Principal Director – Special Projects Directorate

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 National Systems Group serves as the technical advisor to the Intelligence Community and its mission partners involved in the collection and distribution of national and tactical intelligence, including electronics programs, advanced technologies, ground and communications, imagery programs, and systems engineering and launch.

The National Intelligence Division is looking for the new Principal Director for their Special Projects Directorate.  The Principal Director leads Aerospace’s support to a major U.S. Government agency, including directing in-house technical staff, arranging and managing technical reachback capabilities, interfacing with government customers, and oversight of the directorate’s contracting status and performance.  The selected candidate will provide management oversight and orchestrate technical leadership for acquisition, development, research, and operations support efforts spanning multiple customer lines of effort.  The selected candidate will also execute line management functions including staffing, mentoring, and strategic planning across the directorate’s portfolio.  The Principal Director will be the face of Aerospace to our customers at this agency and will need to demonstrate exemplary written and verbal communication skills, as well as exercise sound technical and management judgment.  This position is a direct report to the National Intelligence Division’s General Manager and includes corporate leadership responsibilities and assignments.

Work Model

This full-time position is based in Chantilly, VA and requires 100% onsite work.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Establishing strategic direction and objectives to the Special Projects Directorate consistent with corporate goals, customer needs, and assigned functions, and clearly communicate expectations to staff
• Leading the directorate’s development, discovery, and retention of staff talent
• Working closely with government technical leaders to identify challenges and provide timely, relevant, and high-quality solutions
• Working with government contracts personnel to ensure timely satisfaction of contractual deliveries and requirements
• Ensuring timely and accurate reporting of program information to senior Aerospace and customer leaders
• Maintaining understanding of current and future customer needs and applying in-house and reachback support to best satisfy these needs
• Encouraging and curating new ideas, tools, skills, processes, and creative thinking to sustain and expand directorate capabilities spanning concept design through development, deployment, and operations
• Managing technical and business functions on corporate unclassified networks and customer classified networks

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for the Principal Director

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in a STEM field or relevant technical discipline.
• 13 or more years of progressively responsible, applicable experience in systems engineering, program management, or other relevant field
• Previous personnel management experience and the ability to perform resource planning, staffing, mentoring, performance assessments, and other personnel management functions
• Recognized ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of corporate staff, government customers, and contractors
• Superior verbal and written communication skills
• A current TS/SCI security clearance with SSBI, issued by the US government, and a successfully adjudicated counter-intelligence polygraph. U.S citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance
• Ability to occasionally travel within the continental United States (10-20% of time)

How You Can Stand Out

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

• Prior experience managing customer-facing teams including developing organizational strategy and goals, managing leaders or senior staff, recruitment, performance management, development of talent
• Cross-functional collaboration and leadership skills, with the ability to make critical decisions and influence others
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute a strategic busin