Sr. Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Project Leader

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, development planning, system of systems engineering, and threat reduction to help shape the future space missions across the national security space (NSS) enterprise. DSG is unique at Aerospace as it not only directly supports major customers, including US Space Force, U.S Space Command, Air Force Materiel Command, and senior leadership at the Pentagon, but also provides a broad range of services and support across the national space enterprise, maintaining vertical responsibilities with customers but also horizontal, matrixed responsibilities across the corporation. DSG also assists the Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC) in the conception, design, acquisition, launch and operations of satellite, launch vehicle, ground control, and range systems.

The Enterprise Mission Systems team is looking for a Senior Project Leader to lead acquisition and sustainment activities for the Space Domain Awareness (SDA) enterprise including both Ground-Based Sensors and Mission Processing systems. The engineer and supporting team focus on the sustainment and modernization of sensors and software programs within the Second Sustainment Squadron of Mission Delta 2.

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility at Garden of the Gods, CO.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Providing Space Domain Awareness (SDA) system architecture expertise to customers and engineering teams who are working to prioritize requirements, update systems, and bring new systems online
• Collaborating with outside organizations to provide technical support
• Performing hands on technical work in the fields of SDA sensors and SDA mission processing systems
• Influencing key government and contractor stakeholders to move forward with proposed capabilities
• Working with other Aerospace, government, and contractor engineering teams who reside in different physical locations, specifically Colorado Springs, CO and El Segundo, CA
• Ensuring the performance and capabilities of systems within the portfolio are adequate to meet the Mission Delta’s needs
• Proposing the development of new capabilities to fill critical gaps
• Working directly with contractors to ensure the prioritization of their work is consistent with the most pressing customer needs
• Driving to decisions based on unbiased technical merit
• Managing and reconciling conflicting requirements
• Balancing system engineering with agile development practices
• Developing strategies to meet mission need in a context of cost/schedule constraints

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for Sr. Project Leader – Communication Systems and Signal & Image Process Engineering:

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field or equivalent
• 15 or more years of experience in a relevant technical field with some experience related to optical or RF sensors and/or software processing systems
• Proven ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks effectively
• Working understanding of the Space Domain Awareness architecture and key requirements
• Experience dealing with organizational ambiguity
• Ability to work both independently and in a collaborative environment
• Superior verbal and written communication skills
• Experience working through complex engineering challenges which have both technical and political contributions
• Substantive experience with the DoD acquisition lifecycle
• Willing to travel occasionally to work location or customer site approx. 10-20%.
• Current and active TS/SCI government clearance, which is issued by the US government. US citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:

• Advanced degree in a STEM field
• Experience operating effectively in complex working environments
• Experience working directly with contractors to implement and test complex designs
• Experience with agile development programs and test strategies that support that construct
• Familiarity with military space systems and operational concepts
• Experience defining and implementing a strategic technical vision
• Hands-on experience with optical or RF SDA sensors
• Hands-on experience with cloud software deployments
• Ability to obtain necessary SAP level clearances

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)

$171,400.00 - $257,100.00Pay Basis: Annual

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:

• 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.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type. A few highlights include:

• 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

We are all unique, from various backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each other—the belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.

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 peoplemangmnt.mailbox@aero.org . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.