Space Systems Engineering Manager

Umbra; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 195,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Time Off

Medical, Dental, Vision

401k with company contribution

Stock Options

Free Parking

Free lunch in office daily

Job summary

Umbra, a leading American space technology company, seeks an Engineering Manager in the Space Systems group. You will guide multi-disciplinary teams, drive innovation, and coordinate with hardware, software, and product teams to deliver mission-ready satellite technology.

You’ll report to the VP of Space Systems, mentor engineers, and shape career growth while applying agile practices to improve performance and reliability in a high-stakes aerospace environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related STEM field.
• 10+ years of professional experience in aerospace engineering, with at least 5+ years of hands‑on experience in space vehicle design.
• 5+ years of direct engineering personnel management, with proven experience managing senior technical staff members.
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams, including hiring, performance management, career development, succession planning, workload allocation, and accountability for technical quality and schedule performance.
• Proficiency in traditional project management practices, including critical path analysis, resource planning, and schedule management tools (e.g., MS Project).
• Working knowledge of Agile methodologies (Scrum, SAFe) and associated tooling (e.g., Jira).
• Proven ability to build, mentor, and sustain high-performing engineering teams in complex technical environments.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills, with the ability to engage effectively across technical and executive stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage personnel, oversee programmatic initiatives, and take accountability for the technical quality and schedule performance for a multi-disciplined team within the Space Systems Business Group.
• Support the professional growth and career development of spacecraft engineers, incorporating feedback from technical leadership.
• Drive innovation and implement process improvements to Umbra's engineering and space vehicle design practices to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
• Work closely with project, product, and technical leads to understand project scope, ensuring team members execute tasks with high quality and efficiency.
• Manage team members in areas such as workload, task assignments, support, development, and conflict resolution.
• Hold regular one-on-one meetings with team members and conduct quarterly performance evaluations.
• Partner with various stakeholders to execute headcount planning, recruitment, onboarding and training of new personnel.
• Represent the team's needs and capacity in technical meetings, collaborating with subject matter experts to ensure well-informed solutions.
• Work directly with the VP of Space Systems to coordinate and report on departmental efforts.
• Apply agile methodologies to support sprint planning, track progress, and manage individual performance.
• Ensure the team adheres to legal, security, and company policy requirements.
• Perform other professional duties as assigned.

Skills

Engineering management

Aerospace engineering

Space vehicle design

Leadership

Jira

MS Project

Agile methodologies

Communication

Talent development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Advanced degree in Engineering

Tools

Jira

MS Project

Job description

Umbra, a leading American space technology company, seeks an Engineering Manager in the Space Systems group. You will guide multi-disciplinary teams, drive innovation, and coordinate with hardware, software, and product teams to deliver mission-ready satellite technology.

You’ll report to the VP of Space Systems, mentor engineers, and shape career growth while applying agile practices to improve performance and reliability in a high-stakes aerospace environment.