Principal Director - Launch Directorate

Principal Director Of The Launch 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 adviser to the National Reconnaissance Office and its mission partners involved in the collection and distribution of national and tactical intelligence, including electronics programs, ground and communications, imagery programs, and systems engineering and launch.

As the Principal Director of the Launch Directorate sub-division within the Systems Engineering and Launch Division, you will lead a varied, geographically dispersed organization providing deep technical expertise and critical recommendations to the Government and senior Aerospace Corporation executives for all customer National Security launched systems. You will lead a team providing critical mission integration of critical national security satellites with selected launch providers, robust engineering evaluation of missions ensuring they are ready for launch, evaluation and assessment of launch base infrastructure to support mission operations, and manage crucial day of launch activities, including providing the final recommendations to the Mission Director to proceed with launch.

You will ensure the best Aerospace technical capabilities are applied to each mission, ensuring all mission design and engineering are provided to ensure 100% mission success.

This is a 100% on-site position in El Segundo, CA with frequent travel to Chantilly, VA and US launch bases.

What You'll Be Doing

• Managing and leading a geographically dispersed team providing the critical launch systems engineering, systems engineering, mission engineering, facility engineering enabling each customer spaceflight launch mission.
• Provide critical launch mission assurance engineering through a dedicated team of spaceflight launch systems experts.
• Providing expert advice to customer leadership in areas such as long-term direction and strategic planning for the Office of Space Launch, comprehensive risk assessments and mission readiness of specific launch vehicle hardware and launch vehicle readiness on day of launch.
• Provide collaborative engineering review with leaders from United States Space Force (USSF) Launch Enterprise and Aerospace leaders providing direct support to the USSF Launch Enterprise.
• Manage schedules, budgets and personnel resources for execution of direct Professional Technical Service (PTS) staff and oversight of PTS executed on behalf of the Office of Space Launch for the benefit of the USSF Launch enterprise.
• Lead a team of experts, including in-house direct staff and matrixed experts from the Engineering and Technology Group in providing mission support and detailed engineering risk assessments for specific flight hardware.
• Develop the next set of leaders and launch mission integration experts by leveraging your leadership skills and expertise

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's or Advanced degree from an accredited program in engineering, mathematics, physical sciences or other discipline relevant to launch system integration.
• Fifteen or more years demonstrating progressively more responsible experience in technical developments, acquisition of space systems and/or space launch operations
• Direct experience with the launch of national security systems and generally working knowledge of today's launch systems
• Proven experience as a people leader
• Proven capability of creating and executing plans with long-term impact
• Outstanding communication skills both with executives and subject matter experts.
• Willing to travel domestically up to 50% of the time across a year.
• Candidates must…