Space Forces Component Operations Lead

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.

Defense Systems Group (DSG) provides analysis-based decision support to senior leaders on space architectures, policy and strategy, technology development, warfighter capability enablers, systems integration, defense industrial base, and threat reduction to help shape existing and future space missions across the national security space (NSS) enterprise. DSG is unique at Aerospace as it not only directly supports major customers, including the U.S. Space Force, U.S. Space Command, Air Force Materiel Command, and senior leadership at the Pentagon, but also provides a broad range of technical support across the national space enterprise, maintaining vertical responsibilities with customers' portfolios as well as horizontal, matrixed responsibilities across the corporation. Additionally, DSG provides deep technical expertise to the Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC) in the conception, design, acquisition, launch and operations of satellite, launch vehicle, ground control, and range systems.

As part of the Space Enterprise and Warfighting Division, our Space Warfighting Directorate provides high-quality analytic support to the United States Space Force (USSF), United States Space Command (USSPACECOM), and the USSF Space Component Field Commands. This position serves as a Space Forces Component Operations Lead (Senior Project Engineer – Technical Project Management), based in Colorado Springs, CO, with strong ties to the Component Field Commands and the broader Aerospace backplane. We are seeking an experienced subject matter expert and highly motivated senior leader to help bridge operations and engineering. This role ensures Aerospace's technical space domain expertise and analytic rigor are focused on the most important problems facing the USSF Space Component Field Commands. The candidate will work as part of a leadership team within the Space Warfighting Directorate to understand, prioritize, and translate component operational needs into Aerospace analysis, modeling, and concept work that delivers maximum value to our customers in space and joint warfighting.

This position is primarily based on-site in Colorado Springs with moderate travel to USSF Component Field Commands, Combatant Commands, and other CONUS locations as required.

What You'll Be Doing

• Serve as Aerospace's senior operational lead for USSF Space Component Field Commands, with an initial focus on SPACEFOR-INDOPAC, SPACEFOR-CENT, and SPACEFOR-SPACE (S4S), while leading buildup of Aerospace support to SPACEFOR-EURAF, -SOUTH, -NORTH, and the SOCOM Space Element.
• Maintain a continuous operational picture of component needs and priorities, including missions, OPLANs, named operations, and major exercises, and how components interact with CSpOC, NSDC, JOPC, and other service Operational Centers.
• Act as a coherent "voice on space warfighting" representing USSF and USSPACECOM perspectives, helping clarify roles and expectations when the enterprise inquires.
• Work as part of a Space Warfighting leadership team to understand a prioritized set of component needs, focus Aerospace resources on the most consequential problems in space and joint warfighting, and ensure the broader Aerospace backplane (Engineering and Technology Group, Civil Support Group, National Systems Group, program offices) is aligned on those priorities.
• As Aerospace's representative in component environments, translate operational needs into technical work.
• Lead or coordinate multidisciplinary teams of technical contributors supporting component operations, analysis, and planning; provide operational context, prioritize tasks, and facilitate communications across Aerospace and government stakeholders.
• Serve as a senior mentor and integrator for Aerospace personnel embedded at Component Field Commands (e.g., SPACECENT) and supporting from reachback.
• Support planning and execution of space operations in component, CCMD, and joint venues.
• Coordinate technical efforts across program/project lines, leveraging Aerospace expertise to develop component-relevant space employment concepts/mission threads and conduct concept exploration/program definition studies for USSF capabilities supporting component and CCMD missions.
• Advocate for component space requirem