Program Chief Engineer

Role Summary

Firehawk Aerospace is seeking a Program Chief Engineer to lead the development of next-generation solid and hybrid rocket propulsion systems. This role provides technical leadership and cross-functional execution across various teams to achieve technical, cost, schedule, and risk objectives.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multidisciplinary team in the design, development, integration, test, and maturation of advanced solid and hybrid rocket propulsion systems
• Own integrated planning and day-to-day execution across requirements, design, analysis, prototyping, system integration, test, manufacturing readiness, and transition to production
• Drive program execution against technical performance, cost, schedule, and risk objectives
• Serve as a primary technical focal point between Chief Engineering, Program Management, and functional teams to drive issue resolution and execution alignment
• Develop and maintain integrated execution plans, schedules, risk/opportunity registers, and performance metrics
• Support program planning disciplines including Earned Value Management, baseline management, and change control as applicable
• Lead cross-functional coordination across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Test Operations, Safety, and Program Management
• Lead technical status reviews and provide actionable updates on performance, risks, opportunities, and mitigation plans
• Support and drive project decisions by balancing technical merit, safety, producibility, cost, schedule, and mission success
• Ensure readiness and closure of entry/exit criteria for major technical and program reviews, including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and FRR
• Apply systems engineering rigor across requirements decomposition and traceability, interface definition/control, verification/validation planning, and configuration-managed technical baselines
• Help maintain the technical baseline and ensure design, analysis, test, and change activity remain aligned across the development lifecycle

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
• 8+ years of engineering experience, including significant hardware development experience in aerospace, defense, propulsion, flight systems, or other complex high-consequence products
• Demonstrated success leading technical execution, integrated planning, and cross-functional coordination in a fast-paced R&D or product development environment
• Strong technical foundation in one or more of the following areas: mechanical design, structural analysis, thermal analysis, internal ballistics/SRM performance, combustion/CFD, systems integration, or test engineering
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in a matrixed organization
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop and present technical content, reviews, and status updates to diverse audiences
• Demonstrated commitment to safety, mission assurance, reliability, innovation, and execution
• Able to travel approximately 10% to Firehawk facilities, supplier locations, and test sites
• U.S. Citizenship required; ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in Engineering, Systems Engineering, or Engineering Management
• 3+ years of demonstrated leadership as an IPT Lead, Project Engineer, Responsible Engineer, CAM, Technical Lead, or equivalent role on complex hardware programs
• Experience with integrated schedules, project/program management tools, and risk/opportunity management
• Experience supporting proposal development, BOEs, ROMs, and development planning
• Hand-on experience with propulsion development and test, including test planning, instrumentation, execution support, and post-test analysis
• Strong knowledge of systems engineering disciplines including requirements management, verification/validation, interface management, risk management, and configuration/change control
• Experience working on DoD or NASA development programs with formal technical reviews such as SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and FRR
• Active or previous DoD security clearance preferred