The University of Toronto Aerospace Team is looking for a new Director of Space Systems! The Director of Space Systems is a pivotal leadership role responsible for overseeing the administrative functions of UTAT-Space Systems, working closely with all leads and portfolio heads.
People are the cornerstone of UTAT Space Systems, and this is what makes us so special. The biggest responsibility of the Director is to care about the team and its people; you are responsible for a team of hundreds of members, all of which are incredibly talented and inspiring. As the leader of this community, you have the resources to execute exciting projects and opportunities, build connections between students and industry professionals, and foster a hard-working yet inclusive environment.
As Director, you will play a key role in shaping the team's direction and fostering its growth towards excellence, successful missions, academic publications, and industry recognition. Your work will inspire a new generation of students, engineers, and scientists. You will gain connections with industry leaders and support the development of space technology. This is an incredibly rewarding role.
Primary Responsibilities
- Act as a liaison between Space Systems and the UTAT exec team (exec director, other division directors and portfolios) by attending weekly exec meetings.
- Plan and run weekly leads meetings to facilitate team updates/discussions exclusive to leads, such as budget, team improvement, and recruitment discussions.
- Plan and run weekly Space Systems meetings in collaboration with the Systems Design Lead and Head of Project Management , relaying important information to the team and giving space to technical discussions/work.
- Manage the ‣, opening lead role applications, running interviews, participating in the selection process, and facilitating a smooth transition for incoming and outgoing leads.
- Run the new member onboarding process, which includes presenting at the UTAT Kickoff, organizing a UTAT Space Systems Demo Day, creating a sign-up from, communicating with leads on their recruitment capacities, and responding to new member email inquiries.
- Represent Space Systems at UTAT Kickoff, Clubs Fair, and other such functions.
- Work with the ‣ to advertise UTAT Space Systems and share our work with the public.
- Stay informed on the current status of the following facets. While these responsibilities are primarily handled by other leads, it is your job to regularly check in and be ready to reabsorb them into your role if need be:
- Represent and market UTAT Space Systems to potential external stakeholders such as sponsors, collaborators, vendors, launch services providers, professors, etc.
Secondary Responsibilities
- Have personal one-on-one check-ins with your leads and be available to answer questions/talk to any member of the team.
- Offer optional exit interviews to leads leaving the team, and collect
goodbye messages.
- Keep an eye on the overall team culture, in terms of inclusion, psychological safety and signs of burnout. Resolve conflict if necessary.
- Work with the Head of Events to organize occasional team socials (leads-only or Space Systems wide), as a chance for the team to bond outside of work.