Product Line Chief Engineer Weapon System Integration (WSI)

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical authority and design owner for assigned programs.
• Develop, maintain, and control the technical baseline, architecture, interfaces, and design integrity.
• Lead cross-disciplinary technical teams across systems, software, hardware, cybersecurity, integration, and test.
• Act as the customer-facing technical lead for design reviews, technical interchange meetings, and program execution.
• Identify, assess, and manage technical risks throughout the program lifecycle.
• Collaborate with the Program Manager to ensure technical cost, schedule, and performance objectives are achieved.
• Lead technical gate reviews and readiness assessments (e.g., SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR).
• Ensure compliance with applicable standards (DoD, MIL-STD, ITAR, cyber compliance, etc.).
• Lead resolution of critical technical issues impacting program execution or delivery.
• Provide technical leadership for proposals, including basis of estimate (BOE), architecture development, and capture support.
• Partner with V2X functional engineering leadership to ensure application of design processes, specialty engineering, and independent technical assessments.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic technical thinker with ability to balance innovation and disciplined execution.
• Highly collaborative leader able to work across functional teams, customers, and leadership.
• Effective communicator with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Decisive problem solver with strong ownership of program’s technical posture.

Required Skills

• Proven technical leadership of multi-disciplinary teams on complex DoD or aerospace programs.
• Experience with system architecture, design integration, requirements development, and risk management.
• Proficiency with DoD acquisition lifecycle, systems engineering V-model, and technical review process.

Desired Skills

• Prior Chief Engineer, IPT Lead, or Lead Systems Engineer experience at a major defense integrator.
• Experience with rapid prototyping, software-enabled solutions, open architectures, or digital engineering approaches.
• Experience interfacing with senior defense customers, including Program Executive Officers (PEOs) and Program Management (PM) offices.
• Familiarity with MIL-STD compliance, safety standards, cybersecurity compliance (RMF, NIST).

Education Requirement

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering discipline with 15+ years of experience in defense system development, emerging engineering leadership, and program execution. Master's degree preferred.