Your space-enabled career begins here

Virgin Galactic is an aerospace and space travel company, pioneering human spaceflight for private individuals and researchers with our advanced air and space vehicles. We are developing a spaceflight system designed to connect the world to the wonder and awe created by space travel. Scale and profit are driven by next generation vehicles capable of bringing humans to space at an unprecedented frequency with an industry-leading cost structure.

The VP, Enterprise Applications & Data is a strategic executive responsible for driving the modernization and optimization of Virgin Galactic’s enterprise applications and data capabilities across the organization. Reporting to the CIO, this role requires a visionary who can balance long-term strategic planning with pragmatic, hands-on execution. The VP, Enterprise Applications & Data will own strategy, delivery, and operations for core digital platforms including Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and other key enterprise systems.

The VP will drive major application modernization efforts, build enterprise-wide data governance, enhance analytics maturity, create operational excellence in application support, and influence technology decision-making across the company.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute multi-year enterprise application and data transformation roadmaps aligned with business strategy, regulatory requirements, and Virgin Galactic’s mission.
• Partner with executive leadership to define and prioritize digital capabilities that enable growth, operational efficiency, compliance, speed, and scalability.
• Lead enterprise architecture alignment, ensuring integrated, future-proof platforms across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, customer experience, and corporate functions.
• Establish KPIs, OKRs, and performance metrics to measure value creation, application performance, data quality, and team effectiveness.
• Communicate strategy, progress, risks, and outcomes to C-level leaders and cross-functional stakeholders with clarity and transparency.

Application Technology & Solution Delivery

• Own the full lifecycle of enterprise applications including PLM, ERP, CRM, MES, and integration middleware.
• Oversee the full portfolio and roadmap of enterprise applications, ensuring platforms meet current and evolving needs.
• Oversee solution architecture, vendor platforms, and integration technologies to maintain a cohesive, scalable enterprise technology landscape.
• Lead application implementation projects ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery of expected scope with a high degree of quality.
• Implement service management disciplines (ITIL, problem/incident/change management) to ensure application stability, uptime, and support excellence.

Data Governance, Insights, and Analytics Enablement

• Create and lead an enterprise data governance framework covering data stewardship, quality, security, master data, lineage, and lifecycle management.
• Partner with security and compliance teams to ensure data practices align with regulatory and SOX requirements.
• Oversee data architecture, data warehousing, BI tools, and advanced analytics capabilities.
• Enable self-service analytics, operational reporting, and data-driven decision-making across business functions.
• Shape the future state of enterprise data platforms (cloud data lake, MDM, integration hubs, real-time pipelines).

Operational Excellence & Program Management

• Lead program and portfolio management for enterprise applications and data initiatives, ensuring effective prioritization, governance, and cross-functional alignment.
• Build operational rigor through SLA definition, capacity planning, availability management, and continuous service improvement.
• Manage budgets, vendor contracts, licensing, and sourcing strategies to optimize cost, value, and performance.
• Mitigate risk through proactive identification of technical debt, security vulnerabilities, compliance gaps, and business continuity needs.

Talent Development & Culture Building

• Proven leadership and talent-development abilities.
• Build and lead a high-performing team including application architects, developers, data engineers, analysts, and support professionals.
• Create a culture of innovation, ownership, continuous improvement, high accountability, and customer-centric delivery.
• Coach, develop, and mentor leaders and rising talent to create organizational depth and technical excellence.
• Promote transparency, empowerment, and cross-functional teamwork.

Business Partnership

• Partner with technology, information security, corporate functions (finance, HR, legal), and operations leaders to align technology investments and data strategies with enterprise goals.
• Oversee relationships with external vendors, ensuring the timely and cost-effective delivery of services and products while adhering to industry and regulatory standards.
• Ability to unify stakeholders around shared outcomes.
• Exceptional interpersonal and decision-making skills; able to address complex issues with clarity and diplomacy.

