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.
STARS, the Spacelift Telemetry Acquisition and Reporting System, is a networked, distributed processing system used to acquire, process, analyze, display, and archive launch vehicle telemetry and other data for vehicle checkout and launch activities. We are seeking a Technical Product Lead to take ownership of STARS 2.0, our cloud-based software platform that hosts mission-critical applications for launch engineering and mission assurance work.
Reporting directly to the Systems Director of the STARS Mission Operations Center, this individual contributor will serve as the bridge between program leadership, end users, and our technical team of approximately 10 engineers. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with strong product management and stakeholder engagement skills. You will be responsible for the reliability and continuous improvement of the platform, translating user needs into actionable requirements, overseeing the software release process, and working closely with leadership to set strategic priorities and annual goals. This role requires someone who can work autonomously on day-to-day decisions while collaborating with the Systems Director on large-scale architectural changes and strategic initiatives. You must be comfortable supporting live mission operations outside of normal business hours and have the technical judgment to ensure that every release maintains platform stability and meets our high standards for mission assurance.
The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our Aerospace Technical Campus in El Segundo, CA.
What You’ll Be Doing
Own end-to-end reliability and performance of the STARS 2.0 platform, monitoring system health and proactively addressing technical debt
Lead release review board meetings and oversee the software release process, with authority to veto releases that threaten platform stability or fail to meet process requirements
Run weekly wargame sessions and actively contribute to product team meetings
Gather feedback from launch engineers and end users, translating it into clear requirements, epics, and technical tasks
Triage and prioritize incoming tasks, bugs, and feature requests on a day-to-day basis
Collaborate with the Systems Director to establish annual platform goals, strategic roadmap, and budget priorities
Partner with the Project Manager to ensure the team adheres to established software development processes
Act as the liaison between the technical team, program office, and customers, facilitating communication and alignment
Support live mission operations, including availability outside of normal business hours as needed
Identify and implement structural and process improvements for both the platform and technical team
Coordinate rapid response when production issues arise, working with the team to implement fixes
Travel occasionally to launch sites (at least annually) to meet with stakeholders and field teams
What You Need to be Successful
Minimum Requirements for Project Engineer – Systems Software Engineering and Cloud Computing Architecture:
Bachelors of Science degree in an applicable STEM areas or other discipline
6 or more years of software engineering experience, preferably with experience on STARS 2.0 or similar mission-critical platforms
2+ years in a product ownership, technical lead, or similar role managing product roadmaps and delivering on strategic goals
Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
Working knowledge of data platforms and architectures
Demonstrated experience with DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines
Proficiency with automated testing frameworks and test-driven development practices
Understanding of microservices architecture and distributed systems
Experience working in a program office or similar cross-functional environment
Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders
Proven ability to navigate competing priorities, negotiate trade-offs, and work autonomously while knowing when to escalate
Experience gathering user requirements and working directly with customers and end users
This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance, issued by the US government. US citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.
In addition to the above, the minimum requirements for Sr. Project Engineer – Systems Software Engineering and Cloud Computing Architecture include:
10 or more years of software engineering experience, preferably with experience on STARS 2.0 or similar mission-critical platforms
3+ years in a product ownership, technical lead, or similar role managing product roadmaps and delivering on strategic goals
Deep expertise with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) including architectural design decisions and cost optimization strategies
Demonstrated experience leading incident response, implementing reliability improvements, and establishing best practices for DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing frameworks across teams
How You Can Stand Out
It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:
Prior hands-on experience with the STARS 2.0 platform or related launch engineering systems
Background in aerospace, defense, or mission-critical systems
Active Secret security clearance
Experience supporting live operations or production environments with on-call responsibilities
Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies and experience leading ceremonies
Track record of incident management, post-mortem facilitation, and implementing reliability improvements
Knowledge of security and compliance requirements for government/aerospace systems
Experience providing strategic input on budget planning and resource allocation
Demonstrated success in identifying and implementing process improvements that enhanced team performance or product quality
We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business. The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below. Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills.
(Min - Max)
$129,000.00 - $193,500.00Pay Basis: AnnualLeadership 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:
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
An inclusive 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.