Product Design Engineering Manager (Thermal) - Aerospace & Defense Industry!

C/A Design Inc.; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Heico is seeking a technically driven Product Design Engineering Manager to lead conception and development of rugged embedded computing products for aerospace, defense, and related applications. This role blends engineering and strategic product management, translating customer requirements into hardware solutions and guiding products from concept through deployment.

The manager will define product vision, drive roadmaps, coordinate cross-functional teams, and oversee manufacturing processes to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering required; advanced degrees desirable.
• 7+ years in a dynamic engineering role.
• 3+ years in engineering leadership focused on New Product Introduction.
• Experience managing technical products from concept through production.
• Strong understanding of embedded computer architectures (VPX, VME, cPCI).
• High-precision machining and programming knowledge.
• Hands-on experience in a high-precision machining and assembly environment.
• Excellent project management and delegation skills.
• Leadership with ability to motivate and build internal/external relationships.
• Continuous improvement mindset and adaptability.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks and MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Foster a culture of proactive safety and health standards.
• Define product vision, roadmap, and lifecycle strategy for rugged embedded platforms.
• Gather and prioritize customer requirements from defense and aerospace customers.
• Conduct competitive analysis and identify emerging technologies and market trends.
• Develop business cases, pricing strategies, and product positioning.
• Create product requirements documents and engineering specifications.
• Manage products through lifecycle including new product introduction and end-of-life planning.
• Coordinate product launches with sales, marketing, and operations.
• Participate in industry groups and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Oversee production processes, ensuring quality and regulatory compliance.
• Scale new processes from prototype to production with cross-functional teams.
• Liaise with vendors for timely delivery of equipment and materials.
• Analyze production metrics and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead new products from quote to production and maintain performance metrics.
• Foster innovation, teamwork, and accountability within sales and engineering.
• Serve as technical expert for manufacturing engineering issues.

Skills

Embedded architectures

High precision machining

SolidWorks

MS Office

Project management

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical/industrial engineering

Advanced degree desirable

Job description

Summary

C/A Design is seeking a technically driven Product Design Engineering Manager (PDEM) to lead the conception, and development of rugged embedded computing products for aerospace, defense, and other applications. This role combines engineering with strategic product management. This candidate understands customer mission requirements, translates them into innovative hardware solutions, and guides products from concept through deployment. The PDEM is a contributes to developing new products and scaling to full scale production while also optimizing manufacturing processes and increasing efficiencies on existing technologies. The PDEM will work closely with engineering, manufacturing, and key customers to deliver high-performance solutions that meet environmental and regulatory requirements.

• Foster a culture of proactive safety, continually demonstrate an unequivocal commitment to the highest standard of health and safety for the workforce.
• Define product vision, roadmap, and lifecycle strategy for mechanical and thermal products within rugged embedded computing platforms and adjacent defense and aerospace applications.
• Gather and prioritize customer requirements from defense and aerospace customers.
• Conduct competitive analysis and identify emerging technologies and market trends.
• Develop business cases, pricing strategies, and product positioning.
• Create product requirements documents and engineering specifications.
• Manage products throughout their lifecycle, including new product introduction, sustaining engineering, and end-of-life planning.
• Coordinate product launches with sales, marketing, and operations teams.
• Participate within industry organizations and technical working groups.
• Coordinate with other department heads (quality, supply chain and operations teams) to ensure alignment of manufacturing objectives with overall company goals.
• Oversee all production processes, including the creation, maintenance, and improvement of process documentation, ensuring adherence to quality and regulatory standards.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to scale new processes from prototype to production.
• Liaise with vendors and suppliers to ensure the timely delivery of equipment and materials while upholding quality standards.
• Analyze production metrics and performance data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Communicate effectively with cross-functional teams while leading new products from quote through production.
• Maintain department performance metrics.
• Foster a culture of innovation, teamwork, and accountability within the sales and engineering departments.
• Serve as the technical expert and point of contact for manufacturing engineering issues, providing guidance and support to resolve complex problems.
• Travel: attend customer site visits, leadership meetings, trade shows, and industry organization meetings (10-20%).

