Chief Engineer, Product Engineering (Aerospace & Defense)

Divergent; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 179,630 - 285,230; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health and wellness benefits

Paid vacation and parental leave

Learning and development reimbursement

Job summary

An aerospace and defense technology leader in Los Angeles is seeking a Chief Engineer for Product Engineering. This role focuses on developing next-generation munitions architectures and leading technical design efforts. Candidates should possess a bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, 8+ years of relevant experience, and be U.S. citizens eligible for DoD security clearance. The position offers competitive compensation ranging from $179,630 to $285,230 annually, alongside a comprehensive wellness package and opportunities for professional development.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of experience in a relevant technical discipline.
• U.S. citizenship and eligibility for DoD security clearance.
• Demonstrated excellence in cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical lead and design authority for systems.
• Define and validate system requirements with stakeholders.
• Guide the system design review process and establish standards.

Skills

Systems thinking

Excellent communication skills

Requirements decomposition

Structural design and analysis

Proficiency with CAD software

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CAD software

PLM systems

Finite element analysis

Job description

Join to apply for the Chief Engineer, Product Engineering (Aerospace & Defense) role at Divergent

Purpose

Divergent is seeking a Chief Engineer – Munitions Systems to lead the development of next‑generation munitions architectures. This is a unique opportunity to redefine how aerostructures and munition systems are designed, built, and fielded — and to leverage our Digital Adaptive Production System (DAPS) to transform how responsive the Defense Industrial Base can be to the warfighter’s needs.

The Role

• Serve as technical lead and design authority for Divergent’s munitions and precision‑strike systems.
• Define, negotiate, and validate system requirements with government and industry customers.
• Develop operational strategies and lead internal trade studies with direct impact on results at the company level.
• Identify and communicate capability gaps, risks, and dependencies between application and platform teams, and coordinate mitigation and validation plans.
• Guide the system design review process and establish standardized technical maturity milestones and qualification tests across the munitions portfolio.
• Accountable for comprehensive qualification and verification planning, including environmental, structural, and flight test correlation.
• Collaborate with senior technical experts to establish technical standards, and models technical excellence inside and outside the organization including government customers and prime contractors.
• Maintain technical documentation, including best practices and lesson learned.
• Support vehicle builds and product development testing and troubleshooting.

Basic Qualifications

• Ability to lawfully access information and technology that is subject to US export controls.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent technical discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in a relevant technical discipline.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to synthesize complex inputs to simple terms and find alignment across multifunctional stakeholders including government customers and prime contractors.
• Strong systems‑thinking mindset—comfortable navigating ambiguity and driving structured clarity across technology and program boundaries.
• Demonstrated excellence performing requirements decomposition, validation planning, interface control and risk management across defense products and multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience interfacing with engineering, testing, and manufacturing groups to understand system designs and the associated constraints.
• Demonstrated excellence in structural design and analysis throughout the design, build, and test phases of a development cycle.
• Proficiency with CAD software, PLM systems, and finite element analysis.
• U.S. citizen eligible for DoD security clearance (Secret or higher preferred).

Preferred Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in missile, precision‑strike, or air‑launched system development and qualification.
• Familiarity with DoD acquisition frameworks and relevant MIL‑STDs (e.g., 810, 1797, 516).
• Proven record of cross functional collaboration across engineering, manufacturing, and software organizations.
• Demonstrated excellence in developing products and systems for aerospace and defense applications.
• Experience with additive manufacturing, automation systems, or materials development.
• Expert understanding of linear/nonlinear behaviors of various material systems (composites, adhesives, metals).

Work Environment

• Requires frequent standing, walking, and interaction across production and R&D work areas.
• May occasionally require extended or weekend hours to meet production deadlines.
• Work is performed in an office environment and requires the ability to operate standard office equipment and keyboards.

Compensation

At Divergent, our pay range is based on the level of the job. For this role, we will consider candidates at levels E07 – E08 as evaluated through our interview process.

• Principal / E07: $179,630 – $247,005
• Senior Principal / E08: $207,460 – $285,230

Pay Range: $179,630 USD – $285,230 USD

What We Offer

• Holistic Compensation Package: Enjoy a world‑class compensation package that includes a competitive salary, equity plan, and discretionary results‑based incentive bonus opportunities, ensuring you’re truly valued for your contributions.
• Wellness and Time Off: Embrace a healthy lifestyle with paid vacation, sick time, and company holidays, including a year‑end shutdown to recharge. We support growing families with paid parental leave, recognizing the importance of bonding time.
• Comprehensive Health and Wellness: Prioritize your well‑being with our comprehensive health and wellness benefits, offering both HMO and Premium PPO options. Additionally, benefit from company‑sponsored life insurance and short and long‑term disability coverage for peace of mind.
• Investment in Growth: We’re committed to your professional development. Take advantage of reimbursement opportunities for learning and development initiatives, empowering you to continuously expand your skill set and reach peak performance.
• Collaborative and High‑Performing Environment: Join our collaborative, dynamic, and high‑performing team within a fast‑paced, mission‑driven company. Together, we’re disrupting the traditional manufacturing industry, fostering innovation, and integrating people and technology to reduce our footprint.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Divergent is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected characteristic. Divergent provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with Disabilities and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.

In order to adjust to changes in our business, it may become necessary to add, remove or modify certain duties and responsibilities, or to reassign you to another job position. From time to time you may be asked to work on special projects or to assist with other work. Your cooperation and assistance in performing such additional work is expected.

Our company participates in E‑Verify. E‑Verify is a program that electronically confirms a candidate’s eligibility to work in the United States after completing the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I‑9). The information provided on the Form I‑9 is compared to the records contained in the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases. This helps employers verify the identity and employment eligibility of newly hired employees.

Eligibility to Work Poster (English) | Eligibility to Work Poster (Spanish)

Pursuant to the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance (FCIHO), we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

No agencies, no solicitations, and no calls please.