Spaceflight Mechanics Associate Director

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 Enterprise Effects Division (EED) drives integration of Aerospace's strategic capabilities across the national space enterprise. The division leverages its array of engineering disciplines against a broad and 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.

As a core component of the Mission Operations Subdivision within EED, the Emerging Missions Flight Dynamics Department provides flight mechanics expertise for multi-domain effects supporting our broad customer base . Ou r department specializes in atmospheric flight, cislunar mission design, and multi-objective spacecraft maneuver strategies . We are looking for an Associate Director to help provide strategic vision and project leadership for burgeoning customer bases, corporate priorities, and department growth areas . Core government customers include Golden Dome for America , Missile Defense Agency, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center , NASA, and the Intelligence Community. Furthermore, opportunities exist to partner on efforts with technically adjacent fields , such as fluid mechanics , missile warning and tracking , and multi-disciplinary design of re-entry vehicles .

Work Model

This is a full-time position based in El Segundo, CA or Colorado Springs, CO with the expectation that the selected candidate will work a minimum of 4 days per week onsite, as the business needs allow.

What You'll Be Doing

• Partner with the department director to synthesize and execute an organizational strategic vision

• Coordinate efforts of multiple department sections, partnering with those management teams

• Serve department staff through workload management, performance management, compensation assessment, staff engagement and retention, and department logistics

• Mentor/coach staff for technical, leadership, and professional development

• Pursue staff and organizational enablers, notably classified IT resources and clearance portfolios.

• Prioritize the department's business development, capability awareness, recruiting, hiring, and on-boarding endeavors to ensure long-term organizational health and customer engagement

• Develop customer relationships and facilitate opportunities for technical support, with a particular focus on resiliency-centric and operations-centric customer organizations

• Cultivate state-of-the-art modeling and simulation capabilities through strategic road mapping and by fusing customer and internal resources

• Partner with subdivision teams to provide bench depth and career growth opportunities while ensuring appropriate cross-organizational coordination

• Pursue multi-disciplinary opportunities to partner across the corporate engineering landscape, integrating department capabilities into broader workflows

• Travel occasionally (as necessary) to support customer efforts

What You Need to be Successful

• Bachelor's degree in applicable STEM areas

• Typically, 1 0 years of applicable professional or educational experience is desired

• Demonstrated technical expertise in one or more of the following areas: orbital mechanics, flight dynamics, optimal control, and numerical methods

• Demonstrated ability to initiate and lead team efforts

• Proven ability to foster collaborative and engaging environments where teammates work across organizational boundaries

• Exceptional time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and corporate needs

• Demonstrated interpersonal skills and leading from the front to influence technical, customer, and enterprise service organizations

• Willingness to travel domestically as necessary

• Current TS/SCI and/or TS/SAP access

How You Can Stand Out

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

• Advanced degree in an applicable field

• Previous management experience including staff recruitment and development, performance management, conflict resolution, organizational planning, and resource management

• Proven success in cultivating new customer opportunities and delivering results

• Organizing and executing the development of new technology and research efforts

• Leveraging or building analysis software to combine computational techniques and department functional areas

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)
$185,100.00 - $277,600.00

Pay 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 peoplemangmnt.mailbox@aero.org . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal .