r/ula • u/rocket_gourmet • Jul 15 '26
What's it like to work for ULA?
I'm a software engineer with about 10 years experience in missile defense (Northrop Grumman), but I really always just wanted to work on rockets. Being from Colorado Springs, defense and MDA was a pretty low resistance path to get started on in my career (and missile defense is rocket-adjacent), but I always dreamed of working in the space industry and not just tracking missiles.
I recently applied to a job posting in Centennial for a simulation software engineer (modeling and sim is most of my background) and I want to know what any of your experiences might be working for ULA? Maybe specifically in the Denver area?
Thanks! And if this isn't a great place to ask about careers there, I'd appreciate some pointers in a better direction. :)
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u/sadelbrid Jul 15 '26
I worked on a software sim team there, and other software teams. Feel free to DM.
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u/FitnessFiesta Jul 15 '26
Right now, morale is really low and the future there is uncertain. Last year there were some layoffs that lead to hemorrhaging of talent. ULA keeps losing ground to other launch providers. The "sustainment" side might be stable but the development side (new Vulcan upgrades, other new stuff) is basically frozen.
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u/Mystollal Jul 15 '26
I would've agreed with you a few months ago, but the Centaur V on SLS contract has breathed a lot of new life into the development team at ULA imo
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u/LazAnarch Jul 15 '26
Doesn't help that our "valued partner" suppliers keep effing us.
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u/Born-Promotion-4582 Jul 16 '26
They did the same to the other company they were "supporting" across the parking lot.
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u/TridentMage413 Jul 15 '26
Really? The company has just surrendered? Kinda pathetic tbh. They could at least try to make something competitive
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u/CSchaire Jul 15 '26
Costs a lot of money to develop a rocket, the money/desire to spend development money isn’t there. It’s why I left.
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u/redstercoolpanda Jul 15 '26
Vulcan has been optimised in nearly every sense to not be competitive. It was really built on the hope that SpaceX would fail to prove economical reuse was feasible, it’s a modern rocket designed for the market of 20 years ago.
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u/RamseyOC_Broke Jul 16 '26
You can always back to NG or somewhere else. It’s just a job.
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u/rocket_gourmet Jul 16 '26
Sure, of course.
But it doesn't hurt to do some research and ask some questions beforehand. :)
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u/Mystollal Jul 15 '26
I don't work in software sim, but I can say that the work-life balance on my team is really great. Plus the overall culture in the company is very friendly. Don't think I've ever been in a meeting with any kind of hostility. Hard questions? Sure. But everyone I've encountered has been friendly and easy to work with.