Principal Director - Cyber & Space Assurance

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 Defense Systems Group (DSG) provides analysis-based decision support to senior leaders on space architectures, policy and strategy, technology development, warfighter capability enablers, systems integration, defense industrial base, and threat reduction to help shape existing and future space missions across the national security space (NSS) enterprise.

DSG is unique at Aerospace as it not only directly supports major customers, including the U.S. Space Force, U.S. Space Command, Air Force Materiel Command, and senior leadership at the Pentagon, but also provides a broad range of technical support across the national space enterprise, maintaining vertical responsibilities with customers’ portfolios as well as horizontal, matrixed responsibilities across the corporation.

Additionally, DSG provides deep technical expertise to the Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC) in the conception, design, acquisition, launch and operations of satellite, launch vehicle, ground control, and range systems. The Aerospace Corporation’s Space Architectures and Integration Division (SAID) supports the Space Systems Integration Office (SSIO), providing the technical expertise needed to conduct mission engineering and integration to ensure end-to-end effectiveness of complex systems-of-systems architectures.

SAID is seeking a strategic, innovative, and driven Principal Director to lead the Cyber & Space Assurance subdivision, as the principal trusted agent to Department of Defense customers. In this role, you will lead a specialized team focused on ensuring the security, regulatory compliance, and mission resilience of critical national security systems. The organization primarily supports the Space Systems Integration Office (SSIO) Enterprise Capabilities Division (SSC/BZZ), providing elite technical management and advisory oversight across cyber, cryptography, digital engineering, secure supply chain, and advanced aerospace domains including space debris mitigation and spectrum management.

In addition to SSIO, the organization provides technical support to the Space Systems Command CIO (SSC/S6) for Data/Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cyber needs. The Principal Director will manage resources and staffing while coordinating activities across multiple organizations, including Government personnel, Aerospace, SETA, SE&I, and development contractors. The selected candidate must proactively support customers and cultivate productive relationships in a fast-paced multi-organizational environment.

This position requires 100% on-site work in El Segundo, California. What You’ll Be Doing Lead and manage Aerospace support to the SSIO Enterprise Capabilities Division and other SSC/S6, including personnel from the Engineering Technology Group and other program offices Provide senior technical guidance within teams of Government, Aerospace, support contractors, and other FFRDC personnel to monitor program efforts, identify and resolve technical and performance integration risks/issues   Provide systems engineering and subject matter expert support to space system cybersecurity, defensive cyber operations, cryptographic capability integration, orbital debris and spectrum management Provide proactive support to customers to identify high value work for the organization, translate customer requests into technical priorities and plan and manage the team accordingly Drive Digital Mod