Digital Innovation Division DataOps Lead

The Aerospace Corporation•El Segundo, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Digital Innovation Division (DID) is accountable for generating and executing integrated strategies, providing governance, and managing internal investments that form the foundation of Aerospace’s digital transformation. The Digital Innovation Division is seeking an experienced Data Engineering / Data Architecture / DataOps Lead to design, implement, and manage enterprise-scale data platforms and pipelines. In this role, you will lead a team to deliver the full lifecycle of data engineering and integration—from ingestion and storage, to modeling, governance, and advanced analytics enablement. You will be responsible for establishing a modern DataOps-focused ecosystem that enables teams to reliably build, test, and deploy data solutions that power mission-critical applications. You will lead efforts to define data architecture and data management standards and processes, drive interoperability across platforms, and ensure data quality, security, and compliance at scale. You will work with multiple engineering teams across the enterprise to host, improve, deliver, and integrate their datasets. You will help ensure Aerospace’s digital initiatives are supported by trusted, high-quality data that can be rapidly transformed into actionable insights.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Computer Engineering, SW Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field (or equivalent work experience).
10+ years of experience in data engineering, data architecture, or data operations
Demonstrated ability to lead technical efforts , influence cross functional teams or mentor junior engineers.
Proficiency with data engineering and orchestration tools (e.g., Apache Airflow, dbt, NiFi, Talend, Kafka, Spark, Kubernetes).
Hands on experience with cloud-based data platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), most importantly the Azure suite of data management tools (Azure Data Factory, Synapse, Purview, etc.)
Familiarity with data governance frameworks, compliance standards, and security requirements integrated into data pipelines (e.g., NIST SP 800-171, FedRAMP, CMMC).
Demonstrated success with metadata management, master data management (MDM), and data quality frameworks to ensure trusted enterprise data assets.
Strong problem-solving skills, with a strategic mindset and the ability to design and evolve enterprise-scale data ecosystems.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to bridge technical and mission-focused stakeholders across multiple constituencies.
Excellent interpersonal skills, with a proven track record of fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing across diverse teams.
Demonstrated ability for innovation, creativeness, resourcefulness, and initiative.
Position requires ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government.
U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in STEM or other technical discipline.
12+ years of increasingly responsible professional experience in data engineering, data architecture, or data operations, with at least 3 years in a leadership or management role.
Certifications in cloud (AWS, Azure), DevOps, or security (CISSP, CISA).
Direct mission experience in the national space domain, missile defense, and/or remote sensing.
Widely recognized across national space industry, US Air Force, US Space Force, FFRDCs.
Ability to convey the value of Data Engineering work in mission relevant terms and stories.
Current DoD TS and SSBI/SCI Clearance

Responsibilities

Establish and maintain a corporate data management platform on multiple networks including classified and hybrid environments.
Lead the efforts to integrate enterprise data standards, data security, pipelines, data quality, and best practices for automated data ingestion, transformation, validation, and delivery with end user workflows, applications, and data.
Develop and track KPIs and metrics.
Serve as a principal technical lead coordinating data management activities with cross-functional teams to design and implement scalable, secure, and interoperable data architectures aligned with organizational goals with a focus on AI and modeling & simulation integration.
Lead a team of 10 data engineers, data architects, and platform specialists; provide mentorship and career development.
Leverage Agile methodologies to manage priorities, sprint planning, and cross-team collaboration.
Promote DataOps best practices and work with data stewards across the organization through demonstrations, workshops, and training.
Support DOD, IC, and Civil Federal govt customer dataops strategy, design, implementation activities leveraging Aerospace implementation, best practices, and lessons learned.
Collaborate with other FFRDCs as needed.
Research emerging tools, architectures, industry trends and standards.
Champion potential opportunities to ensure Aerospace remains at the forefront of data engineering.
Promote a culture of continuous improvement, knowledge sharing, and innovation in data architecture and operations.

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