Head of Engineering – Aerospace TPS

Canopy Aerospace & Defense; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

401K company match

Paid sick leave

Paid vacation and holidays

Discretionary bonuses

Job summary

Canopy A&D in Irvine, CA is seeking a Head of Engineering to lead and scale an engineering team focused on mechanical components for thermal protection systems. You will drive the full lifecycle from concept to production, ensuring rigorous QA and adherence to aerospace standards.

Ideal candidates have 10+ years in mechanical design/manufacturing in aerospace/defense, with strong CAD/PLM, ERP experience, and a track record of cross-functional leadership and business development support.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of mechanical design and manufacturing experience in aerospace/defense.
• Experience hiring, mentoring and leading engineering teams and tracking KPIs.
• Proven leadership directing major engineering projects from concept to production.
• Deep expertise in thermal protection systems, composites, and ruggedized hardware.
• Experience supporting business development: proposals, cost estimates, and SOWs.
• Experience creating manufacturing and build plans with rigorous documentation and quality controls.
• Knowledge of CAD workflows, prototyping, and fabrication techniques for metals and composites.
• Experience with ERP, BOMs, and production/engineering workflows.
• Experience leading qualification and certification campaigns for aerospace hardware.
• Advanced degree (Master’s or MBA) a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing engineering team.
• Direct design, development, and manufacturing of mechanical TPS components and assemblies.
• Partner with leadership to implement scalable manufacturing and assembly processes while ensuring compliance with aerospace standards.
• Support business development through technical proposals, cost estimates, and SOW creation.
• Oversee process documentation and controls for consistent production outcomes.
• Drive adoption of traditional and advanced manufacturing techniques for metals and composites.
• Lead root cause analyses and implement permanent corrective actions across development and production.

Skills

Mechanical design

Engineering leadership

Program management

Root cause analysis

Business development support

Quality controls

CAD workflows

ERP systems

SOW proposal

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Master’s degree or MBA (plus)

Tools

CAD/PLM workflows

PLM systems

ERP systems

Job description

Canopy A&D in Irvine, CA is seeking a Head of Engineering to lead and scale an engineering team focused on mechanical components for thermal protection systems. You will drive the full lifecycle from concept to production, ensuring rigorous QA and adherence to aerospace standards.

Ideal candidates have 10+ years in mechanical design/manufacturing in aerospace/defense, with strong CAD/PLM, ERP experience, and a track record of cross-functional leadership and business development support.