Systems Director - DAF Integrated Fires Command and Control (DIFC2)

The Aerospace Corporation; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

The Aerospace Corporation in Reston, VA is seeking a Systems Director – Engineering Program Management and Systems Engineering to lead the DIFC2 program team, manage PTS execution and cross-enterprise integration, and provide direct technical contributions to requirements, architecture, and program decision support.

The role requires a STEM bachelor’s, 12+ years of progressive technical and leadership experience, ability to work with government and contractors, and willingness to travel up to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM field.
• 12+ years of progressive technical and leadership experience.
• Proven leadership, mentorship, and collaboration skills.
• Experience with technical analyses, networking and architecture trades, requirements development.
• Proven ability to work with government acquisition programs and senior customers.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and management of the DIFC2 program team, including staff oversight, budget management, and cross-enterprise integration.
• Serve as the primary focal point for the government customer, establishing a long-term working relationship and contributing technically to acquisitions.
• Collaborate across gov, contractor, and FFRDC teams to deliver technical assessments and decision support.
• Lead coordination across program staff and technical reach back to support DIFC2 development and test activities (Systems Engineering Working Group, IPT).
• Contribute technically in cloud-based capabilities, UI/UX, AI, data integration, and communications.
• Provide mentoring and set direction for team members.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Team building

Mentorship

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

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 Material 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.

DSG's Joint and Multi-Domain Subdivision supports a broad sponsor landscape, extending Aerospace's space-based technical expertise to operational end users. With projects ranging from state of the art research and concept development, to prototyping, cutting-edge laboratory environments, fully integrated operational capabilities, and robust analytics and decision support tools, Aerospace's support to the military Services, Combatant Commands, and other government agencies helps to enable strategic decisions, explore new operational concepts, and drive toward integrated, multi-domain capabilities.

As the Systems Director responsible for Aerospace's support to the DAF Integrated Fires Command and Control (DIFC2) program, you'll play a pivotal role in expanding Aerospace's contribution and influence in the Command, Control, Communications, and Battle Management (C3BM) community, fostering end user integration of data to support the Long Range Kill Chain. In this role, you will lead and provide strategic direction for Aerospace's DIFC2 program team while also providing direct technical contributions to the program, helping to ensure timely delivery of warfighter capability.

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on‑site with the customer in Reston, VA.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Provide overall leadership and management of Aerospace's DIFC2 program team, including direct management of program office staff, oversight and accountability of PTS execution and budget management, and direct efforts to integrate across the C3BM Enterprise.
• Serve as the primary focal point for the DIFC2 government customer, establishing a long‑term working relationship and providing direct technical contributions to the acquisition programs and their integration into the DAF Battle Network (DBN).
• Collaborate across a gov, contractor, and FFRDC team and deliver exceptional technical assessments and decision support products to our government customers.
• Lead and coordinate across a combination of direct program staff and technical reach back to support the DIFC2 program development and test and additional activities such as the Systems Engineering Working Group and Data Integrated Product Team (IPT).
• Provide direct contributions in one or more of the following technical areas: development and utilization of cloud-based capabilities, UI/UX, integration and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), data integration, and communications.
• Demonstrate leadership for team members, set expectations and direction, and provide feedback and mentoring.

What You Need To Be Successful

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

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM field or closely related technical field
• 12 or more years of progressive technical and leadership experience, including multi-disciplinary systems engineering in a program oversight environment
• Demonstrated leadership skills including team building/development, establishing trust, conflict resolution, mentorship, and collaboration.
• Experience leading and contributing to technical analyses, networking and architecture trades, requirements development, and mission engineering assessments
• Proven ability to work effectively with government acquisition programs and senior customers (O-6/GS-15 level)
• Proven ability to network and collaborate with contractors, other government agencies, and internal organizations (e.g., Aerospace program offices and ETG) to address issues and provide the customer with the best available technical and programmatic analyses
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• This position requires an active TS/SCI security clearance, which is issued by the US government. U.S citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance
• Ability to travel, as required, up to 25% of the time (1 week per month)

How You Can Stand Out