Systems Director - Space Development Agency

Overview

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.

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. The Space Development Agency (SDA) was established in 2019 by the Department of Defense to define and monitor the Department’s future thread-driven space architecture and accelerate the development and fielding of new military space capabilities necessary to ensure our technological and military advantage in space for national defense.

Aerospace support to SDA resides within the Agile Acquisition Division of the Defense Architectures and Integration office of the Defense Systems Group, which provides decision support at the enterprise level to senior Aerospace customers across the Department of War, as well as helping to connect and align customers and Aerospace across the space enterprise.

This position provides leadership, planning, and direction of technical office staff and operations in support of the acquisition and development of SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). This role will assign resources, determine staffing needs, and coordinate activities and operations among SDA Cells, Tranches, and mission support areas, while coordinating across the Aerospace Enterprise with subject matter experts for support in defining processes and products, and prioritizing initial topic areas for ETG analysis, based on SDA requirements and emerging capabilities.

The selected candidate will be required to work full‑time, on‑site at one of the following facilities:
Chantilly, VA;
ElSegundo, CA;
Crystal City, VA;
Colorado Springs, CO;
Albuquerque, NM;
HillAFB, UT; or Cape Canaveral, FL.

• Provide strategic leadership and direction of technical office staff and operations in support of SDA mission areas, specifically for program enablers such as integration; battle management, command and control; cyber security; and threat assessments.
• Establish objectives and goals, set performance standards, and assess the sufficiency and quality of the team’s services to SDA.
• Lead in accordance with the Aerospace Leadership Competency Model (LCM):
  Operates Strategically, Engages with Impact, Leads Change, Fosters Innovation, Deliver Results.
• Act as a senior technical mentor to team members.
• Engage daily with SDA senior leaders, FFRDCs, UARCs, and SETA personnel across all program Cells, mission areas, and Tranches in the acquisition and development of the PWSA.
• Communicate frequently with the SDA customer to coordinate and report work progress, issues, and results and ensure rapid and efficient resolution to needs.
• Manage systems engineering support for SDA programs.
• Oversee technical aspects including systems options,…