Principal Director, Service Operations

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.

Job Summary

The Principal Director, Service Operations , serves as a strategic and operational leader, responsible for driving productivity, enhancing user experiences, and delivering exceptional quality of IT & customer services across the organization. Acting as the primary representative of the Enterprise Information Services (EIS) division, this role oversees a diverse portfolio of enterprise IT operations, including end-user platforms (e.g., mobile, AV, and telephony), productivity tools (e.g., M365 and CRM), service desks (both classified and unclassified), and the vendor management office. This encompasses optimizing service provider relationships, managing hardware and software assets, and overseeing IT procurement services.

Reporting to the Deputy CIO/General Manager of the EIS Division, the Principal Director prioritizes customer service excellence and operational performance by leveraging robust IT service management (ITSM) practices and ensuring seamless delivery of key platforms such as M365 and ServiceNow. Serving as a trusted partner to executive leadership and IT teams, this role fosters collaboration to maintain secure, resilient, and scalable IT services. By advancing operational maturity, standardizing processes, and championing continuous improvement, the Principal Director ensures exceptional service delivery and drives measurable outcomes that support organizational success.

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility in Chantilly, VA or El Segundo CA.

What You'll Be Doing

Operational Strategy & Service Excellence

• Develop and execute the IT operations and user experience strategies to ensure service availability, reliability, and scalability across classified and unclassified environments
• Define and monitor operational KPIs, SLAs, and Experience Level Agreements (XLAs) to track and enhance service performance and user satisfaction
• Establish and maintain runbooks, operational playbooks, and standardized operating procedures to ensure consistent and efficient operations.
• Drive a customer-centric IT culture focused on service excellence and operational efficiency

Incident, Problem, & Change Management

• Oversee enterprise-wide incident management, including escalation, communication, root cause analysis, and recovery efforts
• Oversee problem management processes to identify systemic issues and eliminate recurring failures
• Manage the change management process in partnership with Application Development, Infrastructure, and Security teams to balance speed and risk mitigation
• Ensure consistent adherence to ITIL-based service management practices, driving continuous improvement initiatives. Collaborate with infrastructure and cloud teams to maintain high availability, reliability, and scalability of IT systems
• Leverage operational data, automation, and analytics to eliminate root causes and improve service resilience

Service Desk & End-User Experience

• Manage the enterprise service desk function, ensuring fast resolution times, high-quality support, and positive user experiences
• Drive initiatives to enhance quality of service, self-service capabilities, automation, and ticket reduction
• Align service desk operations with end-user platforms (e.g., endpoint engineering, identity, and collaboration tools) for seamless user support
• Improve service turnaround times, quality, and customer satisfaction metrics across all support channels

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Mission Support

• Partner with Stakeholder Partners to align IT operations with mission and business priorities
• Collaborate with Application Development, Infrastructure, and Security teams to support deployments, upgrades, and platform changes
• Coordinate with data management teams to ensure operational readiness and support for analytics platforms, data pipelines, and mission-critical services
• Ensure operational compliance with NIST, CMMC, and corporate governance frameworks

Governance, Compliance & Risk Management

• Participate in OCIO governance forums, contributing to strategy, alignment, and operational planning
• Identify and mitigate operational risks, ensuring regulatory and corporate compliance for classified and unclassified environments.
• Maintain documentation, controls, and evidence to support audits and meet internal and external regulatory requirements

Leadership, Team Development & Vendor Oversight

• Lead and mentor a team of IT operations, service desk, vendor management professionals across multiple locations
• Foster a culture of accountability, reliability, and continuous improvement within the team
• Develop training, certification, and career development plans to build a high-performing workforce
• Oversee vendor and managed service provider relationships, ensuring cost-effectiveness, performance, and value delivery
• Manage budgets, resource allocation, and co-sourcing arrangements to optimize operational efficiency

Key Outcomes & Value Delivery

• Support organizational growth and productivity improvements by continuously evaluating and enhancing IT infrastructure and operations
• Drive innovation through data-driven insights, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Deliver measurable value through operational excellence, cost optimization, and exceptional user experiences

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Systems, or a related field is required
• A minimum of (10) years of progressive IT leadership experience, with at least 5 years in senior IT operations, service delivery, or enterprise IT roles is required
• Must be extremely customer-focused, solution-oriented and results-driven
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and align cross-functional teams and executive leadership
• Demonstrated success in leading large, geographically dispersed teams, managing budgets, and delivering enterprise-scale IT services
• Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with the ability to manage complex projects and deliver results on time and within budget
• Expertise in ITIL frameworks, and IT service management processes, including incident, problem, and change management
• Proven ability to lead and motivate diverse teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• This position requires ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:

• Understanding and hands on application of organizational change management frameworks is a plus
• Holding one or more ITIL certifications is preferred
• Experience supporting mission-critical or secure environments in regulated industries such as aerospace, defense, or federal organizations is value-add

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)
$180,800.00 - $271,200.00

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

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 View phone number on click.appcast.io or by email at View email address on click.appcast.io . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.