Chief Engineer, Autonomous Airpower

About this role

Lead the technical and programmatic development of advanced unmanned aircraft systems from concept through production and field operations at a defense technology company. This role combines hands-on engineering expertise with leadership of multi-disciplinary teams to deliver mission-critical autonomous air vehicles for DOD customers.

What you'll do

• Own technical and programmatic execution of air vehicle design, fabrication, testing, and sustainment across full lifecycle
• Establish technical vision, assemble expert teams, and drive program success from concept through customer delivery
• Conduct design trades and optimization studies for subsystems while balancing performance, schedule, cost, and risk
• Coordinate prototype fabrication and system-level testing efforts with internal and external partners
• Support deployed operations of fielded systems and troubleshoot issues in operational environments
• Collaborate with leadership on resource planning and alignment of technical objectives with business outcomes

What they're looking for

• Unmanned aircraft systems design and development (Group 3 and above)
• Program leadership and multi-disciplinary team management
• Systems engineering and requirements development
• Airframe, propulsion, and payload integration
• Flight test and prototype development
• DOD program execution and stakeholder management
• Technical problem-solving and design optimization
• Aerospace, mechanical, electrical, or software engineering expertise

Benefits

• Salary range: $254,000–$336,000 USD
• Highly competitive equity grants
• Top-tier benefits for full-time employees