Associate Principal Director - Space Warfighting Operations

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.

Within DSG, our Space Warfighting Directorate provides high-quality analytic support to the United States Space Force (USSF), United States Space Command (USSPACECOM), and the USSF Space Component Field Commands. We are looking for an Associate Principal Director – Space Warfighting Operations to serve as Aerospace's senior integrating leader across our support to USSPACECOM's Joint Staff and to US Space Forces – Space (S4S)/CJFSCC's Operations Centers. These organizations sit on the front lines of the nation's efforts to achieve and maintain space superiority, operating the command and control centers responsible for detecting, characterizing, and responding to threats in an increasingly contested and congested space domain. This role is critical to ensuring Aerospace delivers coherent, high-impact technical support to the leaders and operators defending the nation's space capabilities during competition, crisis, and conflict.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Serve as Aerospace's senior integrating leader for support to USSPACECOM's Joint Staff and S4S/CJFSCC's Joint Operations Centers (CSpOC, NSDC, JOPC), ensuring Aerospace's technical depth is focused on the most consequential problems facing space warfighters. Operates Strategically by anticipating and generating integrated solutions ahead of customer need.
• Lead a geographically distributed, technical team including a Systems Director currently supporting these customer sets, ensuring coherent prioritization and resource allocation across the combined portfolio. Engages with Impact by building trust across all levels of the organization and developing talent ahead of need.
• Serve as the senior Aerospace relationship-holder with USSPACECOM Joint Staff leadership and S4S/CJFSCC/Delta-level leadership, representing the Directorate in strategic planning venues critical to space domain operations. Leads Change by effectively influencing multiple stakeholders whose interests and priorities are not always aligned.
• Identify opportunities to maximize warfighter impact by applying varied experiences and inviting different perspectives to solve the hardest operational and technical challenges facing these organizations. Fosters Innovation by challenging conventional approaches to deliver decision-quality support at the speed of operations.
• Coordinate with Aerospace personnel supporting other USSF Component Field Commands to identify synergies, share lessons learned, and pursue common projects across theaters.
• Provide periodic execution reviews to Aerospace senior management and customer leadership on program status, accomplishments, challenges, and strategic opportunities. Delivers Results by making decisions with an enterprise mindset that considers strategic, operational, and financial factors.

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, or other technical/STEM discipline from a recognized institution.
• 15 or more years of progressively responsible technical and/or operational leadership experience in space systems, space operations, joint military operations, or systems integration.
• Demonstrated experience leading or coordinating multidisciplinary, multi-organizational technical teams in support of complex analytic or operational tasking.
• Demonstrated organizational leadership experience for a disparate, geographically distributed team, including hiring, mentoring, and professional development of technical staff.
• Proven ability to establish, maintain, and evolve relationships with senior military and civilian customer leadership (O-6/GS-15 and above).
• Ability to travel, approximately 10-20% (as required).
• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance and SAP/SAR access, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:

• Master's degree or greater in engineering, physics, mathematics, space operations, or related field.
• 20 or more years of experience in space systems, space operations, or joint warfighting, with demonstrated progression into senior leadership roles.
• Direct experience with USSPACECOM headquarters staff (J3/J5/J7/J8), CSpOC, NSDC, JOPC, or JNWC.
• Experience with multinational space partnership efforts, foreign military sales, or international space cooperation.
• Working knowledge of Aerospace's ETG organizations, tools, and reachback capabilities.

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business.  The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below.  Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills.

(Min - Max)

$224,000.00 - $336,000.00Pay Basis: Annual

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:

• Operate Strategically
• Lead Change   
• Engage with Impact   
• Foster Innovation   
• Deliver Results  

Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type.  A few highlights include:

• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans

• Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation

• Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options

• 401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire

• Flexible spending accounts

• Variable pay program for exceptional contributions

• Relocation assistance

• Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career

• Education assistance programs

• An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect

We are all unique, from various backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each other—the belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.

Equal Opportunity Commitment

The Aerospace Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, color, religion, genetic information, marital status, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If you’re an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process, please contact us by phone at 310.336.5432 or by email at [email protected] . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.