Principal Director, Applied AI & Advanced Infrastructure; A3I

Position: Principal Director, Applied AI & Advanced Infrastructure (A3I)
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 Information Systems and Cyber Division (ISCD) is a unique engineering division partnering across the full space enterprise to advance next‑generation digital solutions and software- enabled mission capabilities. With customers spanning the DoD, Intelligence Community, civil and commercial space, ISCD blends expertise in software architecture, AI/ML systems, data platforms and architecture, advanced cloud and edge infrastructure, cybersecurity, and full-stack engineering through mission-focused, collaborative, multi-disciplinary teams.

These teams leverage hands-on prototyping and applied R&D to support customer concepts, digital architectures, and the integration of cutting-edge technologies into real-world mission environments.

We are seeking an innovative and energetic leader to build and lead ISCD’s newest subdivision:
Applied AI and Advanced Infrastructure (a3i). This organization will serve as the corporation’s focal point for AI-enabled mission solutions and the modern digital foundations required to scale them, integrating expertise across data architecture, advanced infrastructure including cloud and edge platforms, and applied AI/ML. A3i will work across ISCD programs to develop new advanced technology concepts, accelerate the adoption of AI-ready architectures, and prototype new applications across modern infrastructure for solutions to our nation’s hardest technical space challenges.

This role offers unparalleled access across the space enterprise to identify high-impact mission challenges, shape next-generation digital foundations, and apply AI at scale in support of national security, civil, and commercial space missions. Working across commercial industry, government, and academia, this Principal Director will shape how emerging technologies are rapidly adopted by a growing and increasingly innovative aerospace customer base.

Work Model

This is a full-time position based in Chantilly, VA or El Segundo, CA and requires 100% onsite work.

What You’ll Be Doing

The Principal Director of a3i will create and lead this new subdivision focusing on applied AI research and development toward space systems leveraging modern cloud and hybrid infrastructure services for ground, edge, and scalable data architectures. This leader will expand Aerospace’s role in national security space, integrating cloud, data, and AI expertise, and building partnerships across the company and community to evolve the latest digital technologies to our customers and internal engineering staff.

The a3i organization will serve as:

• A technical integrator, aligning data platforms, AI/ML pipelines, and cloud/edge infrastructure across programs, and

• A mission accelerator, rapidly applying these capabilities to customer challenges through prototypes, pilots, and deployable solutions.

• A continuously-evolving leader in applied research, building connections to other cutting-edge organizations to accelerate innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Build the organizational vision, strategy, and technical roadmap for applied AI and advanced digital infrastructure across ISCD’s mission portfolio.

• Lead the prototyping and integration of AI/ML, data platforms, and cloud/edge infrastructure into cohesive, mission-ready architectures that can be reused and scaled across programs and customers.

• Engage directly with DoD, Intelligence Community, civil (e.g., NASA), and commercial customers to identify high-impact mission opportunities for AI-enabled solutions and modern digital foundations.

• In partnership with the larger ISCD division, develop new business…