Your space-enabled career begins here

Worker Type

Regular

Job Description

Summary

The Senior Manager, Systems Engineering is a technical and people leader responsible for driving systems engineering execution across the full product lifecycle for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and related aerospace/defense platforms. This role owns Systems Engineering and Integration & Test (I&T) execution and is accountable for requirements management, architecture and interface definition, technical planning, system integration, verification and validation, and customer-facing technical engagement. The position also supports airworthiness, system safety, and reliability objectives to ensure the product is technically sound, testable, and ready for fielding and production.

This leader is responsible for building and leading a high-performing functional organization with the technical depth and execution discipline to support development, qualification, production, and sustainment in a competitive environment.

Position Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of systems engineering and integration/test professionals, including staffing, workload planning, performance management, mentoring, and career development

• Own systems engineering execution from requirements development and decomposition through system integration, verification, validation, and transition to production

• Own I&T planning and execution, including integration readiness, test planning, procedure development, test conduct, data review, issue resolution, and reporting

• Manage requirements traceability, allocation, verification planning, and technical baseline evolution throughout the system development lifecycle

• Lead development of system-level artifacts such as requirements, interface definitions, technical plans, test plans, procedures, reports, and customer-facing technical presentations

• Coordinate across software, hardware, manufacturing, quality, reliability, safety, flight test, and program management teams to achieve cost, schedule, and technical objectives

• Support airworthiness, system safety, and reliability activities, including field test safety, hazard-related technical coordination, and reliability growth / issue closure as applicable

• Provide clear and timely status of technical progress, risks, issues, and mitigation plans to internal leadership and external customers

• Serve as a primary customer-facing technical representative for systems engineering matters, including reviews, status discussions, technical issue resolution, and execution alignment

• Support development planning and execution in coordination with program management, including schedule, resource, and technical performance considerations

• Ensure adherence to company processes, engineering discipline, and operational policies while driving practical, executable solutions

• Other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Systems, Electrical, Computer, Aerospace, Mechanical, or related field) or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience

• 10+ years of progressive systems engineering experience, with at least 5 years of leadership or management experience

• Experience leading systems engineering activities across the product lifecycle, including requirements management, decomposition, traceability, integration, and V&V

• Experience owning or leading Integration & Test execution for complex aerospace, defense, embedded, or mission-critical systems

• Strong customer-facing skills, including the ability to lead technical discussions, present clearly to customers and leadership, and resolve issues across organizational boundaries

• Experience developing systems test plans, procedures, reports, and objective evidence packages

• Experience supporting system safety and field test safety activities

• Experience providing clear technical status, risk, and progress reporting to internal and external stakeholders

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including concise technical documentation and professional presentations

• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive execution to program deadlines

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Master’s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field

• Aerospace, defense, or UAS systems engineering experience strongly preferred

• Experience with EVMS or similar program execution frameworks, including technical status integration with cost and schedule performance

• Experience with Agile, SafeAgile or similar program execution frameworks, including technical status integration with cost and schedule performance

• Background in embedded systems development, integration, or test

• Experience with flight dynamics, flight sciences, flight controls integration, instrumented flight test vectors, or simulation/model development and analysis

• Experience supporting airworthiness, certification-related activities, or other regulated flight approval processes

• Experience supporting reliability activities such as FRACAS, root cause investigation, corrective action tracking, or reliability growth efforts

• Experience taking products from development or prototype phase into production

• Familiarity with mission systems, payload systems, imaging/sensing systems, or related aerospace subsystems

• Ability to assess technical risk and opportunity, establish mitigation strategies, and drive closure across functional teams

• Demonstrated ability to build trust, influence decisions, and lead through change in a fast-paced environment

Physical Demands
Ability to work in an office and production environment (Constant)
Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)

Clearance Level

No Clearance

The salary range for this role is:

$141,000 - $200,025

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 required. Must be willing to work on government contracts and have the ability to obtain a security clearance.