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Director of Engineering (0350U), Space Sciences Laboratory - 71464

About Berkeley

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are committed to creating a community that fosters equity of experience and opportunity, and ensures that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome and included. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

The University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world's leading institutions of higher education, distinguished by its combination of internationally recognized academic and research excellence; the transformative opportunity it provides to a large and diverse student body; its public mission and commitment to equity and social justice; and its roots in the California experience, animated by such values as innovation, questioning the status quo, and respect for the environment and nature. Since its founding in 1868, Berkeley has fueled a perpetual renaissance, generating unparalleled intellectual, economic and social value in California, the United States and the world.

We are looking for equity-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at Berkeley, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice that requires broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students and community partners. In deciding whether to apply for a position at Berkeley, you are strongly encouraged to consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, our Principles of Community, and our Strategic Plan.

At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. To find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley, visit grow.berkeley.edu.

Departmental Overview

The Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) is an Organized Research Unit (ORU) of the Berkeley campus reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Research. SSL's primary goal is to foster research in space-related sciences and to provide education for the next generation of space scientists. Research at SSL, led by Berkeley faculty and SSL Senior Fellows, focuses on experiments and observations carried out in space as well as theoretical and basic research.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: September 2, 2024

Responsibilities

• Oversee the recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and professional development of all SSL engineering staff.


• Provide mentorship, support, and guidance to foster a high-performing and collaborative team culture at the lab and set clear expectations, establish accountability measures, and ensure efficient resource allocation to projects.


• Interact with each SSL project manager and principal investigator to ensure that each project is appropriately staffed and has access to the right level of engineering support and expertise and can be supported through the duration of the project.


• Manage engineering staffing at the lab over time to ensure succession of engineering talent is actively overseen and planned for.


• Act as a liaison between the engineering staff and other groups both within the lab and the university, as other institutions. Represent the engineering staff in these forums to foster collaboration opportunities and seek growth opportunities for engineering staff and the lab as a whole.


• Represent engineering at SSL to the campus administration, faculty and student body to promote connections between SSL and the wider campus body.


• Oversee the technical facilities at SSL and ensure that they meet the requirements for the technical work undertaken at the lab.


• Overall responsibility to NASA or other funding agency for the success of a large spacecraft development program or multiple smaller programs in the role as project manager.


• Leads negotiations with NASA or other funding agency in the establishment of ground rules for structuring the program and defining the technical relationship between the agency and the Campus.


• Collaborates among diverse groups such as government laboratories and agencies and international partners on new and ongoing space mission projects.


• Works with principal investigator to develop NASA or other funding agency proposals and concepts.


• Develops the design of spacecraft devices and oversees their fabrication, test and operation in space.


• As needed to meet NASA or other funding agency requirements: implements risk management procedures, identifies scheduled critical paths, coordinates trade studies, and performs component and system-level design reviews.


• Secures trained staff, develop facilities, develops and manages spacecraft component subcontracts.


• Develops complete work plan and budget, monitoring cost and schedule performance.


• Ensures all objectives of projects are met through subordinate managers and advises senior management on controversial situations, customer negotiations, or influencing and persuading other senior level managers.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced skills in collaborating among multiple organizations including international partners.


• Highly experienced in spacecraft development projects, in management and engineering.


• Advanced expertise in multiple space engineering disciplines to understand the complex engineering trade studies.


• Ability to lead the project definition, scope of work, and organizational structures to optimize the contributions of partner institutions.


• Advanced skills to coordinate proposal development and secure funding from outside sources.


• Demonstrated ability to lead the technical design and development effort of a space project, meeting milestones on schedule and within budget.


• Excellent negotiation and communication skills in people management


• Understanding of scientific space programs and the skill sets of engineers that are required to staff them.


• Ability to focus on multiple competing programs at once to ensure the overall lab effort meets project demands.


• Skilled in dealing with institutional processes and managing across multiple different competing institutional demands.


• Skilled in recruitment and retention of engineering staff.


• Ability to lead at department level above competing projects and priorities.

Education / Training Requirements

• Doctorate or advanced degree with significant post-graduate work in related field

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The full pay scale for this position is $192,800.00-$396,000.00. The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $294,400.00-$345,200.00.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Diversity Statement

Please include, as part of your application a brief (1-2 paragraph) statement on your contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in your professional experience.

Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental to our UC Berkeley Principles of Community, which states that "every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring, and humane environment in which these values can thrive."

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant, please see the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission poster.

The University of California's Affirmative action policy.

The University of California's Anti-Discrimination policy.


To apply, visit https://careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psc/ucb/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&JobOpeningId=71464&PostingSeq=1&SiteId=21&languageCd=ENG&FOCUS=Applicant