Associate Director Mission Engineering 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.

The Enterprise Effects Division (EED) drives integration of Aerospace’s strategic capabilities across the national space enterprise. The division leverages a broad array of engineering disciplines against a diverse and dynamic portfolio of programs, customers, and national challenges. EED spans the capability lifecycle from concept and architecture design to performance assessment to application of space and space-enabled capabilities.  

As part of the Enterprise Design Subdivision (EDS), The Mission Engineering Department provides technical expertise and leadership in mission engineering methods, processes, and tools to a broad range of customers, including National Security Space (NSS) and other defense programs, NASA, NOAA, NNSA, and others. Members of the Mission Engineering Department evaluate and assess customer mission-integration needs and/or challenges, develop end-to-end mission threads, and provide timely advice, make recommendations to enterprise leaders on risks, issues, and gaps, and develop recommended solutions to enable desired mission outcomes. The Mission Engineering Department applies the mission-engineering tradecraft to build and analyze end-to-end effects-chains. The Associate Director for the Mission Engineering Department will focus on our building our partnerships with customers to create and execute new business development strategies and build our team with top talent to solve our customers’ hardest challenges. 

Work Model:  

This full-time position requires 100% onsite work in Colorado Springs, CO, or El Segundo CA. 

What You’ll Be Doing:    

• Contribute to development of the vision and direction for the department to execute and enhance corporate capabilities that inform our customers’ architecture, systems-of-systems, and enterprise decisions. 

• Ensure Mission Engineering Department activities fully leverage expertise from across Aerospace and incorporate best enterprise systems engineering practices 

• Assist the Director in managing the Mission Engineering Department, serving as the primary responsible day-to-day manager for Department staff located in your area; conducting staff performance reviews and performing other personnel management functions; managing team resources and needs; and recommending performance improvement, career development, personnel actions, and awards 

• Serve as a focal point for program office inquiries for new tasking, utilizing enterprise and mission engineering principles to help program offices to define the problem space, create implementation plans, and identify appropriate personnel to perform the work based on your knowledge of resources and expertise across the company 

• Foster an organizational cultur