Associate Systems Director - STARS

aero; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, CA is seeking an Associate Systems Director to partner with the STARS Systems Director, ensuring operational excellence while strategically modernizing legacy infrastructure toward the STARS 2.0 cloud-based platform.

You will oversee three geographically distributed facilities (ATC, ER, WR), drive infrastructure modernization, DevOps integration, and resource planning to maintain mission readiness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field (Master's preferred).
• Demonstrated experience in systems engineering, DevOps, and cloud-based platforms is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the STARS Systems Director to maintain operational excellence across three sites.
• Lead infrastructure modernization and cloud integration planning.
• Oversee transition of support from development to operations teams.
• Develop and enforce operational procedures and training programs.
• Assist in procurement and capital planning for modernization efforts.
• Communicate status and strategy to leadership and stakeholders.
• Support mission operations and occasional travel to launch sites.

Skills

Cloud platforms

DevOps

Systems engineering

Operational leadership

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field

Master's degree preferred

Job description

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 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.

STARS, the Spacelift Telemetry Acquisition and Reporting System, is a networked, distributed processing system used to acquire , process, analyze, display, and archive launch vehicle telemetry and other data for vehicle checkout and launch activities. We are seeking an Associate Systems Director to partner with the STARS Systems Director in ensuring operational continuity while strategically planning the modernization and integration of legacy infrastructure with the STARS 2.0 cloud-based platform.

Reporting directly to the STARS Systems Director, you will be responsible for maintaining operational excellence across three geographically distributed facility sites while simultaneously developing and executing strategic plans to modernize infrastructure, processes, and support models. This role requires someone who can improve operational and mission readiness with forward-looking transformation initiatives. You will work closely with the Systems Director to operationalize production-ready STARS 2.0 capabilities, transition support responsibilities from development teams to operations teams, and identify gaps in resources, processes, and capabilities before they become critical issues. The ideal candidate combines technical depth (cloud platforms, DevOps, systems engineering) with strong operational leadership and strategic planning skills. You must be comfortable managing mission-critical operations while driving organizational change, building consensus across diverse stakeholder groups, and making strategic decisions that balance immediate operational needs with long-term modernization goals.

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our Aerospace Technical Campus in El Segundo, CA.

What You'll Be Doing

• Partner with the Systems Director to develop and execute the long-term strategic vision for STARS operations and infrastructure
• Ensure operational continuity and mission-readiness across legacy STARS infrastructure and three geographically distributed facility sites (ATC, ER, WR)
• Lead infrastructure modernization and process improvement initiatives, identifying gaps in resources, processes, and capabilities while anticipating future operational challenges
• Lead the operationalization of new production-ready capabilities, including transitioning support from development teams to operations teams by implementing operational procedures and training programs
• Develop strategies to integrate the new cloud-based analytical platform with legacy infrastructure, ensuring seamless operations during the transition
• Recommend capital purchases and manage procurement strategy to support operational and modernization needs
• Oversee operational coordination across multiple teams at three geographical locations working with site managers to address needs and issues
• Communicate operational status and strategic progress to key stakeholders including Principal Director, General Manager, and program leadership
• Support live mission operations, including availability outside of normal business hours as needed
• Travel occasionally to launch sites (at least annually) to meet with stakeholders and field teams

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for Systems Director - Engineering Program Management and Systems Engineering :

Bachelor's degree in Engineering , Computer Science, or related technical field ( Master's preferred)