VP of Engineering - Space & Defense Systems

Jobtailor; Maryland; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in the United States is seeking a seasoned Chief Engineer to lead engineering across Space, Cyber, and Directed Energy programs. You will set standards, drive rigorous reviews, and ensure alignment with mission requirements, affordability, schedules, and product strategy.

The role requires 15+ years of leadership in defense/aerospace and a track record of transitioning R&D into production while fostering modular architectures and enterprise engineering strategies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical field.
• 15+ years of progressive engineering leadership experience in defense, aerospace, space, directed energy, RF systems, autonomous systems, or related national security sectors.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex engineering organizations supporting development and production environments.
• Strong background in systems engineering, product development, and transition to manufacturing.
• Experience in high-growth, fast-paced technology organizations.
• Ability to balance technical rigor with speed and execution urgency.
• Experience collaborating across enterprise engineering and business leadership organizations.
• Strong communication skills for engaging executives, customers, and technical teams.
• Top Secret/SCI clearance or ability to obtain a clearance.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior engineering authority across the Space, Cyber and Directed Energy Segment portfolio.
• Establish engineering standards, technical review processes, and development rigor for services and product organizations.
• Align technical execution with customer mission requirements, affordability targets, schedules, and product strategy.
• Drive engineering best practices across systems engineering, software, hardware, integration, testing, cybersecurity, reliability, and manufacturing readiness.
• Lead independent technical assessments and support executive decisions on technical risk, investments, and program execution.

Skills

Engineering Leadership

Systems Engineering

Product Development

Digital Engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical field

Tools

Digital Engineering Tools

Common Product Frameworks

Job description

Jobtailor in the United States is seeking a seasoned Chief Engineer to lead engineering across Space, Cyber, and Directed Energy programs. You will set standards, drive rigorous reviews, and ensure alignment with mission requirements, affordability, schedules, and product strategy.

The role requires 15+ years of leadership in defense/aerospace and a track record of transitioning R&D into production while fostering modular architectures and enterprise engineering strategies.