Systems Director - Force Design Integration

aero; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 168,200 - 252,400; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health care and wellness plans

Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation

401(k) Plan with company contributions

Flexible spending accounts

Job summary

Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, CA, seeks a Systems Director for Force Design Integration. This role is crucial for bridging communication between the Space Warfighting Analysis Center and SSC program offices, driving force designs into acquisition.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in a technical field and over 12 years of experience in space systems. They will lead a team ensuring integration and collaboration across divisions while maintaining relationships with key stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in space systems and systems engineering or acquisition.
• Proven ability to work in complex, multi-disciplinary environments.
• Current Top Secret/SSBI/SCI clearance required.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary liaison between SWAC/SSDP divisions and SSC program offices.
• Lead a team focused on information sharing and collaboration.
• Develop actionable transition plans based on force design recommendations.

Skills

Systems Engineering

Technical Communication

Team Leadership

Collaboration

Analytical Skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, Mathematics, or related field

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.

As part of the Space Enterprise and Warfighting Division, the Space Security Directorate provides high quality analytical support to the USSF Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC), Space Security and Defense Program (SSDP), and Headquarters, United States Space Command, advising the Government on the design, performance, and resilience of future space forces to win the next war. We are seeking a dynamic, self-motivated professional to serve as our Systems Director for Force Design Integration. In this role, you will be the critical bridge between the Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC), the Space Security and Defense Program (SSDP), and Space Systems Command (SSC) acquisition system program offices and programs of record. You will help drive the transition of innovative force designs and analytic results into acquisition, ensuring seamless integration into ongoing and future SSC programs with an end‑to‑end kill chain closure focus. If you have a deep understanding of SSC programs, hands‑on experience with SWAC and SSDP force designs, and excel at building relationships and solving integration challenges, we want to hear from you.

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

What You’ll Be Doing

• Serve as the primary liaison between SWAC/SSDP divisions and SSC program offices.
• Build and lead a team of Aerospace personnel charged with collectively working integration, information sharing and collaboration across SSDP, SWAC, SSC program offices and other key partner organizations to effect better integration and realization of capability acquisition based on force designs.
• Cultivate and maintain interagency relationships with government, FFRDC, SETA, and industry partners to ensure cohesive communication channels.
• Evaluate and interpret SWAC and SSDP analytic results and force designs to identify key gaps, problems, and opportunities for integration.
• Collaborate with SSC program offices to develop actionable transition plans and implementation roadmaps that incorporate force design recommendations.
• Define the impacts and implications of proposed force designs on current and future SSC programs.
• Provide timely, strategic communications to senior leaders on integration issues, potential risks, and opportunities for process improvements.
• Proactively identify integration issues and liaison points between force design teams and SSC program offices.
• Function effectively in a fast-paced environment tackling ambiguous problems with creativity and initiative.
• Lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple projects concurrently, ensuring timely and impactful integration of force designs.

What You Need to be Successful

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

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, Mathematics, or a related technical field from an accredited institution.
• 12 or more years of progressively responsible technical experience in space systems, programs, and systems engineering or acquisition.
• Demonstrated ability to work in complex, multi-disciplinary environments and thrive in fast-paced, dynamic settings.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively present complex analytical results to senior leadership.
• Proven track record of building collaborative relationships within integrated Government, FFRDC, and SETA teams.
• This position requires a current Top Secret/SSBI/SCI clearance to interview, with the ability to obtain and maintain additional security clearances, which are issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of the following

• Advanced degree in a relevant technical field.
• Extensive knowledge of SSC programs and the intricacies of system development and acquisition processes.
• Prior experience with SWAC and/or SSDP force design initiatives and a demonstrated ability to bridge the gap between technical analysis and program implementation.
• Experience developing integration plans and facilitating cross-organizational collaboration.
• Working knowledge of Aerospace Engineering and Technology Group (ETG) organizations, tools, skills, and capabilities.
• Demonstrates enterprise-level perspective with prior Program Office(s) and ETG experience.

Compensation

(Min - Max) $168,200.00 - $252,400.00 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.

• 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.