Associate Director, Vehicle Engineering & Integration Department

The Aerospace Corporation; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 278,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Education assistance programs

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

The Aerospace Corporation is seeking a highly experienced Vehicle Engineering & Integration Department Associate Director in El Segundo, CA (or Chantilly, VA) with a strong background in vehicle systems engineering and leadership. The role requires coordination across disciplines, customer-facing collaboration, and travel as needed.

Qualified candidates will have a Bachelor’s degree, 12+ years in related engineering fields, and at least 2+ years of people management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited program in engineering, mathematics, science, or related field.
• Demonstrated 12+ years in mechanical design, optical-mechanical systems, propulsion, or related areas.
• 2+ years of people management, including hiring, mentoring, and performance reviews.

Responsibilities

• Support Director and management in establishing department objectives and staffing.
• Coordinate work activities, monitor progress, and allocate resources.
• Mentor early career staff and lead interdisciplinary teams across engineering domains.
• Lead technical design, analysis, and R&D across AI&T, M&S, and resiliency.
• Coordinate with customers on needs, schedules, and progress; maintain relationships.

Skills

People management

Leadership

Interdisciplinary teams

Effective communication

Systems engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Aerospace Corporation

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 Vehicle Systems Division (VSD) sits at the center of the ideas and data behind current and future systems supplying innovative research and development; technical evaluations during the acquisition process; conceptual and detailed design; assembly, integration, and test; and operational support. Comprised primarily of highly-trained mechanical and aerospace engineers, VSD provides national expertise in the areas of vehicle engineering; guidance, navigation, and controls; robotics; electro-mechanical devices; embedded systems; fluid mechanics; propulsion; thermal control; orbital mechanics; mechanisms; structures; structural dynamics; and dynamic environments. The Vehicle Engineering & Integration Department is part of the Vehicle Systems Division, the premier satellite and launch vehicle technical organization within the Aerospace Corporation.

Vehicle Engineering & Integration Department Associate Director

Vehicle Engineering & Integration is seeking a candidate to take on the role of Vehicle Engineering & Integration Department Associate Director (Associate Director – Interdisciplinary Vehicle Engineering and Integration) with a demonstrated record in leadership and a strong foundation in vehicle systems engineering, a passion for the space industry, and a desire to apply their expertise to help solve a variety of technical challenges facing national security space programs. This position is located in El Segundo, CA., or Chantilly, VA., and requires at least 4 days onsite.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Support the Director and management team in establishing department objectives, communicating them to staff and matrix organizations; contribute to decisions on organizational structure, staffing, and resource/budget allocation
• Assign functional responsibilities within assigned teams; coordinate work activities and monitor progress against schedules and allocations
• Conduct staff performance reviews and recommend development, promotion, and salary actions for assigned staff
• Maintain strong technical expertise in interdisciplinary systems engineering, AI&T, Modeling & Simulation (M&S), and resiliency-focused design; lead or co-lead technical teams performing engineering design, analysis, and R&D across these disciplines
• Support multidisciplinary system-level acquisition, design, integration and test (AI&T) activities for space vehicles and interfaces to launch and ground systems
• Help identify, mitigate, and resolve subsystem risks and issues, with emphasis on system resiliency; provide risk assessment input to program offices during development and operational phases
• Contribute guidance on technical topics to advance industry state-of-practice in systems engineering, AI&T, and resiliency
• Coordinate regularly with customers on needs, schedules, and progress; develop and maintain strong working relationships with customers and contractors
• Identify and pursue interdisciplinary project and business opportunities, including new customers and cross-divisional partnerships; support business development and technological innovation
• Review technical work, reports, and briefings for customer delivery; elevate for approval as appropriate
• Mentor early career and department staff, providing technical guidance across interdisciplinary engineering domains; help bring in tasks/projects beyond personal activities
• Participate in multi-disciplinary technical teams and matrixed program office support, as needed; travel to contractor/vendor facilities as required

What You Need to be Successful

• Minimum Requirements: Bachelor's degree from an accredited program in engineering, mathematics, science, or related
• Minimum of 12 years of experience in one or more of the following areas: mechanical design and analysis, design for manufacturing, optical-mechanical systems, environmental testing, propulsion, mechanisms, guidance and controls, thermal engineering, structures
• Demonstrated 2+ years of people management skills, including hiring, mentoring, staff development, and administering performance reviews
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with customers
• Strong technical leadership skills and a proven ability to build and lead interdisciplinary teams
• Conduct detailed technical analyses and apply knowledge independently with minimal guidance
• Ability to communicate effectively and develop relationships with customers, Aerospace, and contractor personnel
• Must be skilled in assembling and leading interdisciplinary team members and working across departments, divisions, and customers.
• Demonstrate exceptionally high level of innovation, creativeness, and initiative
• Willing to travel domestically and to work off-business hours to support customer needs, approximately 10% (as required)
• Current and active Top Secret/SCI security clearance issued by the US government or the ability to obtain one.
• US citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

What You Can Stand Out

• It would be impressive if you have one or more of these: Advanced degree in engineering, mathematics, science, or other technical discipline
• Experience in one or more of the following areas: electrical integration and testing, test hardware/software, electrical design, power systems, ground support equipment (electrical, mechanical, optical, test, etc.)
• Demonstrated 5+ years of people management skills, including hiring, mentoring, staff development planning, and conducting periodic performance reviews is preferred
• Experience working across multiple engineering disciplines
• Experience in business development activities
• Knowledge of satellite test standards and Aerospace mission assurance
• Knowledge of Aerospace’s Engineering and Technology Group’s capabilities and demonstrated interaction with their personnel

Compensation

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

• 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

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 [e-mail] . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.

Culture

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.

Right Place

The Aerospace Corporation has over 26 locations nationwide, which allows us to build a workforce that will nurture the best ideas, and generate the most novel innovations and solutions to our nation’s toughest space enterprise challenges.

Right Path

Aerospace covers all stages of the space lifecycle, from concept to operations. We believe our people are our most valuable resource and that’s why we propel our employees forward in their careers through ongoing education, training, and professional development.

Right Purpose

We can all serve a mission much greater than ourselves, and at Aerospace that is exactly what we do. By hiring the industry’s most preeminent scientists and engineers, Aerospace advances emerging technologies that protect some of the most critical missions on Earth and above it.

Security Clearance

Aerospace employees working in organizations with technical responsibilities are required to obtain a Security Clearance. U.S. citizenship is required for those positions.

U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance. U.S. citizenship is required for those positions.