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Foster a culture of proactive safety, continually demonstrate an unequivocal commitment to the highest standard of health and safety for the workforce.
• Define product vision, roadmap, and lifecycle strategy for mechanical and thermal products within rugged embedded computing platforms and adjacent defense and aerospace applications.
• Gather and prioritize customer requirements from defense and aerospace customers.
• Conduct competitive analysis and identify emerging technologies and market trends.
• Develop business cases, pricing strategies, and product positioning.
• Create product requirements documents and engineering specifications.
• Manage products throughout their lifecycle, including new product introduction, sustaining engineering, and end-of-life planning.
• Coordinate product launches with sales, marketing, and operations teams.
• Participate within industry organizations and technical working groups.
• Coordinate with other department heads (quality, supply chain and operations teams) to ensure alignment of manufacturing objectives with overall company goals.
• Oversee all production processes, including the creation, maintenance, and improvement of process documentation, ensuring adherence to quality and regulatory standards.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to scale new processes from prototype to production.
• Liaise with vendors and suppliers to ensure the timely delivery of equipment and materials while upholding quality standards.
• Analyze production metrics and performance data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Communicate effectively with cross-functional teams while leading new products from quote through production.
• Maintain department performance metrics.
• Foster a culture of innovation, teamwork, and accountability within the sales and engineering departments.
• Serve as the technical expert and point of contact for manufacturing engineering issues, providing guidance and support to resolve complex problems.
• Travel: attend customer site visits, leadership meetings, trade shows, and industry organization meetings (10-20%).

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, industrial engineering or similar engineering discipline required. Advanced degrees are highly desirable.
• 7+ years in a dynamic Engineering role.
• 3+ years in an Engineering leadership role with a heavy focus on New Product Introduction.
• Experience managing technical products from concept through production.
• Strong understanding of embedded computer architectures (VPX, VME, cPCI, etc.).
• Strong working knowledge of high precision machining and programming.
• Strong knowledge of engineering principles, along with hands-on experience within a high precision machining and assembly environment
• Excellent project management skills, ability to own a project from start to finish and successfully delegate roles within a team.
• Leadership qualities – a positive & influential manager capable of strengthening internal and external relationships while bringing out the best in their staff.
• A continuous improvement mindset - someone that embraces change and leads the way.
• Exceptional technical skills to include SolidWorks and MS Office.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk and sit. The employee will use hands to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls, reach with hands and arms, climb stairs, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit and to use a computer keyboard with mouse for long periods of time. The employee will occasionally lift and/or move 25 pounds.

Work Environment

Office, Plant, Warehouse or Remote locations:

Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job in the Plant or Warehouse, the employee is exposed to noise and aluminum particles. The noise level is usually moderate but hearing protection may be required in designated areas. The employee is required to wear safety glasses when in the plant. Conditions in remote locations vary, depending on the job requirements.

About Heico

Heico has a history of success. Since its founding over 40 years ago The Heico Companies has grown from a single business to over 80 separate companies through a strategic acquisition policy, and by reinvesting its earnings into internal growth and new prospects. Historically talented at restoring distressed companies, Heico now strategically targets acquisitions that will complement its ever-growing portfolio of companies in manufacturing, construction, and industrial services.

These four core operations are organized into groups: Metal Processing Group, Construction Solutions Group, Applied Solutions Group, and Industrial Technologies Group. Once acquired, new Heico companies are assigned to a group and run on a stand-alone basis, allowing for great independence as well as the opportunity to share knowledge about markets, production processes, and management practices across other Heico groups and companies. Each Group has its own corporate team.

Heico continues to seek out new opportunities and maintain its standard of success. The Heico Companies has remained a privately held company since its creation and maintains a majority ownership in each of its operations, which generates more than $3.3 billion dollars in revenues. Many of our businesses are certified Woman-owned Business Enterprises (WBE).

More information about the holding company and overall organization can be found at www.heicocompanies.com.