Chief Engineer

EVONA; Folsom (CA); Hybrid; USD 138,000 - 248,000; Full time

Job summary

EVONA is seeking a Contract Chief Engineer for Solid Rocket Propulsion in California. You will own the technical success of complex propulsion programmes from design through qualification and production over a 12-month engagement.

This technical leadership role requires hands-on expertise, guiding multidisciplinary teams and aligning technical, cost and schedule decisions across the lifecycle. US citizenship and ability to obtain security clearance are required.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• 15+ years of engineering experience.
• 5+ years of technical leadership on controllable solid rocket propulsion.
• Broad background across design, analysis and test, through IRAD, EMD and production.
• Generalist profile from systems, project, design or test engineering, without over-specialising.

Responsibilities

• Direct the full technical lifecycle, including design reviews and qualification milestones.
• Make sure systems are producible, compliant, and balanced against cost and schedule.
• Drive the critical path, deconflict resources and manage task span-times.
• Hold lean technical baselines, monitor CPI, and challenge budget change requests.
• Act as the programme's lead technical voice with customers and stakeholders.
• Support new business and keep customer requests within authorised scope.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Solid rocket propulsion

Systems engineering

Design & test

Security clearance

Education

Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering degree

Job description

Contract Chief Engineer, Solid Rocket Propulsion

Open hourly rate
12-month contract, 40 hours per week. Start mid-October
60 days site onboarding, then remote

A defence and space technology company is hiring a Chief Engineer to own the technical success of its solid rocket propulsion programmes through a 12-month engagement, from design through qualification and into production.

This is a technical leadership role, not a people management one. You'll lead a multidisciplinary team with no direct reports. The company needs a broad, hands-on engineer who has led controllable solid rocket motor programmes before and keeps technical, cost and schedule decisions aligned.

What you'll be doing

• Direct the full technical lifecycle, including design reviews and qualification milestones
• Make sure systems are producible, compliant, and balanced against cost and schedule
• Drive the critical path, deconflict resources and manage task span-times
• Hold lean technical baselines, monitor CPI, and challenge budget change requests
• Act as the programme's lead technical voice with customers and stakeholders
• Support new business and keep customer requests within authorised scope

What you'll need

• Degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline
• 15+ years of engineering experience
• 5+ years of technical leadership on controllable solid rocket propulsion
• Broad background across design, analysis and test, through IRAD, EMD and production
• A generalist profile from systems, project, design or test engineering, without over-specialising
• Chief Engineer-level experience (this role isn't open to programme managers)
• Ability to obtain and maintain a US security clearance (requires US citizenship)

Nice to have

• Current DoD Secret clearance
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams of 10+
• Hardware taken through qualification and into production
• Prior contract or independent consulting work, so you can land and add value fast