Technical Director

Mercer Engineering Research Center; Warner Robins (GA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

The Mercer Engineering Research Center (MERC) is seeking a Technical Director to lead its engineering directorates, ensuring contract compliance, technical excellence, and effective resource planning. This executive role requires strong DoD experience, strategic oversight of programs, and collaboration with senior leadership.

You will direct staffing, budgeting, and technical strategy while mentoring senior engineers, program managers, and chief engineers to achieve MERC's long-term goals and

Qualifications

• DoD security clearance required.
• PhD or Master’s with extensive technical and managerial experience; or undergraduate degree with substantial experience.
• Strong analytical and cross-functional program management capabilities.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; proficient in PC applications and program management.
• Ability to lead large cross-functional programs and manage budgets.
• Proven ability to recruit and develop staff, and to work with senior leadership across an organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee engineering directorates to ensure contract compliance and delivery.
• Direct management of contracts, studies, and program schedules with risk management.
• Plan staffing, budgets, and capital expenditure requests for the directorate.
• Coach and develop leads, engineers, and program managers; conduct performance reviews.
• Conduct monthly/quarterly contract reviews with executive staff.
• Provide manpower projections and recruit directorate personnel.
• Collaborate with other directors to allocate personnel and resources.
• Support business development activities, technical proposals, and client interfacing.

Skills

Analytical skills

Program management

Communication skills

Budgeting / cost management

Education

PhD in engineering or Applied Science (ABET-accredited)

Master's degree in engineering

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Job description

The Technical Director plans, organizes, controls, and evaluates the work of the respective technical areas of MERC to ensure engineering services comply with the terms of each contract, standard MERC policies and procedures, and all applicable laws and regulations. Directs the assignment and development of personnel and directorate operating and capital expenditure budget requests. Directs the development, implementation, and evaluation of plans. programs, and systems to achieve short and long-term goals, objectives, and MERC work standards. Works under the supervision of the Sr. Director of Engineering and Programs.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for business development with new customers and new capabilities, both DoD-wide and commercial. Assist the Director of Acquisition Strategy and Senior Manager of Business Development to achieve tactical and strategic business development initiatives and objectives.
• Direct the management and execution of engineering contracts and studies. Provide technical and administrative leadership to their directorate.
• Work with the MERC chief engineers, technical leads, and program managers to plan, staff, and manage assigned programs according to and in compliance with MERC Standard Processes, to include maintaining an up-to-date detailed programmatic/technical schedule for an assigned contract and managing associated risks.
• Support the program managers in the oversight of successful execution of assigned programs within budget and scope and in accordance with program schedule.
• Regularly monitor performance and provide coaching for performance improvement and development. Responsible for training, quarterly feedback, appraisals, safety and security, and mentoring tech leads, chief engineers and program managers.
• Conduct monthly/quarterly contract reviews with the executive staff to include the chief engineer, program manager, and technical lead, as required.
• Provide monthly manpower projections to the executive staff. Responsible for recruiting directorate personnel.
• Work with other technical directors to assign personnel across respective technical areas with the approval of the Sr Director of Engineering and Programs.
• Work with technical leads and chief engineers to identify and track training requirements. Provide input to MERC’s training strategy.
• Support the Senior Director of Engineering and Programs and the Director of Operations with strategies to develop and retain highly competent, service-oriented staff.
• Direct and oversee the selection and management of outside contractors and consultants working in support of MERC programs.
• May act as proposal manager responsible for the development of programmatic and technical approach. Provide labor and other direct charges (ODC) estimates and manage development of proposal briefings. Working with the Senior Manager of Business Development, direct the technical responses to Requests for Proposal, Requests for Quote, BAAs, etc.
• Build and maintain a working environment of trust and teamwork; swiftly and effectively addresses issues that interfere with a cohesive and productive working environment.

Required Qualifications:

• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Security Clearance.
• A PhD degree in a relevant engineering field (EE, ME, AE, IE, SW, etc.) or Applied Science from an ABET-accredited institution and 19 years of directly related technical and managerial experience; or a Master’s degree in same and 21 years of directly related technical and managerial experience; or an undergraduate degree in same and 22 years of directly related technical and managerial experience.
• Strong analytical skills and a working knowledge of leading large cross-functional programs.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, PC application software, advanced analytic techniques, program management, organizational skills and software skills.
• Excellent critical thinking and analytical/problem-solving skills.
• Technical acumen and the ability to troubleshoot on a variety of programs.
• Communicate clearly horizontally and vertically across an organization. These communications span the gap between engineering interns to the Sr. Director of Engineering and across to other engineering directors, business development staff, operations staff, and clients.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills with an obsessive attention to detail.
• Superior budgeting and cost management abilities, assessing estimated costs early in the program and bringing the actual costs within budget.
• Ability to perform business development activities to include customer interface, estimating and scheduling, technical proposal development, and follow-through.