Executive VP & Chief Mission Officer

United States Space Foundation•Colorado Springs, CO

2d•$280,000 - $300,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Vice President (EVP) & Chief Mission Officer (CMO) is responsible for leading and integrating Space Foundation's mission-facing functions into a cohesive, high-performing enterprise. Reporting directly to the CEO, this executive oversees Space Sector Programs, Education & Workforce Development, Growth, International and Interagency Relations, and Business Market Intelligence. This is a highly strategic leadership role focused on mission integration, organizational impact, stakeholder engagement, and growth. The successful candidate will ensure that Space Foundation's programs, partnerships, market intelligence, and external engagement efforts are aligned to maximize mission outcomes, strengthen organizational influence, and support long-term sustainability. The EVP & Chief Mission Officer serves as a key member of the executive leadership team and is responsible for translating organizational strategy into execution across the Foundation's mission portfolio. The ideal candidate is an enterprise leader who excels at building partnerships, aligning diverse teams around common objectives, identifying emerging opportunities, and creating organizational focus, accountability, and impact.

Requirements

Advanced degree, preferably in business, public policy, international affairs, engineering, science, or a related field.
Proven experience leading complex organizations, business units, programs, or portfolios with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
Must demonstrate experience with recordkeeping, tracking financials, building budgets, and conducting cost/benefit analysis.
Experience connecting programs, partnerships, stakeholder engagement, and market intelligence to organizational growth and impact.
Significant experience building and maintaining relationships with senior leaders across industry, government, nonprofits, academia, and/or international organizations.
Experience creating scalable processes, governance structures, performance frameworks, and accountability systems.
Extensive experience leading, mentoring, and developing senior-level teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience within space, aerospace, defense, technology, national security, government, or related sectors.
Experience overseeing programs, partnerships, government engagement, workforce initiatives, or market intelligence functions.
Familiarity with nonprofit, membership, association, or mission-driven organizations.
Experience working with Congressional, federal, military, international, or civil space stakeholders.
Experience supporting enterprise strategic planning and organizational transformation.
Experience working closely with boards of directors and executive leadership teams.

Responsibilities

Lead and integrate the Foundation's mission-facing portfolio to ensure alignment across programs, growth initiatives, workforce development, market intelligence, and government engagement.
Translate organizational strategy into measurable mission outcomes and enterprise priorities.
Ensure mission investments and organizational resources are aligned with strategic objectives.
Drive cross-functional collaboration and organizational effectiveness across mission-focused teams.
Provide executive leadership for Space Foundation's industry programs and strategic convening activities.
Ensure programs remain aligned with stakeholder needs and emerging opportunities across the global space ecosystem.
Strengthen the Foundation's role as a trusted convener and catalyst for collaboration.
Lead the Foundation's workforce development and education portfolio.
Expand the Foundation's role in addressing workforce challenges across the space industry.
Align workforce initiatives with industry needs and organizational priorities.
Oversee organizational growth initiatives and membership.
Expand engagement with industry, government, academic, and international members.
Identify opportunities to increase mission impact, organizational influence, and strategic reach.
Support the development of sustainable engagement and revenue opportunities aligned with organizational objectives.
Oversee the Foundation's government engagement strategy and Washington, D.C. presence.
Strengthen relationships with Congressional, Executive Branch, DoD, Space Force, Intelligence Community, civil space, and international stakeholders.
Expand Space Foundation's leadership across national security and international space communities.
Ensure market intelligence, industry trends, stakeholder insights, and emerging opportunities inform strategic decision-making.
Translate insights into actionable recommendations for programs, workforce initiatives, partnerships, and organizational investments.
Provide executive leadership with data-informed assessments of opportunities, challenges, and risks across the space ecosystem.
Advance strategic initiatives that strengthen the Foundation's influence and relevance globally.
Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing team of mission leaders.
Establish clear goals, accountability, and measurable outcomes across the mission portfolio.
Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement, and mission focus.
Serve as a strategic partner to the CEO and executive leadership team on mission execution and organizational growth.
Oversees the work of assigned personnel by setting priorities, coaching for development, and managing performance to achieve individual and team success in alignment with organizational goals.
Develops and manages the program or department budget, ensuring adherence to budgetary standards, proactively tracking expenditures, and communicating deviations to Finance in a timely and transparent manner.