Commercial Space Futures (CSF) Principal Director / Assistant General Manager

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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.

At Aerospace, we are committed to providing an inclusive and diverse workplace for all employees to share in our common passion and aspiration - to carry out a mission much bigger than ourselves.

We remain committed to maintaining a safe environment for hiring as we look forward to the future of work. Click here for information on Aerospace's COVID-19 directives and safety procedures implemented to keep our workplace safe.

Democratization of space has fueled unprecedented commercial investments and new capabilities. National capabilities must continue to keep pace to ensure U.S. space leadership. The Commercial Space Futures (CSF) Office is a newly established organization in the Office of the Chief Technologist (OCTO). We are seeking an innovative Principal Director or Assistant General Manager for the newly established CSF Office, reporting to the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

The CSF Office is chartered to drive and enable the harnessing of commercial solutions for government missions to advance U.S. space capabilities in the national interest. The CSF Office will serve as a catalyst to support government customer needs for rapidly assessing new commercial solutions and accelerating the adoption and maturity of emerging capabilities to outpace evolving space missions and threats.

The CSF Office will provide several integrated offerings to support the evolving commercial space industry:

• Engage with the space investment and commercial space communities
• Increase commercial industry awareness and engagement with government
• Conduct financial, technical, operational, production readiness assessments to inform government architecture, acquisition, and integration decisions
• Accelerate path to integration of commercial solutions for USG missions through enabling regulations, standards, interfaces, safety
• Provide capability maturation, testbeds and proving grounds to establish confidence for deployment in operational environments

This position is seeking candidates that can work in either El Segundo, CA; Colorado Springs, CO; or Washington, D.C., region.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead and manage Commercial Space Futures (CSF) organization
• Develop the CSF customer offerings and value proposition in partnership with Engineering & Technology Group (ETG) and customer-facing groups.
• Engage customers, capture business, and deliver outcomes in collaboration with Aerospace customer-facing groups
• Drive and own the commercial space futures strategy and positioning processes
• Establish CSF value with government agencies, the commercial space industry base, and investors; and identify ways to expand CSF's engagement and impact
• Interact with Aerospace executive management regarding strategy, business results, and resources
• Participate in technical forums (e.g., TechCrunch, Space Symposium) to develop and maintain relationships with government and industry
• Forecast business outcomes and manage to achieve them
• Recruit and develop the CSF leadership team
• Understand customer issues and requirements and be the voice of the customer to communicate their requirements within Aerospace to inform solution teams.
• Participate in investment budget planning and resource decisions.

What You Need to be Successful

• Direct experience with a variety of government, commercial, and investor customers focused on advancing space capabilities.
• Prior executive-level experience with demonstrated thought leadership, strategic thinking, and entrepreneurial skills applied to building a business from early stages through self-sufficiency
• Demonstrated experience in being able to define a strategy, develop and communicate solution implementation plans, execute plans and/or direct individuals in other organizations to support the execution of elements of those plans.
• Proven capability of effectively interacting with senior government officials and corporate executives
• Understanding of national space architectures and be knowledgeable of their underlying technologies, solutions, and operations
• Understand the government-industry-investor space ecosystem including new commercial entrants, their strategies and business models
• Outstanding interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, and ability to effectively work with all levels of management, including customers and contractors.
• Demonstrated management skills across budget, planning, and recruiting and developing top technical diverse talent.
• Demonstrated ability to lead integrated multidisciplinary, and geographically distributed teams.
• Comfort with ambiguity, and ability to thrive in a rapidly evolving internal corporate and customer environment
• Bachelor's degree in science or engineering or equivalent.
• Ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI clearance
• Ability to travel.

How You Can Stand Out

• An Advanced degree in an engineering discipline and/or in business administration
• Experience developing and delivering federally funded science, technology, and engineering solutions for an FFRDC or federally funded laboratory.
• Experience working with the new space commercial industry, with direct experiences with venture capital community, and emergent space companies' strategies and business models

Grade-Based Pay Range

(Min - Mid - Max)
$139,050 - $228,199 - $317,349

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 diverse 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/Affirmative Action employer. We believe that a diverse workforce creates an environment in which unique ideas are developed and differing perspectives are valued, producing superior customer solutions. 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 The Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law and the supplement , as well as the Pay Transparency Policy Statement . - provided by Dice