Associate Director - Digital Systems Engineering

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 Systems Engineering Division (SED) offers unparalleled expertise in systems engineering to the U.S. government and various public and private agencies, universities, nonprofit organizations, consortia, and commercial companies involved in the advanced development and application of space systems. From systems CONOPs and architecture development to system design and analysis, mission assurance, cost and schedule assessment, and economic market analysis, SED leverages a vast array of engineering and business disciplines across a dynamic portfolio of space programs and national challenges spanning the total space system lifecycle.

The Digital Systems Engineering Department (DSED), part of SED, serves as a strategic partner to government and commercial organizations navigating the digital transformation of systems engineering. Through applied research and development, agile rapid prototyping, objective independent assessments, and expert advisory services, DSED enables customers to successfully institutionalize Digital Systems Engineering (DSE) concepts, methods, practices, and tools throughout their systems acquisition and realization lifecycle. Our comprehensive approach- integrating the three foundational pillars of Digital Engineering (DE), Model-Based Engineering (MBE), and Systems Engineering (SE), empowers customers to accelerate innovation, reduce risk, and achieve mission success in increasingly complex space system environments.

Job Summary

As Associate Director - Digital & Systems Engineering, you will help guide the department's strategic direction in helping customers adopt, integrate and use cutting-edge digital system models, digital thread models, and digital twin models as part of their lifecycle of SE activities. You'll lead a geographically dispersed team across our El Segundo, CA and Colorado Springs, CO, locations while positioning the department as a thought leader and center of excellence in digital systems engineering.

What You'll Be Doing

• Strategic Leadership: Drive departmental planning and execution to advance core DSE technical capabilities aligned with customer priorities
• Talent Management: Recruit, develop, and retain top-tier mid and senior-level systems engineering professionals; conduct performance reviews and provide career development guidance
• Business Development: Identify and capture new opportunities that establish the department as an industry-leading DSE authority
• Technical Execution: Plan, execute, and lead DSE initiatives integrating systems engineering best practices.
• Collaboration: Work across the broader Systems Engineering Division to identify organizational and technical synergies.
• Thought Leadership: Author, publish, and present papers and training materials on DSE topics.
  
  

What You Need To Be Successful

Minimum Requirements:

• B.S. degree in a relevant Engineering discipline (Aerospace, Systems, Electrical, Mechanical, etc.), Computer Science, or related technical field.
• 12 years of systems engineering experience across three or more functional areas (CONOPS, requirements, architecture, interface control, design, etc.)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong people and technical leadership skills.
• Ability to manage competing DSED managerial and technical priorities.
• Familiarity with DE and MBSE concepts, principles, and practices.
• Knowledge of architecture frameworks (UAF, TOGAF, DoDAF).
• Solid understanding of the ISO/INCOSE systems engineering lifecycle process.
• Active TS/SCI security clearance is required.
  
  

How You Can Stand Out

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

• M.S. or Ph.D. degree in a relevant engineering discipline (Aerospace, Systems, Electrical, Mechanical, etc.), Computer Science, or related technical field.
• Knowledge of systems thinking concepts and research-based patterns, such as DSRP
• Space, Ground or nuclear security systems engineering domain experience
• Familiar with object-oriented modeling languages standards (UML, SysML, UAFML, OCL, Modelica etc.), methodologies (OOSEM, SysMOD, etc.) and tools (Cameo, Sparx, SAM, OpenModelica, etc.).
• Knowledge of Digital Thread and Digital Twin Tooling (Syndeia, Vertasyn, etc.)
• Familiarity with agile project management using JIRA.
• INCOSE CSEP/ESEP or OMG SysML/UAFML certification.
  
  

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)

$168,200.00 - $252,400.00

Pay 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 or by email at . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.