Engineering Director

Thales Defense & Security, Inc.; Aurora (IL); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Yearly incentive plan

Medical insurance for self and family

Generous 401(k) with 7% company match

Tuition Reimbursement

Paid wellness, vacation, and holidays

Parental leave

9/80 Work Schedule

Hybrid working environment

Job summary

Thales Defense & Security, Inc. in Aurora, IL, seeks an experienced Engineering Director to lead helmet-mounted displays, inertial tracking and cueing technologies.

The role oversees Systems, Embedded Software, Electrical, Mechanical and Field Service teams and reports to the VP of Engineering. The ideal candidate has 10+ years in engineering leadership within military aerospace, with hands-on experience and strong cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• B.S. in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 10 years in engineering leadership in military aerospace with product development experience.
• Experience with military avionics systems preferred.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional engineering managers in a matrix organization.
• Knowledge of AS9100D and relevant DO/MIL standards.
• Ability to travel up to 20%.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical and administrative leadership of a multi-disciplined engineering department.
• Establish processes, tools, and techniques for the department in line with company practices.
• Coordinate with project leads to resolve issues and manage design activities.
• Develop and monitor strategic plan objectives for product development alignment.
• Drive continuous improvement in people, processes, tools, and technology.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional teamwork

Communication

Team management

Willingness to travel

Education

B.S. in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

AS9100D process

DO-254/DO-160/DO-178B/C

MIL-STD-461 & MIL-STD-810

Job description

Engineering Director

Req Id: 401

Location: AURORA, IL, US, 60504

Date: Aug 8, 2026

Thales Defense & Security, Inc. (TDSI) Headquarters in Clarksburg, MD, is a U.S. company that has been serving domestic and international defense Air, Land and Sea domains for 60+ years. With over 1,000 employees, TDSI and its four subsidiaries (Advanced Acoustic Concepts, Digital Receiver Technology, Tampa Microwave, and Trusted Cyber Technologies), supports U.S. Joint Services, special operations forces and multi-national partners with a variety of communication, visualization, signal intelligence/electronic warfare, and sensor/sonar capabilities. TDSI's key technologies include tactical handheld radios, expeditionary satellite terminals, helmet-mounted displays, optics and target recognition capability, advanced radars, undersea sensing and missile systems. Lives dependon what we do!

Top Benefits (Subject to terms of applicable policies/plans)

• Competitive Salary
• Yearly IncentiveCompensation Plan
• Medical insurance for self and eligible family members
• Generous 401(k) program- up to 7% company contribution and 100% immediate vesting
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid wellness, vacation, and holiday leave
• Paid maternity, paternity, and parental leave
• 9/80 Work Schedule (every other Friday off)
• Hybrid working environment

Thales Defense & Security, Inc. (TDSI) seeks an experienced Director of Engineering to support our helmet-mounted displays, inertial tracking & cueing technologies in Aurora, IL. The Director will oversee teams such as: Systems, Embedded Software, Electrical, Mechanical and Field Service. The ideal candidate will need to possess extensive knowledge of head and helmet-mounted display systems. This position reports into the Vice President of Engineering.

Responsibilities

• Technical and administrative leadership of a multi-disciplined engineering department consisting of systems engineering, software engineering, electrical hardware engineering, and mechanical engineering product development groups.
• Establish and/or maintaining processes, tools, and techniques for the engineering department in accordance with TDSI practices.
• Interface with project leads and engineering management in resolving product development issues, coordinating resources, and managing design activities.
• Work with department staff to develop and achieve strategic plan objectives. - Participate and/or support product development reviews, project planning, proposal and bid generation, and product requirements generation.
• Actively promote and develop actions for continuous improvement in the department in the areas of people, process, tools and product technology to ensure overall product development is competitive as compared to industry best practices.
• Ensure engineering projects are delivered on time, within budget, and meet technical performance requirements.
• Responsible for overall department strategic direction and ensuring assigned corporate strategic objectives are met.
• Perform as an integral member of the management team by interacting on a regular basis with inter/intra-company disciplines including business development, contracts, program management, manufacturing and customer service.

Supervisor Responsibilities

This position carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's operating policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities can include interviewing, hiring, training and developing employees; creating effective staff plans - assigning and directing work in a matrix organization; performance appraisals, rewarding and management of employee discipline when required; and addressing complaints and resolving conflicts. Active mentoring and development of staff is a critical element of the supervisory responsibilities to create a highly performing cohesive team.

Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• U.S. Citizenship required. -Applicants selected may be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
• Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related technical degree. Advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in an engineering leadership position (technical project management and/or functional management) involved with product development in the military aerospace business. Previous experience in hands on engineering position required.
• Experience with military avionics systems (fixed wing and rotorcraft) highly preferred.
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional engineering managers and development teams in a matrix organization.
• Experience with AS9100D process implementation and adherence.
• Must have working knowledge of relevant industry standards (DO-254, DO-160, DO-178 B/C, MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD-810, DAL etc.).
• Experience with agile methodology for software and hardware development.
• Ability to work in a team environment and interact with employees in all departments and functions.
• Effective oral and written communication skills and the ability to manage multiple projects.
• Ability to travel up to 20%
• Ability to comply with all Company guidelines, policies, procedures and embrace Company Core Values.

The annualized pay range for this role is $179,808.00 - $229,755.00 USD along with a target incentive compensation plan (ICP) of 15%. The pay range provided is a good faith estimate representative of the experience level for the role described above. TDSI 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.

For specific questions about this job posting, candidates may contact talent acquisition at [e-mail].

ThalesDefense & Security, Inc.is committed to non-discrimination as applicable under federal, state and local laws. We are an E-Verify Employer.

If you need an accommodation or assistance in order to apply for a position with Thales Defense & Security, Inc., please call Human Resources at 240-864-7000.

Nearest Major Market: Aurora

Nearest Secondary Market: Chicago