Director Chief Manufacturing Engineer (Onsite)

Lehigh Heavy Forge Corporation; Riverside (CA); On-site; USD 205,000 - 389,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Vacation (3 weeks)

Generous 401(k) plan with matching

Tuition reimbursement

Student Loan Repayment Program

Life insurance and disability coverage

Parental leave benefits

Job summary

Collins Aerospace is seeking a Chief Manufacturing Engineer for Composite Materials to define, develop, and validate advanced composite fabrication processes. You will lead cross‑functional teams, drive SPC and PFMEA, and ensure robust manufacturability and production readiness for high-rate programs.

The role requires 12+ years in composites, strong leadership, and expertise in AFP/ATL/RTM/OOA curing. Onsite in Riverside, CA with competitive benefits and relocation options.

Qualifications

• Degree in science/engineering with 12+ years in composites or advanced structures.
• Experience leading composite fabrication processes and process qualification.
• Familiar with design for manufacturability and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Develop manufacturing strategy and roadmap for composite structures including tooling and cure processes.
• Lead end-to-end development from concept to high-rate production with SPC.
• Establish standards, specs, and best practices for composite fabrication.
• Partner with design to optimize manufacturability and cost.
• Drive process maturity using PFMEA, DFM/A, SPC and root cause analysis.
• Evaluate new composite technologies, automation, digital tools, and materials.
• Oversee tooling strategy and qualification for long-term capability.
• Provide leadership to engineers and production teams; mentor staff.
• Ensure compliance with quality, safety, and regulatory requirements.
• Act as technical authority for development, production transfer, and field support.

Skills

Composite materials

Manufacturing strategy

Process development

Statistical methods

Leadership

Cross-functional teams

Quality/regulatory

Automation

Education

STEM degree

Advanced degree

Tools

AFP

ATL

RTM

OOA curing

Autoclave

NDI methods

Job description

At RTX, the world's largest aerospace and defense company, 185,000 great minds are united by purpose and inspired to make a difference solving the world's most complex problems. With our three market leading businesses, world-class operations and investments in research and development, we offer capabilities and opportunity no one else can. Together, we push the boundaries of known science and find new ways to connect and protect our world.

Collins Aerospace is a leader in technologically advanced, intelligent solutions that help redefine the aerospace and defense industry. With a comprehensive portfolio and deep technical expertise, we help customers meet the demands of the global market. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense.

The Chief Manufacturing Engineer for Composite Materials is responsible for defining, developing, and validating new innovative manufacturing processes for advanced composite structures. This role will lead the technical strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of advanced composite fabrication methods to support high-rate program requirements related to quality, cost, and schedule. The position provides cross-functional technical leadership, ensuring robust manufacturability, production readiness, and long-term capability growth across the enterprise.

Country: United States of America

Location: US-CA-RIVERSIDE-8200B1 ~ 8200 Arlington Ave ~ BLDG B1

Position Role Type: Onsite

U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements: Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the company's immigration sponsorship now or in the future. The company will not offer immigration sponsorship for this position. The company will not seek an export authorization for this role.

Security Clearance Type: None/Not Required

Security Clearance Status: Not Required

What You Will Do:

• Develop the manufacturing process strategy and roadmap for composite structures, including material selection, layup methods, tooling approaches, cure processes, and inspection technologies including full automation for future industrialization.
• Lead the design, development, and validation of end-to-end composite manufacturing processes from concept through full-rate production demonstrating statistical process control to be able to enter high-rate manufacturing for future aircraft platforms.
• Establish and maintain manufacturing standards, specifications, and best practices for composite fabrication, ensuring alignment with engineering requirements and regulatory compliance.
• Partner with design engineering to optimize part configurations for manufacturability, cost efficiency, and long-term production stability.
• Drive process maturity using PFMEA, DFM/A, statistical process control, and robust root cause analysis methodologies.
• Lead the evaluation and implementation of new composite technologies, automation solutions, digital manufacturing tools, and advanced materials.
• Oversee tooling strategy, including tool design requirements, tool qualification, and long‑term tool capability management.
• Provide technical leadership to engineers, suppliers, and production teams; mentor staff in composite processing fundamentals and advanced techniques.
• Ensure processes meet all quality, regulatory, and safety requirements, including qualification and certification activities.
• Serve as the technical authority/ signatory for composite manufacturing development, transition to production, rate increases, and field support.
• Provide technical leadership and training to develop a competent future workforce.
• Work across global engineering team to create supply of quality parts.

Qualifications You Must Have:

• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 14 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 12 years of experience.
• 10+ years of experience in composite materials manufacturing and new process development, within aerospace or high-performance structures.
• Technical expertise in composite fabrication processes such as hand layup, automated fiber placement (AFP), automated tape laying (ATL), resin transfer molding (RTM), out‑of‑autoclave (OOA) curing, autoclave operations, and NDI methods.
• Experience with composite materials behavior, prepreg systems, adhesives, sandwich construction, tooling materials, and cure kinetics.
• Experience with process qualification, statistical methods, and production transition.

Qualifications We Prefer:

• Master's degree in related field.
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional engineering teams and influence manufacturing strategy.
• Experience with digital manufacturing, automation systems, or model‑based engineering.
• Prior experience supporting large‑scale aerostructures or defense/commercial aerospace manufacturing programs.
• Lean/Six Sigma certification.

Benefits:

Some of our competitive benefits package includes:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Three weeks of vacation for newly hired employees

• Generous 401(k) plan that includes employer matching funds and separate employer retirement contribution, including a Lifetime Income Strategy option

• Tuition reimbursement program

• Student Loan Repayment Program

• Life insurance and disability coverage

• Optional coverages you can buy pet insurance, home and auto insurance, additional life and accident insurance, critical illness insurance, group legal, ID theft protection

• Birth, adoption, parental leave benefits

• Ovia Health, fertility, and family planning

• Adoption Assistance

• Autism Benefit

• Employee Assistance Plan, including up to 10 free counseling sessions

• Healthy You Incentives, wellness rewards program

• Doctor on Demand, virtual doctor visits

• Bright Horizons, child and elder care services

• Teladoc Medical Experts, second opinion program

• And more!

This role may be eligible for relocation.

Onsite

Employees who are working in Onsite roles will work primarily onsite. This includes all production and maintenance employees, as they are essential to the development of our products.

At Collins, the paths we pave together lead to limitless possibility. And the bonds we form - with our customers and with each other -- propel us all higher, again and again.

As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure hiring process, candidates may be asked to attend select steps of the interview process in‑person at one of our office locations, regardless of whether the role is designated as on‑site, hybrid or remote.

The salary range for this role is 204,800 USD - 389,200 USD. The salary range provided is a good faith estimate representative of all experience levels. RTX considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, location, education/training, and key skills.

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits, including but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short‑term disability, long‑term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, flexible work schedules, employee assistance program, Employee Scholar Program, parental leave, paid time off, and holidays. Specific benefits are dependent upon the specific business unit as well as whether or not the position is covered by a collective‑bargaining agreement.

Hired applicants may be eligible for annual short‑term and/or long‑term incentive compensation programs depending on the level of the position and whether or not it is covered by a collective‑bargaining agreement. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and are dependent upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company's performance.

This role is a U.S.-based role. If the successful candidate resides in a U.S. territory, the appropriate pay structure and benefits will apply.

RTX anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require RTX to shorten or extend the application window.

RTX 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 class. RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with a Disability and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act.

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