Digital Electronics and Electromagnetics Department Section Manager

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 the Mission Payloads Division (MPD), we are pioneers in remote sensing systems that guide our country’s space enterprise. Our talented and dynamic people create and flourish in electronics, sensors, radar, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced data network domains. We boldly advance technology through our research and development and then forward to demonstration and integration.   With innovative laboratories and prototyping, MPD delivers groundbreaking results. We guide our Department of Defense, intelligence community, and civil clients to enhance national productivity and security and tackle the most critical missions.  Bring your intelligence and creative spirit and join us at MPD!

The Digital Electronics and Electromagnetics Department (DEED) is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead a team dedicated to building innovative space payload subsystem prototypes with a focus on communications, SIGINT, and RADAR systems.  

These prototypes and resulting lessons learned are crucial for achieving mission success and identifying how commercial innovation can improve existing government systems and advance them. This team take on high-impact projects such as:

• design, modeling & simulation, analysis, and testing of antenna systems

• radio frequency (RF) front end electronics

• hardware implementation and testing of digital signal processing algorithms and embedded systems

DEED’s engineers provide technical expertise and solution support to a wide range of customers including the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC), and other civil customers (e.g. NASA). While previous management experience is a helpful for success in this role, it is also an opportunity for anyone interested in leadership and management career experience. This role is approximately 75% individual contributor and 25% team leadership. If you are ready to make waves in the industry, apply today!

Work Model: This position is primarily onsite in Chantilly, VA due to the nature of our work and our customers, all work is on site.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead an Engineering Team and Drive Research Efforts

  • Provide project leadership to a small team of engineers, guiding technical design and research efforts

  • Implement high-impact technical strategies for prototyping, and support the Director in building DEED’s research and development portfolio

• Shape the Future of Technical Excellence

  • Partner with Department Director to develop the top hardware engineering talent and expand technical capabilities to ensure our team stays ahead of industry advancement

  • Identify and capture new business opportunities that position our organization as a leader in the industry

• Foster Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Collaborate with DEED Technical Leaders and department Director to align technical efforts, share best practices, and shape a cohesive team strategy to exceed customer needs

  • Cultivate strong relationships with customer-facing groups to showcase technical capabilities and expand DEED’s partnership and support to our customers

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university in electrical or computer engineering, physics, or another related discipline

• Minimum of six years of relevant experience such as prototyping, antenna design/testing, software development, embedded systems, or similar fields

• Technical expertise in antenna design and test, communication system rapid prototyping, and/or accelerated embedded computing

• Demonstrated ability in project management, including the successful delivery of customer and business objectives

• Commitment to maintaining a customer-focused approach, navigating challenges with creativity and collaboration, and communicating clearly and effectively across diverse formats/audiences

• Willing to travel domestically up to 10%.

• Eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a clearance.

How You Can Stand Out

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

• Advanced degree from an accredited university in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or another related discipline.

• Experience working with experts in the fields of antenna systems, RF systems, SIGINT and/or RADAR processing, communications systems and hardware prototyping

• Background in communication theory.

• Work with Linux-based DSP systems that span across CPUs, FPGAs, GPUs, SDR platforms

• Experience using computational electromagnetics modsim tools such as HFSS, GRASP, or CST.

• Proficiency with a variety of popular SDR or FPGA tools such as GNUradio, Vivado, or ModelSim

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 various 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 employer. 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 peoplemangmnt.mailbox@aero.org . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal, as well as the Pay Transparency Policy Statement.