Director, Aerospace Design

Butler Aerospace & Defense; West Lafayette (IN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K

Medical insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Sick time as applicable to state law

Job summary

A leading aerospace company in West Lafayette is seeking an experienced aerospace design expert to lead the transfer of design technology for advanced aerospace products. The ideal candidate will have over 15 years of aerospace design experience and will manage key engineering and safety processes while ensuring compliance with regulations. This role requires excellent leadership and communication skills, along with the ability to work with international teams. Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of aerospace design experience in aerostructures.
• 10+ years leading large teams.
• Experience with DoD regulations and FAA Part 23.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering data management and design for manufacturing.
• Develop investment plans for engineering capability.
• Represent business unit in international environments.

Skills

Aerospace design experience

Leading cross-functional teams

Excellent communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Ability to grow and mentor talent

Education

Masters in Aerospace Engineering or equivalent

Tools

Siemens software

Dassault software

Job description

This position is based out of West Lafayette, IN. Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates.

Job Description

In this role, you will establish a team and lead the transfer of design technology for the T‑7A Red Hawk aft fuselage and other aerospace products and systems to support manufacturing in the United States. The ideal candidate brings strong analytical, strategic, and relationship‑building skills in a greenfield operation.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering data management and revision control, design instruction and infrastructure, safety and airworthiness best practices in accordance with Saab design and stress standards, design for manufacturing support and change requests to enhance product performance, and lead the material review board (MRB) team in the United States
• Subject matter expert in design reviews, product evaluations, change requests, support customer engagements as the local subject matter expert (SME) in aerospace design, and help derive and implement Industry 4.0 technologies
• Develop an investment plan that includes staffing to establish an engineering design capability in the United States, capital planning for tools and software, and IR&D and B&P requirements working with general management, finance, marketing and sales, and the engineering teams
• Establish a strong relationship with the design authority in Sweden and work closely with business development and R&D teams on proposals and business case development, and provide budgetary input
• Ensure requirements for product safety, performance, customer specifications, and schedule are exceeded
• Represent business unit in an international environment reporting status of projects to senior levels of management
• Serve as a liaison to Purdue University developing research projects and establishing a talent pipeline for future growth
• Contribute to work culture aligned with Saab Company values – demonstrating Trust, Drive, Expertise and Support
• Support other projects and tasks as assigned

For the initial training period of 6 months to 1 year, you will have the opportunity to travel to Sweden and with guidance of our aerospace systems design team learn the tools, methods, and ways of working on the T‑7A Red Hawk.

Skills and Experience

• Masters – Aerospace Engineering or similar business equivalent
• 15+ years of aerospace design experience in aerostructures. Systems experience is a plus
• 10+ years of experience leading large cross functional teams
• Competence in systems design, stress analysis, material review board (MRB), and development for manned/unmanned aircraft is preferred
• Experience in DoD regulations, including FARs, DFARS, ITAR, EAR
• Experience with FAA Part 23 regulations for aircraft type certification
• Material expertise in metallics, composites, and other advanced materials preferred
• Experience with new product introduction, industrialization, technology transfers, and product readiness development
• Experience with design and simulation tools inside Siemens and Dassault software systems and digital design systems
• Experience with military DoD regulatory requirements in design, testing, stress, and validation including airworthiness specification and testing
• Strong interpersonal skills working with innovative international teams and matrix reporting structures
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with team building experience
• Experience creating and maintaining an operating budget, forecasting and executing resource requirements, and developing business proposals to meet company objectives
• The ability to grow and mentor technical talent by identifying, crafting, and implementing development and compensation plans
• The ability to identify, qualify and cultivate strategic partnerships in support of functional and business objectives internally and externally
• Must hold or be able to obtain U.S. DoD Secret security clearance
• Must be a U.S. citizen. Applicants selected may be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

Benefits

• 401K, medical, dental, and vision, sick time as applicable to state law

Butler America Aerospace, LLC. is an equal opportunity employer. Butler evaluates applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics. The Butler America Aerospace, LLC. EEO Policy Statement and “Know Your Rights” Poster is available here: Applicant and Employee Notices.

Butler America Aerospace, LLC. is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please contact the Human Resources Department at [e-mail].