Rugged Aerospace & Defense Product Design Manager

Costello/April Design Inc; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 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. You will translate customer requirements into hardware solutions and guide products from concept through deployment.

The role combines engineering leadership with strategic product management, collaborating with design, manufacturing, and key customers to deliver high-performance, compliant solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or related engineering discipline is required; advanced degrees are desirable.
• 7+ years in a dynamic engineering role.
• 3+ years in an engineering leadership role with focus on New Product Introduction.
• Experience managing technical products from concept through production.
• Strong understanding of embedded computer architectures (VPX, VME, cPCI).
• Strong knowledge of high precision machining and assembly environments.
• Excellent project management skills with ability to lead a team.

Responsibilities

• Define product vision, roadmap, and lifecycle strategy for rugged embedded computing platforms.
• Gather and prioritize customer requirements from defense/aerospace customers.
• Coordinate with sales, marketing, and operations for product launches.
• Lead cross-functional teams to scale processes from prototype to production.
• Ensure manufacturing alignment with quality and regulatory standards.
• Travel for customer site visits and industry events (10–20%).

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field

Advanced degrees desirable

Tools

SolidWorks

MS Office

VPX/VME/cPCI architectures

Job description

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. You will translate customer requirements into hardware solutions and guide products from concept through deployment.

The role combines engineering leadership with strategic product management, collaborating with design, manufacturing, and key customers to deliver high-performance, compliant solutions.