Business Unit Chief Engineer

Worker Type: Regular

Job Description Summary The Product Line Chief Engineer (PLCE) is the overall technical authority for the Medium Uncrewed Aerial Systems (MUAS) product line. The PLCE is accountable for all technical aspects of MUAS products and leads a team of engineers to ideate, conceptualize, develop, launch and sustain products throughout the total product lifecycle. The PLCE works with Customers and Product Line Managers to develop concept of operations which feed into product roadmaps to meet business objectives. The PLCE chairs the technical review boards and drives the technical requirements for any failure analysis and root cause corrective action activities. The PLCE will also serve as functional leader to a small and distinguished group of Program Chief Engineers (PCE).

Position Responsibilities

• Personifies the AV pillar of "Innovation".
• Oversees all development and product sustainment activities within MUAS
• Represents/communicates the technical interests of MUAS to internal and external stakeholders
• Drives the technical response for all business proposals
• Leads the technical team that will efficiently and effectively fulfill program technical, schedule and cost requirements and drives process improvements within MUAS, consistent with the Segment Engineering vision
• Supports the creation of product technical roadmaps by collaborating with Product Line Management, Customers, CTO and additional internal stakeholders
• Chairs the technical review board and is the final authority for product documentation and engineering change requests/orders
• Collaborates with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Quality to ensure technical specifications, as designed, are managed/controlled and flow through the entire value chain
• Responsible for all technical aspects of the product success
• Develops, and supports the development of, plans for product IRAD and sustaining projects through proper work decomposition and skills assignment to project work tasks
• Presents technical concepts to customers in support of business area initiatives
• Identifies and assigns program/project technical tasks
• Manages development and approval of engineering estimates and drives to a consistent approach for bases of estimates
• Leads multi-discipline engineering activities and mentors' engineers to improve technical and leadership skills
• Drives process improvements throughout the engineering development processes
• Has a seat on the MUAS leadership team, which requires strong collaboration with peers, ability to provide tactical and strategic insights, and a passion for technologies which enable UAS solutions to expand
• Responsible for functional leadership and direct performance management of a small and distinguished group of Program Chief Engineers (PCE)
• Works with other engineering functional leaders to staff and prioritize engineering tasking across MUAS programs to ensure flawless execution
• Leads root cause and corrective action (RCCA) investigations and rolls out

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor's Degree in a Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, or Systems Engineering discipline (or equivalent) required
• Experience with Defense products and customers
• Minimum of 15 years of demonstrated experience in aerospace product design and sustainment required
• Experience with leading large technical teams through the product lifecycle
• Experience with drawings and BOMs; Engineering Change systems; Quality systems for non-conforming parts and corrective action
• Experience in an Agile and Waterfall development environment
• Excellent verbal, presentation, and written communication skills
• Experience with integrating new capabilities onto platforms, requiring flow-down of requirements to lower-level systems
• Experience project planning in terms of schedule, budget, and resource estimations
• Exceptional leadership and management skills, with the ability to develop and communicate a vision that inspires and motivates staff and aligns with the business strategy
• Ability to build strong relationships within all disciplines within organization
• Effective influencing and negotiation skills in an environment in which resources may not be under your direct control
• Experience with product manufacturing and product configuration processes
• Experience leading a multi-disciplinary team in an engineering environment

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Education / experience or aircraft subsystems in R&D environment is preferred
• Follows standard practices and procedures when analyzing situations or data from which answers can be readily obtained
• Completes assigned tasks within schedule and budget
• Shares ideas and experiences with others, solicits feedback and asks relevant questions
• Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties
• Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives
• Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company
• Has effective problem-solving, analytical, interpersonal and communication skills
• Team Player - Focuses on teamwork, collaboration and puts the success of the team above ones own interests
• Inspires, motivates, and empowers people to deliver organizational goals, while also delivering value back to employees
• Direct experience with design or development in the Aerospace or Defense industries (UAVs or Military aviation preferred)
• Direct technical expertise in any of the following areas:
• Group 3 UAS
• Avionics, sensors, and RF-based data links
• Radio frequency spectrum and modern communication systems
• SIGINT technologies and sensors, including EO/IR optics
• GPS navigation systems including DGPS, SAASM and M-Code
• Aviation propulsion systems, including internal combustion and electric motors

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office and manufacturing environment
• Required to sit and stand for long periods (Frequent)
• Required to talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)
• Travel required to domestic US sites - up to 25%

Environmental Conditions Critical to Performance

• Work is in an office environment, climate controlled through central air conditioning/heating
• May have some exposure to outside environment while traveling

Special Requirements

• U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) or asylee/refugee status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) required
• Must be able to travel within the Continental U.S. and internationally when required
• Clearance Level Secret

Salary Range The salary range for this role is: $160,000 - $226,800

ITAR Requirement This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations ("ITAR") and/or the Export Administration Regulations ("EAR"). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction.

Benefits AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

About AV AV isn't for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best. We don't just build defense technology-we redefine what's possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian-but we're not building history, we're building what's next.

If youre ready to build technology that matters-with speed, scale, and purpose-there's no better place to do it than AV. We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.