Job Description

COSMOS supports NASA's human spaceflight missions supporting astronauts and groundbreaking science in low Earth orbit today while helping enable humanity's return to the Moon and future exploration beyond. Our teams provide the mission systems, software, facilities, and technical expertise that help make human spaceflight possible.

COSMOS is seeking a highly motivated person to join the Software Engineering Directorate as Department Manager for Operating Systems (OS) and Database (DB) Services at NASA Johnson's Space Center in Houston, Texas.

The Department Manager will provide people, technical, and organizational leadership for a team of engineers and software developers responsible for critical infrastructure and operating system/database services supporting NASA mission operations. The manager will lead and integrate a diverse organization working within a blended NASA and ASCEND team and will be responsible for ensuring the department has the people, skills, priorities, and resources necessary to successfully execute its mission.

This position is responsible for establishing priorities, managing engineering resources, coordinating technical activities, developing personnel, and ensuring effective and critical support to NASA operations, mission systems, and organizational objectives. The Department Manager will work closely with NASA and COSMOS leadership to understand mission needs, respond to changing priorities, identify and manage risks, and ensure work is completed effectively and on schedule.

The successful candidate will be expected to lead through change, foster innovation and continuous improvement, develop and empower employees and team leads, and create an environment of collaboration, accountability, trust, and open communication. The manager will also ensure that new personnel are hired, trained, and developed to successfully perform COSMOS OS and Database development and sustaining activities.

The Department Manager will directly supervise the Team Leads and other assigned personnel and will be accountable for the overall performance, staffing, development, and execution of the Operating Systems and Database Services Department.

Description of Duties

• Provide leadership and direct supervision of engineers, software developers, Software Team Leads, and other assigned personnel supporting the OS and DB Services Department
• Lead, staff, and integrate a department of diverse skills, employees, and interns to work as a blended team of NASA and ASCEND employees.
• Establish team priorities, assign work, manage resources, and monitor progress to ensure work obligations are met
• Provide technical and organizational direction for system support, infrastructure engineering, and operational activities
• Develop and maintain workforce plans to ensure the department has the appropriate skills, staffing, and capabilities to meet current and future mission objectives

• Lead the organization effectively through technical, organizational, and operational change, helping employees understand evolving priorities, adapt to new approaches, and remain focused on mission objectives.
• Foster a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and constructive challenge that encourages employees to identify and implement better ways of accomplishing the work.
• Create an environment that empowers employees and team leads to bring forward new ideas, identify opportunities for improvement, appropriately challenging existing approaches, and take ownership of solutions.

• Foster a collaborative work environment that promotes teamwork, open communication, trust, accountability, and effective integration across organizational boundaries

• Establish clear expectations for employees and team leads and provide timely coaching, feedback, recognition, and performance management.
• Develop employees through mentoring, coaching, training, career development, and appropriate stretch assignments.
• Evaluate employee capabilities and organizational needs to determine the best fit for assignments while supporting both the success of the department and the development of individual employees.
• Identify future leadership and technical capability needs and support employee development and succession planning.
• Plan and execute onboarding and training of new personnel to ensure successful integration into the organization.
• Support budget estimates, staffing analyses, and resource planning associated with new work, modified tasks, and changing mission requirements.
• Ensure department processes, documentation, records, collaborative workspaces, and required management information are current, accurate, and effective.
• Communicate department status, accomplishments, issues, risks, and resource needs with COSMOS management, NASA personnel, and FOD leadership as appropriate.
• Create an environment in which technical, operational, personnel, and schedule concerns are identified and elevated early, enabling timely resolution and informed decision-making.
• Ensure appropriate support is provided for operational changes, critical mission events, and other time-sensitive mission requirements.
• Understand and communicate the status and potential impact of complex technical and operational issues to employees, COSMOS leadership, NASA personnel, and other stakeholders.
• Communicate urgent events and significant issues to appropriate leadership and stakeholders in a timely manner.
• Identify technical, operational, staffing, organizational, and schedule risks and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Review and investigate Human Errors and other significant events and develop or support Corrective Action Plans as required.
• Provide administrative management support, including performance reviews, merit planning, career development, awards and recognition, technical and leadership training, travel authorizations, disciplinary actions, office assignments, and approval of required hardware and software.
• Establish clear work expectations, reinforce accountability, and take appropriate action when expectations are not being met.
• Perform other leadership, technical, operational, and administrative duties as required to support the organization and NASA mission.

Job Requirements
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including experience leading teams, projects, technical organization, or personnel in a software development, sustaining engineering, or mission critical environment

• Demonstrated ability to lead teams through organizational, technical, or operational change.
• Demonstrated ability to foster innovation, continuous improvement, collaboration, and employee engagement.
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems, challenge established approaches when appropriate and develop innovative and practical solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to develop employees through coaching, feedback, mentoring, and challenging assignments.

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to communicate effectively across organizational boundaries and with personnel at all levels

• Demonstrated ability to establish priorities, manage multiple competing demands, and respond effectively to rapidly changing requirements.

• Effective handling of multiple tasks and ability to respond quickly to changes
• Demonstrated ability to manage customer priorities and mission requirements

• Demonstrated ability to identify and manage technical, operational, staffing, organizational, and schedule risks

• Strong decision making, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and organizational skills

• Demonstrate ability to build strong working relationships and effectively lead within a blended NASA and contractor organization

• Ability to establish expectations, hold individuals and teams accountable, and address performance or organizational issues appropriately and in a timely manner.

• Ability to support a flexible and dynamic work schedule when required by mission needs.

• Must be able to obtain a NASA Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Badge for NASA credentials

Desired Requirements

• Familiarity with Johnson Space Center mission systems and facilities, including the Mission Control Center (MCC), Mission Training Center (MTC) and Space Vehicle Mockup (SVMF)
• Experience supporting ISS, Artemis, Orion, Gateway, Commercial Crew or other space operations programs
• Knowledge of Flight Operations Directorate:
  • Vision, Mission, and Values
  • Foundations of Flight Operations
  • Organization and interfaces
• Demonstrated ability to develop personnel, build organizational capability, and perform succession planning

• Demonstrated experience leading or supporting organizational transformation, process improvement, modernization, or technology change.
• Experience creating an environment that encourages innovation, collaboration, employee engagement, and continuous improvement.

• Demonstrated interest and motivation to learn and grow as a leader

Qualifications

• Holds a Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited college and normally a minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience and specialized training related to human space flight operations, software engineering, mission systems, control center and training operations, and/or ground or space network operations.

• Relevant leadership experience managing or leading technical teams, projects, organizations, or personnel is required. Previous formal supervisory experience is preferred but is not required for an otherwise highly qualified candidate who has demonstrated significant leadership capability.

Final compensation is determined through a comprehensive evaluation of several key factors, including the candidate's educational background, specialized technical expertise, and relevant professional experience. We also consider internal equity, prevailing market data, and specific contractual or funding requirements to ensure competitive and equitable offer alignment.