Chief Engineer – Advanced Aircraft

Jobtailor; Redondo Beach (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking a senior technical leader to head a multi-disciplinary team in the Advanced Aircraft Operating Unit. You will guide concept development, testing, and transition of air vehicle technologies while ensuring alignment with customer needs and company standards.

You will serve as the technical authority, coordinate across business units, and manage risks to meet schedule and cost targets. Strong communication and leadership are essential for interfacing with senior leadership and

Qualifications

• Requires a STEM degree with extensive professional/military experience.
• Experience in air vehicle design, development, and testing is essential.
• Proven ability to integrate multiple engineering specialties across programs.
• Must have experience with cross-unit collaboration and customer interaction.
• Active clearance or eligibility for SAP/TS/SCI is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multi-disciplinary engineering team on R&D projects in advanced air vehicles.
• Conceive, develop, demonstrate, and transition new air vehicle technologies and concepts.
• Act as technical authority and interface with customer and senior leadership.
• Define and control technical requirements and ensure program integration.
• Chair the Technical Review Board and supervise risk-related activities.

Skills

Technical Leadership

Air Vehicle Conceptual Design

Systems Engineering Principles

Risk Management

Program Lifecycle Experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM with 16+ years experience

Tools

Engineering Integration

Technical Performance Measurement

Project Management Planning

Job description

• Lead a multi-disciplinary engineering team executing research and development projects within the Advanced Aircraft Operating Unit
• Conceive, develop, demonstrate, and transition new air vehicle technologies, aircraft designs, and air weapons systems concepts
• Serve as the technical authority for the Operating Unit, providing technical direction and leadership to internally funded and contracted activities
• Define and control technical requirements and ensure technical coordination and horizontal integration across projects
• Serve as the principal technical interface with the customer and company senior leadership
• Ensure programs adhere to sound engineering principles and comply with company policies, procedures, and quality standards
• Oversee technical performance measures within allocated cost and schedule resources
• Chair the Technical Review Board
• Support program managers in risk and opportunity management by identifying and owning risks associated with technical performance
• Provide technical leadership, direction, and mentoring in applying systems engineering principles, tools, and techniques

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree in a relevant STEM discipline and 16 years of related professional/military experience; OR Master of Science degree in a STEM discipline and 14 years of related professional/military experience; OR Ph.D. in a related STEM discipline and 12 years of related professional/military experience
• Professional experience related to air vehicle conceptual design, vehicle technology development and demonstration, or aircraft prototype development and experimental testing
• Experience integrating multiple engineering specialties
• Experience working across multiple Business Units within a company, with industry partners, and with the customer community
• Active US Government Secret clearance or higher clearance, with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation
• Ability to obtain SAP and TS / SCI Clearance within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs
• Ability to travel up to 25%
• Familiarity with US Government customer community in one or more relevant areas
• Experience across multiple phases of program lifecycle, including business development, business acquisition, research & development, production and sustainment
• Experience as a Chief Engineer or technical lead planning and executing technical design and integration tasks on schedule, at cost, and achieving all technical requirements
• Demonstrated experience making sound decisions in uncertain, ambiguous, or difficult situations
• Excellent organizational and written communication skills, project management planning, and presentation skills

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in leading multi-disciplinary engineering teams and providing technical direction in air vehicle technology development, ensuring compliance with engineering principles and quality standards. Possesses strong project management and communication skills to effectively interface with customers and senior leadership.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Technical Leadership
• Air Vehicle Conceptual Design
• Systems Engineering Principles
• Risk Management
• Program Lifecycle Experience

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Air Vehicle Technology Development
• Technical Requirements Definition
• Engineering Integration
• Technical Performance Measurement
• Project Management Planning

Soft Skills

• Organizational Skills
• Written Communication Skills
• Decision-Making in Uncertainty

Certifications & Qualifications

• Active US Government Secret Clearance
• SAP Clearance
• TS / SCI Clearance

Industry Keywords

• Advanced Aircraft Operating Unit
• Technical Review Board
• Business Development
• Research & Development
• Experimental Testing