Director of SEIT, Missile Defense

True Anomaly•Long Beach, CA

1d•$175,000 - $260,000•Hybrid

About The Position

A new space race has begun. True Anomaly seeks those with the talent and ambition to build innovative technology that solves the next generation of engineering, manufacturing, and operational challenges for space security and sustainability. OUR MISSION The peaceful use of space is essential for continued prosperity on Earth—from communications and finance to navigation and logistics. True Anomaly builds innovative technology at the intersection of spacecraft, software, and AI to enhance the capabilities of the U.S., its allies, and commercial partners. We safeguard global security by ensuring space access and sustainability for all. OUR VALUES Be the offset. We create asymmetric advantages with creativity and ingenuity What would it take? We challenge assumptions to deliver ambitious results It’s the people. Our team is our competitive advantage and we are better together YOUR MISSION RESPONSIBILITIES The Director of SEIT is responsible for the end-to-end systems engineering, integration, and test execution for the Missile Defense program, with a strong emphasis on test-informed system design, operational realism, and fielding discipline. This role is intentionally oriented toward candidates with deep experience in test, integration, flight test, or operational deployment of new systems, who bring a practical, evidence-driven approach to systems engineering rather than a purely process- or documentation-focused background. In this role, the Director ensures that the system is not only well-defined on paper, but demonstrably buildable, testable, operable, and ready for progressively complex demonstrations culminating in full-system missions. The position oversees system requirements development, integrated test planning and execution, and the management of critical system budgets such as mass, power, and margins, using test results and operational insights as primary inputs to system closure. This leader will work across all technical disciplines to ensure that system decisions are grounded in test data, integration experience, and an understanding of how systems actually fail in the field. The Director will own the overall program risk management process, integrating technical, test, manufacturing, and operational risks into a coherent system-level risk posture. This role is accountable for identifying where verification is sufficient, where additional test or operational mitigation is required, and where risk can be consciously accepted in service of demonstration objectives. Acting as the connective tissue between engineering intent and mission execution, this leader represents the system in readiness reviews, test reviews, and mission authorization forums, providing leadership with a clear-eyed assessment of system maturity and readiness to fly.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
10+ years of experience in aerospace systems development with significant time spent in test, integration, flight test, or operational roles.
Demonstrated experience fielding new or first-of-kind systems, prototypes, or flight articles.
Hands-on experience planning, executing, or supporting system-level tests or flight demonstrations.
Working knowledge of systems engineering principles, applied pragmatically to support test and mission execution.
Experience managing system-level budgets (mass, power, margins) in a test- or flight-driven development environment.
Proven ability to assess system readiness based on evidence, not just documentation.
Strong leadership and communication skills, with experience briefing readiness and risk to senior leadership.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or higher in a relevant technical discipline.
Experience with missile defense systems, interceptors, spacecraft, or other high-consequence aerospace systems.
Background in flight test, mission operations, launch operations, or system deployment.
Familiarity with DoW or U.S. Space Force programs, especially rapid prototyping or demonstration-based efforts.
Experience integrating hardware, software, and operations across distributed teams.
Exposure to model-based systems engineering (MBSE) used as a support tool, not a substitute for test insight.
Experience working on classified programs and handling controlled technical data.
Prior role bridging engineering and operations (e.g., Chief Test Engineer, Lead Integrator, Mission Systems Lead).

Responsibilities

The Director of SEIT is responsible for the end-to-end systems engineering, integration, and test execution for the Missile Defense program, with a strong emphasis on test-informed system design, operational realism, and fielding discipline.
The Director ensures that the system is not only well-defined on paper, but demonstrably buildable, testable, operable, and ready for progressively complex demonstrations culminating in full-system missions.
The position oversees system requirements development, integrated test planning and execution, and the management of critical system budgets such as mass, power, and margins, using test results and operational insights as primary inputs to system closure.
This leader will work across all technical disciplines to ensure that system decisions are grounded in test data, integration experience, and an understanding of how systems actually fail in the field.
The Director will own the overall program risk management process, integrating technical, test, manufacturing, and operational risks into a coherent system-level risk posture.
This role is accountable for identifying where verification is sufficient, where additional test or operational mitigation is required, and where risk can be consciously accepted in service of demonstration objectives.
Acting as the connective tissue between engineering intent and mission execution, this leader represents the system in readiness reviews, test reviews, and mission authorization forums, providing leadership with a clear-eyed assessment of system maturity and readiness to fly.