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 Identity & Access Management (IAM) Director manages a team of IAM professionals, responsible for architecting, integrating, and administering our IAM infrastructure across the enterprise. IAM is critical to the mission success at Aerospace, and this role will require engagement across all business units to gather requirements and proactively implement solutions to provide secure but seamless IAM services. This role will report to the Deputy CIO/General Manager of the Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) Division under the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO).

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility in El Segundo, CA or Chantilly, VA.

What You’ll Be Doing

Develop and execute an enterprise IAM roadmap aligned with strategic initiatives and business requirements, including rationalization and lifecycle management of IAM services such as Microsoft Entra (IdP and Connect), Keycloak, core provisioning tools, Radiant FID, PKI services, and external account management solutions.
Oversee delivery of IAM projects, services, and infrastructure across the enterprise, ensuring that services are mature, properly staffed, documented, monitored, and road mapped.
Lead efforts to modernize and consolidate IAM capabilities, including migration from legacy or obsolete tools to strategic platforms (e.g., shifting internal SSO and external account management to Microsoft Entra/M365, decommissioning virtual directory and other legacy components where appropriate).
Collaborate with IT, Cybersecurity, Device Management, and other infrastructure teams to clarify ownership and accountability for key IAM-related services, including Active Directory, PKI, endpoint privilege management, and email security, and to automate or transition appropriate operational tasks to lower-tier support teams.
Drive standardization of IAM services and processes across networks (e.g., Aeronet, ASEnet, CoSeWAN), including user provisioning, privileged access management, and external collaboration (B2B) support.
Develop and maintain consistent IAM processes for specialized populations (e.g., AF Cadets, SkillBridge participants, other Military/Government accounts), ensuring that account approval and provisioning follow a Zero Trust model.
Engage with external partners to ensure Aerospace is securely collaborating using approved technologies and modern authentication standards.
Lead, mentor, and develop a team of IAM engineers and analysts; promote best practices in automation, scripting, and integration across cloud and on-premises environments.
Benchmark and partner with external organizations (FFRDCs, UARCs, Military, Industry, Government, Law Enforcement) to ensure Aerospace IAM strategy and deliverables are compliant, effective, and user friendly.

What You Need to be Successful – Identity & Access Management (IAM) Director

Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited program in cybersecurity, computer science, information systems, computer engineering, artificial intelligence, or equivalent field of study, or equivalent experience.
10+ years of IT/Security experience with at least 6+ years working directly with IAM technologies.
Hands-on experience and deep understanding of core IAM technologies including but not limited to identity provisioning, Public Key Infrastructure, multi-factor authentication, federated identity services, and directory services.
Previous experience designing and implementing enterprise IAM projects such as Single Sign-On (SSO), Multi-factor Authentication (MFA), Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), Active Directory, and Zero Trust (ZT) solutions.
Extensive experience with cloud/on-premises IAM, cyber and general IT infrastructure, including system automation programming and scripting.
Experience managing or integrating with enterprise platforms such as Microsoft Entra, Active Directory, PKI services, and cloud collaboration solutions (e.g., M365).
This position requires ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, 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:

Expertise in IAM standards such as LDAP, SAML, OpenID Connect, OAuth, FIDO2, SCIM, SQL.
Working knowledge of NIST SP 800-171, NIST SP 800-53, and FedRAMP authorization.
Proven experience with cloud IAM solutions, Artificial Intelligence–enabled access controls, Business-to-Business integrations, contextual authentication, and integration with external business partners.
Demonstrated success consolidating or modernizing IAM platforms and services, including decommissioning legacy tools and standardizing IAM operations across multiple networks or environments.
Master’s degree from an accredited program in cybersecurity, computer science, information systems, computer engineering, artificial intelligence, or equivalent field of study, or equivalent experience.
Active security clearance issued by the U.S. Government.

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)

$165,100.00 - $247,600.00Pay 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.

About the company

The Aerospace Corporation helps national security space programs through technical and scientific research, development, and advisory services. It provides engineering and acquisition management support to the Air Force, other Defense Department agencies, and civilian agencies. Its work covers launch system design and analysis, engineering, development, implications, and application, helping programs go from concept to tested systems. The company differentiates itself by focusing specifically on government space programs, offering independent technical expertise and mission-focused advisory services with a long history dating back to 1960, rather than competing primarily as a commercial contractor. Its goal is to enable reliable and secure space capabilities for national security by informing and guiding government programs from research through deployment.

Company Size

N/A

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

El Segundo, California

Founded

1960

Get referred to The Aerospace Corporation

See people who can refer or advise you

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

Aerospace and Google Public Sector launched a constellation-operations AI proof-of-concept on April 6, 2026.
Neumann Space signed a DiskSat commercial licence agreement on August 25, 2026, validating external demand.
Celeste Ford joined the Board of Trustees on September 23, 2026, strengthening defense and venture connectivity.

What critics are saying

Reuters on July 24, 2026 described Aerospace fighting young recruits as AI drains talent.
Law360 shows Fred Tucker v. The Aerospace Corporation et al. active on September 24, 2026.
Federal funding dependence and FFRDC constraints make a Pentagon budget cut existential within one cycle.

What makes The Aerospace Corporation unique

FFRDC status and 1960 heritage give Aerospace trusted access to classified national-security programs.
DiskSat architecture creates a standardized, stackable satellite platform; Neumann Space licensed it on August 25, 2026.
Agentic AI, NPPD propulsion, and deep systems engineering make Aerospace a mission-architecture integrator, not a contractor.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Benefits

Health Insurance
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Flexible Spending Account
Relocation Assistance
Professional Development Budget

Company News

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The Aerospace Corporation

Identity & Access Management Director

About the job