Systems Director - Systems Engineering & Integration

The Aerospace Corporation•Los Angeles, CA

3d•$168,200 - $252,400•Onsite

About The Position

The Aerospace Corporation is hiring a Systems Director to lead system engineering and integration for the Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) space segment within the Strategic Communication Systems sub-division. The role serves as the senior technical authority supporting the USSF program Chief Engineer within an integrated program office comprising Air Force, Aerospace, SE&I, SETA, and contractor personnel. The position focuses on building a new system rather than sustaining an existing one, with responsibility for the system architecture, requirements baseline, and integration strategy for a strategic communications constellation. The work is classified. The Systems Director leads a team of systems engineers and integration specialists, providing technical leadership and trusted assessments to the customer and Aerospace leadership. The role requires balancing enterprise-level priorities with detailed technical work, managing risks, coordinating across stakeholders, and ensuring delivery within cost and schedule. The selected candidate must work full-time on-site at the facility at Los Angeles Air Force Base. One day per week of telecommuting may be possible depending on customer needs and management approval. Some travel is required.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in systems engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical discipline.
12 or more years of relevant systems engineering experience on complex space systems, including at least 5 years leading technical teams, or an equivalent combination of depth and demonstrated leadership.
Expertise in requirements management, functional analysis, architecture development, and verification planning.
Experience leading integration on large-scale, multi-contractor space programs.
Working command of DoD and USSF acquisition frameworks, including the DoDI 5000 series.
Familiarity with systems engineering standards and practices and with MBSE tools and methods.
Solid understanding of end-to-end space system architectures, including space segments, ground segments, and user terminals.
Ability to prioritize among competing efforts and drive enterprise mission success.
Ability to operate strategically and tactically, set measurable team goals, and remain fluent in technical detail.
Ability to lead proactively, propose new approaches, and operate with agility amid changing priorities and demanding customers.
Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, including concise briefings and technical assessments that withstand scrutiny.
Some travel is required.
Current Top Secret clearance issued by the U.S. government.
U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Master's or PhD in systems engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related technical discipline.
INCOSE CSEP or equivalent certification.
Deep knowledge of military SATCOM missions, architectures, waveforms, and operational concepts, especially protected SATCOM and anti-jam technologies.
Technical range across SATCOM disciplines, including RF communications, payload design, satellite bus, ground systems, and mission operations.
Hands-on experience with MBSE tools such as Cameo or CORE and requirements management tools such as DOORS or Jama.
Experience with Digital Engineering transformation, digital thread or digital twin implementation, Agile SE, or DevSecOps.
Track record of taking a space program from development through operations, including test and verification, test conduct, and anomaly resolution.
Experience supporting the government as a System Integrator or leading integration of contractor-developed systems.
Experience leading TIMs and integration working groups across organizational boundaries.
Enterprise-level perspective with prior Program Office(s) and ETG experience.
History of mentoring engineers into leaders and building high-performing technical teams.
Budget management experience for SE&I activities.

Responsibilities

Establish and maintain the ESS system architecture, functional decomposition, requirements allocation, and interface definitions across the space, ground, and user segments.
Direct requirements management throughout the system lifecycle, including development, decomposition, allocation, verification, and traceability.
Own the technical baseline and configuration control, including change management.
Drive ESS Interface Control Documents (ICDs) to completion.
Lead integration planning and execution across contractors, government agencies, and program elements.
Improve system engineering processes and integration frameworks in alignment with DoD and USSF acquisition policy.
Direct major technical gates, including PDR, CDR, and integration readiness reviews, and provide technical assessments for customer decisions.
Coordinate verification and validation planning to ensure requirements are testable and test approaches are credible before hardware is built.
Provide technical insight and oversight of contractor SE&I activities.
Lead system-level technical risk management, identify emerging risks, and drive mitigations.
Provide Aerospace leadership and the customer with assessments of SE risks, integration challenges, opportunities, and recommended actions.
Work across program elements, organizations, and stakeholders to resolve technical issues through integrated solutions.
Lead, develop, and retain a team of systems engineers and integration specialists.
Maintain effective working relationships with the customer, Aerospace leadership, contractors, ETG, and supporting UARCs and SE&I contractors.
Ensure technical products meet the required quality standard.
Prioritize work and balance resources to deliver within cost and schedule.

Benefits

Comprehensive health care and wellness plans.
Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation.
Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options.
401(k) plan with company-paid contributions of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service, plus matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested upon hire.
Flexible spending accounts.
Variable pay program for exceptional contributions.
Relocation assistance.
Professional growth and development programs.
Education assistance programs.
Inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect.