About United Launch Alliance
What is United Launch Alliance?
United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a US space-launch services provider, established in 2006 as a 50/50 joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, with a manufacturing facility in Decatur, Alabama, and launch sites at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (Florida) and Vandenberg Space Force Base (California), ULA has flown more than 150 consecutive successful missions for the US government and commercial customers.
ULA's rocket families include the Atlas V, Delta IV Heavy (now retired from active service), and the new Vulcan Centaur — designed to fly medium-to-heavy payloads for the US Space Force, NASA, NRO, and commercial customers including Amazon's Project Kuiper satellite constellation.
Where will I work?
ULA's headquarters is in Centennial, Colorado, with major operations in Decatur (AL), Cape Canaveral (FL), and Vandenberg (CA). Most engineering and program-management roles are based in Colorado or Alabama. A subset of engineering roles is hybrid; many manufacturing and launch-operations roles are fully on-site for obvious reasons.
What is the United Launch Alliance team like?
Around 3,200 employees including aerospace engineers, propulsion engineers, structural engineers, software engineers, technicians, mission managers, and security/IT professionals. More than 12% of ULA's workforce are veterans. The culture is mission-led, safety-first, and detail-obsessed — a 100% mission-success record across 150+ consecutive launches is the defining cultural commitment.
Work-Life Balance
ULA offers 9/80 workweeks for most employees: nine 9-hour days followed by one 8-hour day across two weeks, with every other Friday off. This is documented on the company's benefits page as a headline benefit. Eligibility varies by role — manufacturing, launch-operations, and certain mission-critical positions may follow shift-based or fixed schedules during launch campaigns.
Perks and Benefits
- 9/80 flexible workweek for most employees (every other Friday off)
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Performance bonuses
- Generous PTO + paid US holidays
- Tuition reimbursement and professional development
- Life and disability insurance
- Parental leave
- Employee assistance program
- Veterans support and military-leave benefits