$420,000 - $475,000 USD yearly
The Aerospace Corporation
As the nation's trusted partner in space, The Aerospace Corporation plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of national security space, space exploration, and technological advancement. As an independent, nonprofit corporation operating the largest and only Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) dedicated to the space enterprise, Aerospace (~$1.4B in revenue and ~5,000 employees) provides unparalleled technical expertise, innovative problem-solving and objective analysis to a diverse range of defense, civil, commercial and international customers.
With deep technical disciplinary continuity, state-of-the-art facilities and a legacy of success for over 60 years, Aerospace is uniquely positioned to address national security priorities, mitigate emerging threats, and harness commercial-sector breakthroughs to leverage space in transformative ways for the public good. Whether accelerating next-generation satellite capabilities, optimizing launch readiness, or solving complex systems engineering challenges, Aerospace is at the forefront of safeguarding and advancing our national space capabilities.
Position Overview
The Civil Systems Group provides deep technical expertise and cutting-edge innovation to support the United States government and its allies to solve the most complex technical challenges within high-consequence environments across the civil space enterprise — including human space flight, Moon-to-Mars exploration, Earth sensing, astronomy and space science, and nuclear security — spanning systems engineering and integration, hardware and prototype development, launch readiness, and mission assurance. The Senior Vice President of the Civil Systems Group (SVP, CSG) is responsible for establishing and providing strategic leadership to our key civil, commercial and international partners (i.e., National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), The Aerospace Corporation UK Ltd (Aerospace UK).
Location: This position requires full-time onsite presence (5 days/week) in Chantilly, VA or El Segundo, CA, with consideration given to Houston, TX based on candidate fit — this is a hands-on leadership role requiring regular visibility with the team, government customers, and cross-site collaboration. Employees located across the country.
What You Need to be Successful
Minimum Requirements :
Bachelor's degree in science, engineering, business or other relevant degree (advanced degree preferred)
Substantial executive leadership experience (typically 15+ years), with a demonstrated track record of leading large, complex organizations
Savvy to the external landscape, industry trends, and evolving business and partnership models
Strong entrepreneurial, business and financial acumen
Strong executive presence to include written, verbal communication and presentation skills; experience engaging with and presenting to a Board of Trustees/Directors is highly desirable
Experience working in the civil space, national security space, or broader Aerospace and Defense industry
History of establishing and sustaining trusted relationships with senior government customers and commercial space industry leaders
Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategies, inspire and align the workforce to achieve high impact results
Track record of strong people and organizational management with the ability to develop high performance teams who are aligned to the company's strategic vision and direction
This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance, which is issued by the US government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain security clearance.
Ability to travel (25% or as required by customers, industry engagements, internal meetings with leadership and/or team)
How You Can Stand Out
It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:
Experience running a profit and loss (P&L) center is a plus
Background in startup, private equity, or emerging commercial space environments is a plus
Candidates from government, other FFRDCs, national labs, or academic institutions are strongly encouraged to apply
Relocation: Yes
Compensation: Aerospace offers a comprehensive total rewards package that includes base salary, target bonus, long-term incentive, and diverse range of benefits.
Base Pay Range: $420,000.00 - $475,000.00
Pay Basis: Annual
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
Company Values
At its core, Aerospace Corp is driven by a steadfast commitment to technical integrity, innovation and national service. These values define its impact:
Dedication to Mission Success: Committed to the success of the customer's mission and service to the nation
Technical Excellence: World-class experts tackling critical problems of national significance
Commitment to Our People: Inspiring and empowering our people to innovate, collaborate, and make a difference
Objectivity and Integrity: An independent and unbiased nonprofit organization, always delivering the technical truth
Innovation: Shaping the future in a time of unprecedented change
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:
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.