Head of Vehicle Engineering

Head of Vehicle Engineering

The Head of Vehicle Engineering is responsible for leading the multidisciplinary team responsible for taking missile defense hardware from concept through flight. This role involves owning the engineering vision, technical execution, and hiring, across the flight hardware design disciplines (structures, fluid systems, mechanisms), and coaching a team of engineers. They also drive technical decisions across product lines and partner closely with propulsion, avionics, manufacturing, and mission assurance leadership to ensure flight-ready delivery on aggressive timelines.

• Own end-to-end engineering delivery of hardware products - structures, fluid systems, mechanisms, primary structure, avionics enclosures - from concept through manufacturing, qualification, and field support
• Lead, hire, develop, and mentor a team of engineers; set the bar for technical excellence and total ownership across the department
• Define and execute the technical roadmap for the Vehicle Engineering department, balancing flight-ready execution with the build-out of containerized, mass-producible product lines
• Own department headcount, schedule and planning; allocate resources to maximize mission impact per dollar
• Drive design reviews, qualification plans, and risk-based decision-making; serve as the senior technical authority on hardware architecture and major trade studies
• Partner cross-functionally with propulsion, avionics, GNC, manufacturing, supply chain, and test/launch leadership to integrate hardware into flight-ready systems on aggressive schedules
• Represent Long Wall hardware capabilities to executive leadership, customers, and program partners, including the U.S. Government and allied defense organizations

Basic Qualifications

• Education: B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering discipline from an accredited university
• Experience: 8–12 years of progressive industry experience in hardware design and development, including direct people-management responsibility for multiple engineers, disciplines, or sub-teams

Required Skills And Experience

• Proven track record taking flight or mission-critical hardware from concept through qualification and field operations in aerospace, defense, or similarly high-stakes environments
• Direct management of engineering teams with accountability for hiring, performance, and career development
• Ownership of departmental roadmap and investment, with experience making cost/schedule/risk trade-offs across multiple programs
• Deep technical fluency in mechanical design, structural mechanics, fluid systems, manufacturing processes, GD&T, and DFM/DFA principles
• Strong analytical foundation across hand calculations and FEA/CFD tools (e.g., ANSYS, ABAQUS, NASTRAN); able to challenge analysis and red-team designs
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to brief executive leadership, customers, and government stakeholders on technical scope, risk, and progress

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Prior experience as a Head, Director, or Senior Manager of hardware engineering at a launch, missile, satellite, or defense systems company
• Experience scaling a hardware engineering function from prototype to rate production, including the introduction of containerized or mass-producible designs
• Familiarity with U.S. missile defense, hypersonics, or tactical/strategic deterrent programs and the associated customer environment (MDA, DoD, allied partners)
• Working knowledge of major CAD platforms (NX, CATIA, CREO/Pro-E) and PLM systems (e.g., Teamcenter, Windchill)
• Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity and shifting priorities on aggressive, mission-driven schedules
• Active or recent U.S. security clearance (Secret or above)

Additional Requirements

• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time
• Ability to use a computer to complete assignments
• Ability to communicate with individuals and groups in person, by phone and telepresence
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs

Compensation

$165,000 - $245,000 a year

This is the lowest to highest compensation range we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee’s pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

Benefits

• Heavily employer-subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance plans
• Long Wall paid life insurance and LTD coverage
• 4% 401k match
• Student loan repayment assistance program
• Paid parental leave
• Family planning assistance program
• Long Wall paid financial wellness program
• Paid time off for non-exempt employees and flexible vacation policy for exempt employees