Vice President, Engineering

Webster & Webster Associates; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Webster & Webster Associates is seeking a Vice President of Engineering to lead a sophisticated, multi-site engineering organization in San Jose, CA. This executive role involves formulating an R&D framework, overseeing diverse engineering functions, and driving strategic partnerships across business units.

The ideal candidate will possess a Master's degree and at least 10 years of executive leadership experience in engineering, particularly within the aerospace or defense sectors. Relocation support is available for the right candidate.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive engineering leadership experience.
• Proven success operating at an executive or corporate officer level.
• Deep background in aerospace, defense, or high-performance computing.

Responsibilities

• Formulate and govern a disciplined R&D and engineering portfolio.
• Evaluate product initiatives through strict ROI and risk mitigation.
• Streamline engineering procedures to lower development cycle times.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Operational KPI tracking

ISO compliance

Cross-functional alignment

Education

Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

Product Lifecycle Management software

Enterprise Resource Planning databases

Job description

Overview

Are you a visionary technical executive capable of scaling a sophisticated, multi-site engineering organization while embedding strict operational discipline and financial execution into every stage of development?

A premier developer of high-performance, open-architecture modular computing systems and ruggedized hardware configurations is seeking a Vice President of Engineering. Serving as a vital member of the executive leadership team, you will act as a primary strategic partner across all business functions, directing engineering excellence across a multi-disciplinary team spanning hardware, mechanical, electrical, software, systems, and test engineering. In this capacity, you will provide the overarching technical vision, accelerate the corporate product roadmap, and optimize organizational throughput to ensure engineering investments maximize commercial value and cost efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Formulate and govern a highly disciplined R&D and engineering portfolio framework, establishing clear metric-based priorities to ensure technical assets focus on high-value, market-relevant opportunities.
• Evaluate product initiatives through strict return on investment, risk mitigation, and strategic lenses, making data-driven tradeoffs to balance innovation with financial accountability.
• Act as a catalyst for efficiency by streamlining engineering procedures, decision paths, and workflows to drastically lower development cycle times and maximize speed to market.
• Drive organizational evolution across multi-site teams, establishing clear role metrics, expanding individual capacities, and steering personnel smoothly through structural changes and modern workflows.
• Partner dynamically with Executive Leadership, Project Management, Sales, Marketing, and Operations to seamlessly align project priorities with client milestones and enterprise metrics.
• Oversee the implementation and strict upkeep of rigorous ISO procedures and regulatory standards, establishing clear policies to protect quality and corporate compliance.
• Serve as a visible industry leader in international forums and standards committees, aligning domestic R&D efforts with global strategies to reinforce technical market dominance.

Core Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a highly related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive engineering leadership experience, featuring proven success operating at the executive or corporate officer level.
• Deep background navigating the aerospace, defense, ruggedized hardware, or high-performance embedded computing landscapes.
• Exceptional mastery of tracking operational KPIs tied to innovation impact, budget forecasting, and resource scheduling across large organizations.
• Demonstrated comfort with modern engineering design software, Product Lifecycle Management, and Enterprise Resource Planning databases.
• Robust working knowledge of ISO, ITAR, and related defense-grade compliance criteria.
• Superb interpersonal communication skills, with a track record of driving cross-functional alignment and managing complex initiatives across matrixed global structures.

If you are an analytical, results-driven technical leader who can masterfully align complex multi-disciplinary systems with long-term corporate growth, we encourage you to apply. This position provides a high-impact platform to define the future of mission-critical embedded systems infrastructure. Take the next step in your executive career by providing your resume and a summary of your operational engineering accomplishments to Webster & Webster Associates today.

Details

Title: Vice President of Engineering

Employment Type: Direct Hire

Location: San Jose, CA

Location Type: Onsite

Relocation: Yes

Job ID: JO-2604-137905