Technical Product Lead (Project Engineer/Sr. Project Engineer)

The Aerospace Corporation; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health care

Paid holidays and vacation

401(k) plan with company match

Relocation assistance

Education assistance programs

Job summary

The Aerospace Corporation is seeking a Technical Product Lead to manage the STARS 2.0 cloud-based platform that supports mission-critical applications. This role entails leading a team, enhancing platform reliability, and aligning program goals with technical execution.

Applicants should have a Bachelor's in a STEM discipline and extensive software engineering experience. Benefits include comprehensive healthcare, 401(k) matching, and professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of software engineering experience, preferably with mission-critical platforms.
• 2+ years in a product ownership or technical lead role.
• Proficiency with test-driven development practices.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end reliability of the STARS 2.0 platform.
• Monitor system health and address technical debt.
• Gather feedback from end users translating it into requirements.

Skills

Software engineering experience

Cloud platform expertise (AWS, Azure, GCP)

DevOps practices

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s of Science degree in a STEM area

Job description

We are seeking a Technical Product Lead to take ownership of STARS 2.0, our cloud‑based software platform that hosts mission‑critical applications for launch engineering and mission assurance work. Reporting directly to the Systems Director of the STARS Mission Operations Center, this individual‑contributor will serve as the bridge between program leadership, end users, and our technical team of approximately 10 engineers.

Responsibilities

• Own the end‑to‑end reliability and performance of the STARS 2.0 platform.
• Monitor system health and proactively address technical debt.
• Lead release review board meetings and oversee the software release process, with authority to veto releases that threaten platform stability or fail to meet process requirements.
• Run weekly wargame sessions and actively contribute to product team meetings.
• Gather feedback from launch engineers and end users, translating it into clear requirements, epics, and technical tasks.
• Triage and prioritize incoming tasks, bugs, and feature requests on a day‑to‑day basis.
• Collaborate with the Systems Director to establish annual platform goals, strategic roadmap, and budget priorities.
• Partner with the Project Manager to ensure the team adheres to established software development processes.
• Act as the liaison between the technical team, program office, and customers, facilitating communication and alignment.
• Support live mission operations, including availability outside of normal business hours as needed.
• Identify and implement structural and process improvements for both the platform and technical team.
• Coordinate rapid response when production issues arise, working with the team to implement fixes.
• Travel occasionally to launch sites (at least annually) to meet with stakeholders and field teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s of Science degree in an applicable STEM area or related discipline.
• 6+ years of software engineering experience, preferably with mission‑critical platforms such as STARS2.0.
• 2+ years in a product ownership or technical lead role managing product roadmaps and delivering on strategic goals.
• Hands‑on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Working knowledge of data platforms and architectures.
• Experience with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing frameworks.
• Proficiency with test‑driven development practices.
• Understanding of microservices architecture and distributed systems.
• Experience working in a program office or cross‑functional environment.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non‑technical stakeholders.
• Proven ability to navigate competing priorities, negotiate trade‑offs, and work autonomously while knowing when to escalated issues.
• Experience gathering user requirements and working directly with customers and end users.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance; US citizenship is required.

Additional Qualifications for Senior Project Engineer

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, preferably with mission‑critical platforms such as STARS2.0.
• 3+ years in a product ownership or technical lead role.
• Deep expertise with cloud platforms, including architectural design decisions and cost optimization strategies.
• Demonstrated experience leading incident response, implementing reliability improvements, and establishing best practices for DevOps, CI/CD, and automated testing across teams.

Location

Full‑time, on‑site at the Aerospace Technical Campus in ElSegundo, CA.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans.
• Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation.
• Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options.
• 401(k) plan with company match.
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Variable pay program for exceptional contributions.
• Relocation assistance.
• Professional growth and development programs.
• Education assistance programs.

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 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 are 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].

All content is accurate as of the date of posting and is subject to change at the discretion of the company.