Worker Type
Regular
Job Description
Summary
The Chief Architect serves as the senior-most technical authority for architecture, mission integration, and future capability definition across the Space RF product lines. This role is responsible for shaping long-term technical strategy, influencing business direction, and ensuring alignment between customer needs, product investments, and enterprise architecture.
Operating in close partnership with the Business Unit (BU) Lead, Product Line Manager(s), and Product Line Chief Engineer(s), the Chief Architect plays a critical role in defining and winning the future - leading technical vision across proposal efforts, customer engagements, and business case development.
This role requires deep expertise in the design, build, integration, and deployment of large-scale digital phased array systems across multiple mission applications (e.g. radar, EW, communications), along with the ability to translate customer problems into scalable differentiated architectural solutions.
The Chief Architect is both externally engaged and internally influential - bridging customer environments, emerging mission needs, and internal product strategy to drive growth and technical excellence across the Space RF BU.
Key Responsibilities:
o Serve as the lead architect for the Space RF product lines, defining end-to-end system architectures across multiple phased array applications
o Establish and evolve reference architectures, ensuring scalability, modularity, and alignment with enterprise and BU strategy
o Drive architectural trade studies and design decisions spanning RF, digital, software, FPGA, mechanical, and system integration domains
o Ensure alignment between product line architectures and mission-level CONOPS and customer environments
o Act as the primary technical partner to the BU lead, helping shape overall BU strategy, growth priorities, and investment decisions
o Translate market trends, customer gaps, and mission needs into actionable product and technology strategies
o Support definition and prioritization of IRAD investments aligned to future opportunities and differentiated capabilities
o Contribute to business case development, including technical feasibility, cost considerations, and competitive positioning
o Lead technical engagement with customers, developing deep understanding of operational environments and mission challenges
o Serve as a key technical contributor on captures and proposals, including solution architecture, technical volumes, and customer presentations
o Shape and influence customer requirements and concepts of operation (CONOPS) to align with product capabilities
o Represent the organization as a trusted technical authority with customers, partners, and stakeholders
o Provide oversight and guidance on the build, integration/test, calibration, and deployment of large-scale digital phased array (DPA) systems
o Ensure architectural decisions account for real-world deployment constraints, including platform integration, environmental factors, and operational use
o Drive system-level optimization across performance, cost, size/weight/power (SWaP), and scalability
o Partner closely with the Product Line Chief Engineer(s) (PLCE) to ensure alignment between architecture vision and product execution
o Collaborate across engineering disciplines to ensure cohesive system design and integration
o Mentor senior technical staff and cultivate architectural thinking across the organization
o Promote adoption of modular open systems approaches (MOSA) and reusable design patterns
Required Qualifications:
Desired Qualifications:
This role is central to defining the future of the Space RF product line(s) and shaping broader Business Unit strategy. The Chief Architect ensures that what the organization builds is not only technically sound, but also mission-relevant, deployable at scale, and aligned with where the market and customers are going.
Clearance Level
TS/SCI
The salary range for this role is:
$154,500 - $227,325
AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills.
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. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment's determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment's business requirements. A "U.S. person" according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.
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.
We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.
Principals only need apply. NO agencies please.
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 you're 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.
ITAR
U.S. Citizenship is required. Secret or Top Secret clearance, or the ability obtain a clearance is desired.
Who We Are
Based in California, AeroVironment (AVAV) is a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Founded in 1971 by celebrated physicist and engineer, Dr. Paul MacCready, we’ve been at the leading edge of technical innovation for more than 45 years. Be a part of the team that developed the world’s most widely used military drones and created the first submarine-launched reconnaissance drone, and has seven innovative vehicles that are part of the Smithsonian Institution’s permanent collection in Washington, DC.
Join us today in developing the next generation of small UAS and tactical missile systems that will deliver more actionable intelligence to our customers so they can proceed with certainty – and succeed.
We offer our employees full medical, dental, vision benefits all beginning day 1 of employment. For more details visit: www.myavbenefits.com
Paid time off: 2 weeks vacation, plus paid company holiday shut down Dec. 25 - Jan 1.
9/80 work schedule: every other Friday off!
A fun and collaborative work environment encouraging personal growth and creative innovation; AV is a tech start-up with stability.