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Worker Type

Job Description

Summary

The Senior Manager, Aeromechanical Engineering is a seasoned leader in the aerospace or defense technology industry with deep expertise supporting high-velocity product development environments. As a key member of the Product Development Engineering leadership team, this role contributes to defining and executing the strategic technology roadmap for advanced loitering munition systems in an increasingly competitive and rapidly evolving market. This role oversees the design, development, and integration of new loitering munition products as well as modifications, enhancements, and sustainment activities for existing systems. This leader is responsible for building and guiding a high-performing aeromechanical engineering organization with the technical capabilities, capacity, and processes required to meet business objectives. Responsibilities include organizational leadership, budgeting, staffing, training, performance management, and career development to ensure the team can effectively deliver innovative, reliable, and mission-critical loitering munition solutions.

Position Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical authority and final escalation point for critical design reviews involving high-risk/high-impact aeromechanical, structural, and thermal challenges, certifying airworthiness/system integrity for production release
• Establish and govern long-term aeromechanical engineering standards and architectural roadmaps to ensure maximum efficiency, scalability, and performance across all product lines and future technology insertions
• Broad technical knowledge and experience to understand and evaluate design and development activity across multiple engineering disciplines
• Managing large team of direct reports in multiple locations.
• Recruiting, hiring, on boarding, mentoring, coaching new employees
• Conduct regular employee performance reviews. Provide performance improvement and career development feedback and implement necessary disciplinary actions as needed
• Familiarity with composite, injection molded plastic, die casting, machining, and PCBA/connector/cable assembly design, tooling, fabrication, and assembly preferred
• Demonstrated ownership, accountability, and success to deliver products that meet requirements on time and on budget
• Proven and demonstrated experience with full product development life cycle from concept to production with proven track-record of launching new products to production
• Proven and demonstrated execution of product development methods and best practices
• Ability to analyze the assigned project, break down work into functional disciplines and/or subsystems and create design/develop plans
• Other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor’s degree is required in Aerospace, Mechanical, Systems engineering or in a related field or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Advanced degree, MBA or MS is highly preferred.
• Proficient in using SolidWorks, Catia, ANSYS, Abaqus, Star-CCM+, Jira, Fusion
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience required. of related aeromechanical and/or mechanical engineering functional management experience leading large team of direct reports in fast-paced, dynamic product design and development environments for products used across multiple industries
• Minimum of 4-6 years of experience in a leadership role.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience and knowledge of Airworthiness-related mechanical requirements.

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Familiarity with aerospace military/defense contracting environment highly desirable
• Working knowledge of composite airframe structures.
• Experience is prototype builds, flight teste, and transition to production.
• Exposure to MBSE, digital engineering and configuration management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong analytical, critical thinking and interpersonal skills, with the ability to speak and write persuasively
• Demonstrated experience working with cross-functional teams; ability to develop and maintain internal and external trusting, professional relationships
• Uses vision to think beyond the immediate situation, explore multiple potential paths, and adapt decision-making style based on the situational circumstances
• Inspires, motivates, and empowers people to deliver organizational goals, while also delivering value back to employees
• Brings organizational values to life using personality, uniqueness, and the creation of a shared vision
• Champions the process of change and promotes a culture of quick adaptation while helping others deal with the effects of change
• Takes ownership and responsibility for assigned tasks
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company
• Focuses on teamwork and puts the success of the team above one's own interests

Physical Demands

• Ability to sit, stand, stoop, reach, lift (up to 10 lbs.), bend, etc. Hand and wrist dexterity to utilize the computer.
• May require travel to sites/program and special functions.

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

The salary range for this role is:

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.

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.

What We Do

Building on a history of technological innovation, AeroVironment designs, develops, produces, and supports an advanced portfolio of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company’s hand-launched UAS to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition.

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