Architecture Concepts Associate Director full_time

The Enterprise Effects Division (EED) drives integration of Aerospace’s strategic capabilities across the national space enterprise. The division leverages a broad array of engineering disciplines against a diverse and dynamic portfolio of programs, customers, and national challenges. EED spans the capability lifecycle from concept and architecture design to performance assessment to application of space-enabled mission effects. 

ArCon provides expertise in architecture methods, processes, and tools to an extremely broad range of customers, including National Space Security (NSS) and other defense programs, NASA, NOAA, NNSA, DHS, and others.  ArCon staff participate in and lead architecture trade studies, architecture conceptualization studies, architecture modeling tasks, and program assessment analyses at multiple levels of complexity, ranging from prototype systems to full scale acquisition systems in the space, ground, communications, and network domains.  ArCon applies disciplined system architecting principles and leads cross-functional teams to provide impactful guidance to assist our customers in making key acquisition and operations decisions. 

Work Model 

This position will follow an in-person work model with a minimum of 4 days per week of onsite work required at one of Aerospace’s campuses in Chantilly, VA, Colorado Springs, CO, or El Segundo, CA. 

What You’ll Be Doing 

• Assist the Director in managing the Space Architecture Department, serving as the responsible day-to-day manager for Department staff working at diverse locations on disparate problems; conducting staff performance reviews and performing other personnel management functions; managing team resources and needs; and recommending performance improvement, career development, personnel actions, and awards 

• Serve as a focal point for program office inquiries for new tasking, utilizing system architecting problem framing principles to help program offices to define the problem space, create implementation plans, and identify appropriate personnel to perform the work based on your knowledge of resources and expertise across the company 

• Build and mentor staff, serving as a role model and advisor to an exceptionally talented and highly motivated cadre of architects, analysts, and modelers and hiring summer interns, early career, and/or experienced staff as needed to meet emerging demand for Department expertise 

• Direct technical activities, organize project teams, and execute independently or via teams a variety of architecture conceptualization, assessment, and modeling activities and provide decision support expertise to Aerospace program offices as a technical subject matter expert and project leader 

• Help to steer and implement strategy for the Department and Subdivision, and seek, identify, and pursue opportunities for additional, expanded, and new business and assist higher management in the evaluation and pursuit of new opportunities 

What You Need To Be Successful 

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant engineering discipline, science, or a related field  

• At least 10 years of experience in space, intelligence, and/or defense domains 

• Experience in initiating and leading project teams, developing project plans, identifying high-impact deliverables, and managing schedule commitments 

• Exceptional time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and to organize and lead cross-functional, cross-organizational teams to execute studies and assessments 

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with employees, customers, Aerospace program offices, and contractors 

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present methods and results effectively in briefings, formal reports, and informal communications 

• Available and willing to travel domestically and/or internationally approx. 5-10% 

• A current and active Top Secret/SCI security clearance issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance 

How You Can Stand Out 

• Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) from an accredited program in a relevant engineering discipline 

• Experience in hiring, supervising, mentoring, and inspiring staff 

• Experience working in partnership with multiple Aerospace program offices and customers 

• Strong interpersonal networks with Aerospace and customer organizations that can be leveraged to establish collaborations and obtain sponsorship for projects 

• Experience in methods and processes for early life cycle systems engineering, system architecting, and US government system acquisition 

• Experience with Intelligence Community systems engineering and programmatic processes, methods, tools, and personnel 

• Experience with spacecraft, payloads, ground systems, launch systems, missile systems, nuclear weapon systems, and/or aircraft systems 

• Experience with space system architecture conceptual design, analysis, and concurrent engineering techniques 

• Experience with ground system architecture conceptual design, communications and networking, or data center operations 

• Experience with architecture modeling and/or descriptive system modeling for MBSE 

• Experience with architecture frameworks such as the Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF) or the Unified Architecture Framework (UAF)