Director – Emerging Missions Flight Dynamics 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.

drives integration of Aerospace’s strategic capabilities across the national space enterprise. The division leverages a broad array of engineering disciplines against a 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.

Missions do not just thrive in Earth orbit anymore. Cislunar space is becoming a strategic domain for civil, commercial, and national security activities. Hypersonic and near-space threats are reshaping the war fighting landscape. Our customers need solutions that do not yet exist. This is where the Emerging Missions Flight Dynamics Department lives. The Aerospace Corporation is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) delivering the nation's most advanced technical expertise across satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil, and commercial customers.

Within our Mission Operations Subdivision, the Emerging Missions Flight Dynamics Department (EMF) pioneers flight mechanics solutions for domains that were once considered academic.

We are searching for a director to lead this department built to rapidly respond to the nation’s most urgent emerging priorities, from the Earth-Moon system to the edge of space and back down through the atmosphere. This is an opportunity to define an entirely new disciplines at the intersection of cislunar dynamics, multi-objective trajectory optimization, and atmospheric/near-space war fighting. You will lead three distinct, cutting-edge sections
- Cislunar Mission Design, Orbit and Trajectory Utility, and Trans-Atmospheric Effects - plus an Advanced Reentry and Weapons Office, uniting a multidisciplinary team of over three dozen experts spread across Aerospace’s primary locations:
El Segundo, Colorado Springs, and Chantilly.

Full-time position, minimum four days per week onsite based in El Segundo, CA or Chantilly, VA.

• Set and execute the strategic vision for a multi-site department, managing 35+ technical staff and managers
• Partner with customers to develop innovative flight dynamics solutions and position EMFDD as the technical authority in emerging flight regimes
• Advise Aerospace leadership on technical investments and organizational strategies

• Build and expand relationships with defense agencies, the Intelligence Community, NASA, and commercial space operators to shape future mission concepts and designs
• Lead capture and business development for a department positioned at the convergence of multiple high-growth national priority areas
• Represent the department as a thought leader at customer forums, technical conferences, and organizational strategy sessions

• Recruit, hire, and retain top talent in highly specialized disciplines
• Ensure that the department technical bench can meet surging customer demand
• Cultivate a culture where bold technical ideas and…