Vehicle Engineering Lead - Flight-Ready Defense Hardware

Longwall; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Long Wall is seeking a Head of Vehicle Engineering in California to lead a multidisciplinary team that takes missile defense hardware from concept to flight. The role owns the engineering vision, execution, and hiring across structures, fluid systems, mechanisms, and avionics enclosures, delivering flight-ready hardware within aggressive timelines.

You will drive the technical roadmap, partner with propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing, and maintain credibility through hands-on involvement

Qualifications

• Education: B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering from an accredited university.
• Experience: 8–12 years in hardware design and development with people-management responsibility.
• Proven track record taking hardware from concept through qualification and field operations in aerospace/defense.
• Leadership of engineering teams with hiring, performance, and career development accountability.
• Ownership of departmental roadmap and investment with cost/schedule/risk trade-offs.
• Fluency in mechanical design, structural mechanics, fluid systems, manufacturing processes, GD&T, and DFM/DFA.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end engineering delivery of hardware products from concept through manufacturing and field support.
• Lead, hire, develop, and mentor a team of engineers across multiple disciplines.
• Define and execute the technical roadmap for the Vehicle Engineering department and product lines.
• Own department headcount, schedule, and resource allocation to maximize mission impact.
• Drive design reviews, qualification plans, and risk-based decision-making as senior technical authority.
• Partner with propulsion, avionics, manufacturing, supply chain, and test/launch leadership to integrate hardware.
• Represent hardware capabilities to executive leadership, customers, and government partners.

Skills

Leadership

Hardware design

Systems engineering

GD&T

FEM/CFD

Communication

Security clearance

CAD proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace engineering

Tools

NX

CATIA

CREO/Pro-E

Teamcenter

Windchill

Job description

Long Wall is seeking a Head of Vehicle Engineering in California to lead a multidisciplinary team that takes missile defense hardware from concept to flight. The role owns the engineering vision, execution, and hiring across structures, fluid systems, mechanisms, and avionics enclosures, delivering flight-ready hardware within aggressive timelines.

You will drive the technical roadmap, partner with propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing, and maintain credibility through hands-on involvement