovation and solve the hardest problems in the space industry is exciting to you, we would love to hear from you.  If you’re hoping to walk into a role with turn-key solutions to solve more traditional people and HR challenges, this is not going to be your thing. This role will require you to think big, challenge convention, and unleash your “superpower” capabilities in leading and navigating major organization and culture changes.

This role will provide leadership to a client group in the Engineering and Technology Group and is based in El Segundo, CA. Position reports directly to the senior leader of the Engineering and Technology Strategic People Partners, with dotted line reporting to the Engineering and Technology group General Manager.

Work Model

This is a full-time position based in El Segundo, CA, offering a hybrid work model that combines 3 regular onsite workdays and remote flexibility as the business needs allow. 

What You’ll Be Doing

• Provide expertise, best practices, and consulting in the areas of change management, employee engagement and retention, workforce planning, talent review and development, diversity and inclusion, succession planning, performance management, and compensation planning
• Support formal and informal initiatives to quickly onboard new people managers, ensuring they are ready to rock and roll when they hit the stage as a new manager
• Develop insightful organization and business assessments and implement best-in-class people solutions by leveraging strong partnerships with People Operations Centers of Expertise
• Maximize development of emerging talent and implement a leadership succession planning process that produces bench strength that is deep and diverse and ensures the readiness of future leaders
• Support and enable leaders to make informed talent decisions and hold organizations accountable for results. Offer insightful and thoughtful feedback and coaching
• Build strong business client leadership relationships; continually assess organization’s needs to optimize engagement, productivity, and performance excellence; proactively identify issues before they impact the business
• Incorporate best practices and stay abreast of HR trends and benchmarks to optimally position the workforce and the enterprise
   

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for the Strategic People Partner Staff III:

• Bachelor’s degree in HR or related discipline (Organization Development, Business, Psychology, or related field)
• 6-9 or more years of prior HR business partner experience
• Track record of quickly establishing trust and credibility across all levels of the organization and developing strong internal network to gain support for key initiatives
• Demonstrated strategic agility, business acumen, and ability to get things done
• Demonstrated results at implementing high value, high impact people and organizational approaches, processes, and initiatives
• Proficiency with leveraging data analytics to develop people and organizational solutions, proactively mitigate risk, and enable informed decisions
• Experience navigating nuanced cultural and business sensitivities
• “Superpower” skills and track record in leading and supporting major change management efforts (e.g., organization or cultural transformation, reorganizations, etc.)
• Unquestionable integrity and trustworthiness
• Ability to develop solutions to a variety of complex people and organizational challenges, determine best course of action, and quickly pivot between different options
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance

In addition to the above, the minimum requirements for the Strategic People Partner Staff IV include:

• 10 or more years of prior HR business partner experience

How You Can Stand Out

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

• MS, MA, MBA in Business, Human Resource Management, Organization Development, Industrial Psychology, Management, or related field
• Strong track record as HR Business Partner and trusted advisor
• Prior experience supporting engineering/technical population predominantly comprised of advanced degrees
• Strong influencing, communication, and presentation skills
• Strong sense of urgency; self-starter; results driven
• You are able to share examples of influencing senior leaders to make tough people and organizational decisions
• You ask insightful questions that lead people/leaders to find the answers they already know
• You have high expectations for yourself and for those who work with you
• You believe in having fun at work and fully exercising your sense of humor because 1) you know it inspires creativity, and 2) results in high engagement which ultimately drives performance

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)

$95,200 - $180,400

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.