Director, Space Sciences Department

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 Physical Sciences Laboratories (PSL) is a diverse scientific organization that provides a broad and innovative research and development backplane for a growing space enterprise.  PSL’s impact is grown through a diverse research portfolio that blends foundational scientific research with cutting-edge technology development to serve a broad customer base. PSL’s exclusive ability to work with all stakeholders: (government, industry, and academia) enables us to provide novel solutions to the most challenging issues in current and future technology applications. The strength of PSL comes from the combination of cutting-edge tools and facilities, a vast repository of space-system knowledge, and the extensive technical expertise of our people. We harness these tools and expertise in over 150 different laboratories to tackle the new challenges for the space enterprise.  

The Space Sciences Department (SSD) research plays a critical role in space science R&D in collaboration with academia, industry, and government customers. The Director, Space Sciences Department will serve as the visionary leader and people manager to facilitate a growing staff and new R&D horizons. This leader will build and shape integrated, multidisciplinary teams to support a growing variety of customer and collaborators while developing the new capabilities necessary to meet future demand and technology needs.   

SSD performs innovative research and development in the following areas:  

• Applied research in the magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere with an emphasis on impacts on space systems 

• Application of space science expertise addressing complex challenges of the commercial, civil, and National Security Space enterprise 

• Development of tools and applications to support space situational awareness, anomaly resolution, and satellite design 

• Innovative prototyping for the development of new space environment sensors including miniaturization and simplification to support proliferation 

• Collaboration and engagement with the broader research community to facilitate the uptake of space science basic research and support for the overall operations-to-research-to-operations paradigm 

• Cross-cutting developments to ensure space environment information reaches its full value across the broader space enterprise  

This full-time position will be nominally located 100% onsite in El Segundo, CA with consideration in Chantilly, VA.   

What You’ll Be Doing   

• Provide people and organizational leadership including recruiting strategies, mentoring and developing staff, career and performance management, compensation, driving engagement and retention of department as well as leading diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives 

• Hire, train, and mentor a growing staff for technical, programmatic, and customer leadership through active management and collaboration with other internal and external groups  

• Manage departmental resources and operational budgets associated with laboratory budgets, capital investments, and staff resources  

• Develop integrated strategies that unify space science R&D needs across the space enterprise and position Aerospace as a continued leader in current and new focus areas  

• Cultivate relationships with collaborators and customers to facilitate understanding of existing and emerging challenges in their programs and develop R&D objectives around these challenges  

• Manage a diverse portfolio of cutting-edge research matched to national security space programs and missions  

• Work with customers and staff to develop product and delivery goals and commitments  

• Work in collaboration with operational organizations such as Project Management/Contract Office, Facilities, and Supply Chain  

What You Need to be Successful  

Minimum Requirements:  

• Bachelor's degre