Leadership & Business Acumen

• Exceptional communication skills with ability to present to executive leadership.
• Experience leading and managing internal and outsourced teams of 20+ professionals.
• Demonstrated success at solving business problems by implementing large-scale digital solutions.
• Exceptional leadership skills, and a demonstrated ability to deliver business value through technology in a complex, highly regulated environment.
• Provide decisive leadership in complex and ambiguous situations, driving clarity, alignment, and momentum.
• Communicate technical concepts in business terms and advocate for technology investments that create value, reduce risk, or enhance capabilities.
• Demonstrate sound financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, cost modeling, and ROI analysis.
• Promote change adoption and guide the organization through transformation efforts with empathy and stakeholder engagement.

Technical Expertise

• Deep understanding of enterprise systems architecture, cloud platforms, SaaS/PaaS ecosystems, and modern application design.
• Strong experience with enterprise applications, cloud-based data platforms, integration middleware, and workflow automation tools.
• Expertise in data modeling, MDM, metadata management, ETL/ELT pipelines, and BI/analytics tools.
• Understanding of cybersecurity principles, compliance frameworks, and secure-by-design application development practices.
• Experience operating in hybrid cloud and on-prem environments, preferably within complex engineering and manufacturing environments.

Required Skills and Experience

• BS/BA in Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or related field.
• 15+ years of progressive leadership in enterprise applications, data platforms, or related technology domains.
• 5+ years as a senior IT leader with direct oversight of large, cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated success delivering large-scale ERP, PLM, CRM, or data transformation programs.
• Extensive experience designing and managing enterprise application portfolios in fast-paced, high-growth, safety- or mission-critical environments.
• Strong background in data governance, analytics enablement, and building enterprise data strategies.
• Proven ability to influence executive leadership, communicate complex ideas simply, and build enterprise-wide alignment.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree in business, technology, engineering, or management.
• Experience in aerospace, aviation, manufacturing, or similarly regulated industries.
• Experience with SOX, public company compliance, cybersecurity requirements, and audit preparation.
• Familiarity with systems supporting engineering (PLM/CAD), production (ERP/MES), and flight operations.

Personal Attributes

• Passionate about space exploration and advancing Virgin Galactic’s mission.
• Strong ethical foundation and commitment to safety, security, and operational excellence.
• Innovative thinker with a pragmatic approach to problem-solving and execution.
• Collaborative leadership style that fosters influence without authority.
• Resilient, adaptive, and effective in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.
• Highly organized with strong systems-thinking skills and attention to detail.

#LI-ID1

The annual U.S. base salary range for this full-time position is $250,000.00–$325,000.00. The base pay actually offered will vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, location, and experience and take into account internal equity. Other forms of pay (e.g., bonus or long term incentive) may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and other benefits, dependent on the position offered. For more information regarding Virgin Galactic benefits, please visit https://vgcareers.virgingalactic.com/global/en/benefits

Who We Are

Virgin Galactic is an aerospace and space travel company, pioneering human spaceflight for private individuals and researchers with its advanced air and space vehicles. We are making the dream of space travel a reality, delivering spaceflight at an unprecedented frequency, with the development of next generation space vehicles.

Export Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. Person (either a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident or a protected individual as defined 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) or be able to obtain the required authorization from either the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Department of Commerce. The applicant must also not be included in the list of Specifically Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. See list here.

EEO Statement
Virgin Galactic is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Virgin Galactic is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Drug Free Workplace
Virgin Galactic is committed to a Drug Free Workplace. All applicants post offer and active teammates are subject to testing for marijuana, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, PCP, and alcohol when criteria is met as outlined in our policies. This can include pre-employment, random, reasonable suspicion, and accident related drug and alcohol testing.

Phoenix Employment Requirements
For individuals seeking employment at our Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport facility, employment is contingent upon you obtaining and maintaining a TSA authorized security badge. This includes initial and annual mandatory background checks that are governed by TSA, and conducted by the Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport badging office.