Ground Architecture Senior Project Leader

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. The National Systems Group serves as the technical advisor to the Intelligence Community and its mission partners involved in the collection and distribution of national and tactical intelligence, including electronics programs, advanced technologies, ground and communications, imagery programs, and systems engineering and launch. We are seeking a Ground Architecture Senior Project Leader to be part of the National Reconnaissance Office’s Ground Enterprise Directorate (GED) Integrated Systems Program Office (ISPO) team. ISPO is responsible for the development and delivery of the OPIR baseline ground portfolio and evolving a fully integrated, resilient enterprise in support of intelligence community and Defense Department requirements. You will lead an approximately 6 Professional Technical Service effort leveraging 10-15 contributors to guide the development of the US Government’s next-generation OPIR Ground Mission Processing and Mission Management systems architecture. Key efforts will include assessing current and potential future OPIR ground architectures, evolving OPIR ground capabilities to meet new mission needs, migrating the evolving mission processing systems to cloud-based solutions, implementing a new data management strategy, and improving architecture resiliency. Work Model This is a full-time position based at Westfields in Chantilly, Virginia, which requires 100% onsite work. What You’ll Be Doing Integrating and representing Aerospace contributions to US Government leadership to build acquisition strategies that realize best-value solutions from industry Coordinating across ground and mission enterprise segments to ensure user needs are understood and satisfied for multi-phase acquisition efforts Building and leading Aerospace subject matter expert teams to mature OPIR processing technologies, integrate evolving systems and sensors, and deliver resilient and responsive algorithms Proactively identifying new technologies, such as AI/ML and automation, for development and integration to enhance existing processing and exploitation capabilities Budgeting and prioritizing Aerospace activities to maximize impact aligned with strategic customer efforts What You Need to be Successful Minimum Requirements for Senior Project Leader – Signal and Image Process Engr.: Bachelor's or advanced degree in computer science, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences or a related technical field 10 or more years of ground or space systems acquisition engineering experience Experience building and leading high-performing teams of engineering professionals Experience in one or more of the following domains: mission processing systems for space systems, constellation tasking and optimization, Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR), geospatial intelligence (GEOINT), US Government acquisitions and/or systems engineering, or agile software development Willing to travel domestically approximately 20% to support customer activities and foster collaboration Excellent interpersonal and communication skills This position requires a current and active TS/SCI security clearance and CI polygraph, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance How You Can Stand Out It would be impressive if you have one or more of these: Advanced degree in image processing, computer science/engineering, systems engineering, electrical engineering, or a related engineering or scientific field Experience leading cross-functional, matrixed teams with diverse skill sets Expertise in OPIR mission processing architectures including on-orbit processing Experience in requirements development and analysis, advanced systems architecture, and new signal processing technologies Certification in Kubernetes administration or application development, OpenJS/Node.js services development, Cloud Native or Cloud Foundry development Experience in agile software development at scale, agile IV&V testing for federal contracts, commercial cloud environments, and DevOps pipeline implementation with frequent operational deployments Experience with Enterprise level testing and integration of complex systems using Hardware-In-the-Development-Loop (HIDL) and Hardware-Out-of-the-Development-Loop (HODL) Leadership Competencies Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who: Operate Strategically Lead Change   Engage with Impact   Foster Innovation   Deliver Results 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 A work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect We are all unique, from various 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 employer. 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 310.336.5432 or by email at peoplemangmnt.mailbox@aero.org . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal. Right Place The Aerospace Corporation has over 26 locations nationwide, which allows us to build a workforce that will nurture the best ideas, and generate the most novel innovations and solutions to our nation’s toughest space enterprise challenges. Right Path Aerospace covers all stages of the space lifecycle, from concept to operations. We believe our people are our most valuable resource and that’s why we propel our employees forward in their careers through ongoing education, training, and professional development. Right Purpose We can all serve a mission much greater than ourselves, and at Aerospace that is exactly what we do. By hiring the industry’s most preeminent scientists and engineers, Aerospace advances emerging technologies that protect some of the most critical missions on Earth and above it. Return to the Aerospace Careers site. Aerospace employees working in organizations with technical responsibilities are required to obtain a Security Clearance. U.S. citizenship is required for those positions.