Chief Mission Technology Architect - Retiree Casual

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.

The 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 the Chief Mission Technology Architect for the Missile Warning and Tracking Ground Development, Data Exploitation and Operations subdivision, you will serve as a strategic technical leader responsible for modernizing and integrating resilient ground systems in support of Space Systems Command’s Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) missile warning and tracking (MWT) enterprise. This role demands a visionary technologist with extensive knowledge of industry’s next-generation technology solutions that enable seamless data flow, exploitation, and mission execution. Working directly with the Principal Director and Chief Engineer, you will define and execute the technical strategy that brings industry’s best-in-breed technology solutions, with significant emphasis on commercial cloud service providers, to bear for OPIR MWT operational effects.

The selected candidate will be required to work part-time on-site at our facility in El Segundo, CA.  This is a Retiree Casual position and limited to 500 hours per calendar year.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Design and implement data architecture solutions encompassing dissemination, archiving, and exploitation workflows that enable rapid access to mission-critical information
• Lead technical integration efforts connecting compute resources, R&D environments, and data exploitation capabilities across disjointed platforms
• Harmonize disparate software development environments and establish enterprise patterns that improve developer productivity and system maintainability while embedding security throughout the software development lifecycle
• Serve as the principal technical advisor to leadership on leveraging industry-sourced ground system solutions, technology investments, and capability roadmaps
• Build collaborative relationships across government, contractor, technology vendor and laboratory partners to ensure technical coherence and mission alignment
• Drive adoption of modern DevSecOps practices and cloud-native architectures while maintaining operational continuity and security posture of critical missile warning systems

What You Need to be Successful -

Minimum Requirements - Principal Engineer/Scientist - Cyber Security Arch. and Cloud Computing Arch. (MTS Retiree Casual IV):

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Science/STEM-related area of study
• Strong background in leading teams in ground systems and software development
• 15 or more years of proven, related experience in integrating complex systems
• Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into actionable, near-term objectives
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with both internal and external stakeholders
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• This position requires a current Top Secret SCI clearance, which is issued by the US government. US citizenship is required to receive a security clearance.

How You Can Stand Out

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

• Experience in developing and executing strategies for integrating modern information systems and advanced technolog