xLab Principal Director

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.

About the Landscape

The Aerospace Corporation’s Experiments Lab, xLab, develops prototypes, instruments, pathfinders, and demonstration systems that target our customers’ hardest problems at a time of increasing strategic importance. We engage with our customers to conceptualize and deliver innovative and impactful solutions (products) for ground and space and everything in between.  xLab’s multi-disciplinary engineers and technical staff have a passion for design, a commitment to teamwork and a desire to help Aerospace make a difference to today’s challenges. The 80+ xLab staff comprise many decades of experience that has resulted in hundreds of deliverable instruments and systems.

About the Role

We are seeking an innovative Principal Director to lead the xLab, who will report to the Vice President & Chief Technology Officer (CTO), of The Aerospace Corporation. The xLab Principal Director (PD) leads a diverse organization of multi-disciplinary hands-on project managers, engineers and technical staff located primarily in El Segundo, CA and a small but growing contingent in Chantilly, VA.  xLab’s $115+M  portfolio comprises 20+ projects (at any given time) that span mission areas critical to national security space and to Aerospace’s strategic objectives.

The Principal Director is responsible for executing and evolving the FY24 – FY26 xLab strategies consistent with corporate and CTO objectives, including

• Evolution of our small satellites to new orbit regimes and form factors to support novel and rapid customer first-of-a kind demonstration missions
• Extend space testbed to support algorithm development for autonomous operation, rendezvous and proximity operations, special sensors
• Demonstration of low SWAP-C sensors, including miniaturization, for remote sensing, area search, space and terrestrial climatology, computing at the edge
• Exploit COTS for rapid responses

You should have a strong technical acumen and business development experience, a big-picture vision for impact to our customers, and the ability to drive and develop strong collaborations between xLab, Aerospace’s Engineering & Technology Group (ETG), program offices, and external customers, including SSC, NRO, the intelligence community, NASA and other partners.  This position requires a dynamic and collaborative leader who recognizes the unique nature of xLab to design, build, test and deliver first article prototypes, and who will continue the trajectory of the highly successful xLab into the future.

Work Model: This is a full-time, 100% on-site position based in El Segundo, CA.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Manage/oversee operation and execution budgets for $30M-$35M annual revenue to deliver impactful prototypes to multiple internal and external customers
• Effectively lead, manage, and direct resources and overall operations of a dynamic and geographically dispersed team of world class engineers, project managers, and technical support team
• Work across xLab and Aerospace to develop solutions that enable enterprise mission success, deliver technical excellence, people excellence, and operational excellence
• Execute and evolve xLab strategies, objectives, etc. within framework of the Office of the Chief Technology Office (OCTO)
• Evolve internal Investments with focus on growing/enhancing xLab’s contribution to corporate success (meet the increasing demand for prototypes delivered on rapid timelines with transition plans)
• Foster and support team development for successful project execution

• Maintain, stimulate, and grow effective partnerships across the enterprise (ETG, NSG, DSG, CSG, and the new Solution Accelerator)
• Develop internal and external relationships through outreach with ETG, customers, industry partners and other FFRDCs, UARCs, and USG Labs

• Lean into challenging work, take responsible risks
• Work with xLab leaders to assign