Manager, Spectrum Engineering & Policy

The Aerospace Corporation; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 148,000 - 221,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care plans

Paid holidays

Telework options

401(k) matching

Relocation assistance

Professional growth

Education assistance

Job summary

The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, CA is seeking a Senior Spectrum Engineer to lead RF spectrum engineering initiatives and shape national security policy. You will guide multi-disciplinary teams across engineering, policy, and operations, delivering high-impact spectrum solutions for critical space programs.

This on-site role requires a deep technical background, a drive to innovate, and the ability to engage customers and contractors in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline from an accredited university
• 8+ years of relevant experience in communication systems, architectures, and networks
• Genuine curiosity and willingness to dive deep into spectrum management — both the technical engineering and the policy landscape
• Proven ability to lead multi‑disciplinary teams and drive projects from concept to execution
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, with the confidence to engage customers and contractors in a fast‑paced, high‑stakes environment
• Active Secret clearance and eligibility for Top Secret/SCI clearance required (U.S. citizenship required to obtain and maintain)
• Flexibility to travel in support of the mission

Responsibilities

• Solve problems that matter.
• Provide technical leadership on complex RF interference, spectrum sharing, and spectrum policy challenges with national security implications.
• Build something exceptional. Recruit, hire, mentor, and grow a high‑performing team of early career spectrum engineers and policy experts — shaping careers while shaping outcomes.
• Lead with purpose. Manage technical teams delivering spectrum support to premier customers, including Space Systems Command and the Intelligence Community.
• Drive strategy. Partner with the Department leadership on project management, resource allocation, strategic planning, and new business development that expands our spectrum mission.
• Be the connector. Interface directly with program offices to translate customer needs into clear tasks, schedules, and mission‑driven results.

Skills

Leadership

Interpersonal communication

Strategic thinking

Travel readiness

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Python

MATLAB

C++

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.

At the Mission Payloads Division (MPD), we are pioneers in remote sensing systems that guide our country’s space enterprise. Our talented and dynamic people create and flourish in electronics, sensors, radar, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced data network domains. We boldly advance technology through our research and development and then forward to demonstration and integration. With innovative laboratories and prototyping, MPD delivers groundbreaking results. We guide our Department of Defense, intelligence community, and civil clients to enhance national productivity and security and tackle the most critical missions. Bring your intelligence and creative spirit and join us at MPD! Every satellite communication, every military data link, every command and telemetry signal depends on something invisible but fiercely contested: spectrum. Within our MPD the Communication Architectures Department (CAD) sits at the intersection of cutting-edge RF engineering and high‑stakes national policy.

We don't just analyze spectrum — we shape the regulations and strategies that ensure our nation's most critical wireless systems have the spectrum access they need to operate, today and decades from now. From satellites to launch vehicles, ground systems to cyber, CAD and its spectrum engineers are broadly engaged across every domain where space matters most to our nation's defense, civil, and commercial future. Join us, and you won't just manage a team — you'll help define how the United States secures and defends its access to the electromagnetic spectrum for generations of space systems to come. This is more than a management role — it's an opportunity to lead at the frontier where engineering excellence meets national strategy. If you're ready to build a team, shape policy, and protect the spectrum that powers America's space future, we want to hear from you.

The selected candidate will be required to work full time on‑site at our facility at El Segundo, CA.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Solve problems that matter.
• Provide technical leadership on complex RF interference, spectrum sharing, and spectrum policy challenges with national security implications.
• Build something exceptional. Recruit, hire, mentor, and grow a high‑performing team of early career spectrum engineers and policy experts — shaping careers while shaping outcomes.
• Lead with purpose. Manage technical teams delivering spectrum support to premier customers, including Space Systems Command and the Intelligence Community.
• Drive strategy. Partner with the Department leadership on project management, resource allocation, strategic planning, and new business development that expands our spectrum mission.
• Be the connector. Interface directly with program offices to translate customer needs into clear tasks, schedules, and mission‑driven results.

What You Need to be Successful

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline from an accredited university
• 8+ years of relevant experience in communication systems, architectures, and networks
• Genuine curiosity and willingness to dive deep into spectrum management — both the technical engineering and the policy landscape
• Proven ability to lead multi‑disciplinary teams and drive projects from concept to execution
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, with the confidence to engage customers and contractors in a fast‑paced, high‑stakes environment
• Active Secret clearance and eligibility for Top Secret/SCI clearance required (U.S. citizenship required to obtain and maintain)
• Flexibility to travel in support of the mission

What You Can Stand Out

• Master's or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Communication Systems, or Systems Engineering
• Hands‑on experience with ITU, NTIA, or FCC spectrum management processes
• Familiarity with national security space programs and/or commercial satellite systems
• Prior people‑management experience, including leading remote or distributed teams
• Technical fluency in Python, MATLAB, C++, or other programming/software development tools
• Active TS/SCI clearance

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) $147,600.00 - $221,400.00 Pay Basis: Annual

Leadership Competencies

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

Benefits

• 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

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.

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.

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