Director of Space Engineering
Englewood, Colorado
Overview
General Atomics pioneers technologies with the potential to change the world. Behind a talented global team of engineers, GA delivers safe, sustainable, and economical solutions to meet growing global demands. Our Engineers have an opportunity to work on first of a kind product lines within an incredible, dynamic environment.
Engineering positions typically require a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution and progressive engineering experience. Candidates from mechanical, electrical, and aerospace engineering backgrounds must know the fundamentals of engineering system developments, requirements, testing, and integration before getting to the final stages of customer interface and project management.
Schedule: Full-Time Salary
Job Level: Management
Travel: 0 - 25
Success Profile
What makes a successful Director of Space Engineering at General Atomics? Check out the top traits we’re looking for and see if you have the right mix.
- Analytical
- Collaborative
- Inventive
- Problem Solver
- Team Player
- Creative
Job Summary General Atomics (GA), and its affiliated companies, is one of the world’s leading resources for high-technology systems development ranging from the nuclear fuel cycle to remotely piloted aircraft, airborne sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless and laser technologies.
We have an exciting opportunity for a Director of Engineering to join our Space Division in Englewood, CO.
This position reports to the GA-EMS Vice President of Engineering & Innovation and is responsible, through subordinate management, for the planning, managing and technical performance of the Space Engineering group in Englewood, Colorado. Directs all phases of assigned engineering project(s) from inception through completion.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILIITES
- Communicate strategic vision/tactical execution goals to the directorate. Report execution status to the Vice President of Engineering & Innovation.
- Plan and manage staffing to the agreed upon levels in the IRMP. Properly staff key project starts or continuations in the various Program Divisions. Support the creation of precise IMSs that will support two-week look-ahead and critical path reviews. Manage CPI and SPI.
- Maintain an ethical and positive workplace. Perform periodic climate surveys in the directorate, document results and share with staff and peers.
- Responsible for staff effectiveness, availability of required competencies, and staff retention.
- Develop and foster technology road maps, propose, and manage execution of corresponding IRAD projects.
- Foster integrity and accountability. Provide timely and honest feedback, admit mistakes. Commit to project goals and show sense of urgency in completing tasks.
- Develop ways how leadership can distinguish more easily between engineering defects, incorrect IMS logic, or PMO management overreach. This also stimulates accountability and ownership.
- Assure engineering teams have proper training, tools and processes.
- Work through directorate managers, provide coaching to allow them to become effective presenters, to be able to formulate a message and to express it in a few words or slides.
- Instill accountability and ownership. Every staff member should know key dates for projects and should ask for help or alert leadership before a key date is in jeopardy.
- Support existing mentoring program and implement adjacent skills retention initiative.
- Support development of proposal content, create and deliver engineering BOEs that can be met without disenfranchising the engineering corps.
- Foster the engineering/PMO relation by frequent communications and collaborations. Support the Project Management Triad of PM, Chief Engineer, and Project Engineer.
- Create meaningful and measurable metrics that measure engineering performance, and that inform areas and actions for improvement.
- Support winning one major new satellite program.
- Propose and implement new ways to interact more effectively with the military space engineering team in Herndon, VA.
- In addition, the successful candidate will be asked to collaborate with EMS Group executive management to develop and implement current, annual and long-term technical, schedule, quality, business and financial objectives for the Space Engineering directorate.
- Participate in and contribute to the development of annual and long-term objectives for the EMS Group.
- May be responsible for decisions that have serious impact on overall success of the engineering directorate, where erroneous decisions could cause substantial expenditure of time, resources, and funds.
Job Qualifications:
- Typically requires a Bachelors, Master or PhD in engineering or a related technical field as well as fifteen or more years of progressively complex engineering experience with at least nine of those years having management responsibilities. May substitute equivalent experience in lieu of education.
- Demonstrates detailed and extensive technical expertise and application of engineering principles, concepts, theory, and practice as well as comprehensive project management and leadership skills including organizing, planning, scheduling, and coordinating workloads to meet established deadlines or milestones.
- Must possess the ability to resolve unusually complex management and technical problems and be a technical expert in one or more areas of engineering.
- Strong communication, leadership, presentation, and interpersonal skills are required to enable an effective interface with other departments, all levels of management, professional and support staff, customers, potential customers, and government representatives.
- U.S. Citizenship is required.
- Ability to obtain and maintain an TS/SCI clearance.
- An active TS/SCI Clearance is desired.
Salary:$155,370 - $289,320
Benefits
-
Healthcare
-
Pension, 401(k)/Retirement Plans
-
Competitive Pay
-
Multiple product lines means a variety of work
-
Paid Time Off

“The company is growing, has a very good reputation and had open positions in my area of expertise (aircraft design/design methodology development).”– Peter, Senior Staff Engineer

“We don't ascribe to quotas; we do ascribe to securing the BEST talent to enrich our culture toward healthy diversification and active/viable community service. We are STEM advocates.”– Debra, CSSBB: Staff Engineer

“Every day is different, with different problems to solve and many programs to support. I am a problem solver and have always been motivated by the tough questions.”– Scott, Laser Scientist

“I work in the Components Engineering and Obsolescence Management Dept. Our efforts are saving General Atomics several millions of dollars by proactively leading and informing the company of all these decisions which significantly impact production, sustainment and new designs.”– John, Staff Engineer
News
-
Featured Jobs
- Legal Assistant San Diego, California
- Senior Subcontract Administrator Poway, California
- Project Systems Engineer Poway, California
- Electrical Engineer, Hardware Description Language (MODEM), and Embedded Software San Diego, California
You have not recently viewed any jobs.
You have no saved jobs.
-
Featured Jobs
- Legal Assistant San Diego, California
- Senior Subcontract Administrator Poway, California
- Project Systems Engineer Poway, California
- Electrical Engineer, Hardware Description Language (MODEM), and Embedded Software San Diego, California
You have not recently viewed any jobs.
You have no saved jobs.
-
Featured Jobs
- Legal Assistant San Diego, California
- Senior Subcontract Administrator Poway, California
- Project Systems Engineer Poway, California
- Electrical Engineer, Hardware Description Language (MODEM), and Embedded Software San Diego, California
You have not recently viewed any jobs.
You have no saved jobs.