Vice President, Engineering and Technology

Key Responsibilities

• Own and continuously evolve the company’s multi-year technology vision and roadmap for unmanned and autonomous systems, aligned with long-range business plans, customer mission outcomes, and innovation priorities.
• Lead portfolio-level technology and architecture decisions (e.g., make/buy/partner, modularity vs. integration, open architectures) to optimize capability, schedule, lifecycle cost, and technical risk.
• Translate emerging tech trends (autonomy/AI, advanced sensors, secure networking, cloud-enabled mission services, digital engineering) into concrete, prioritized roadmaps and investment themes.
• Chair key technical governance forums (e.g., Architecture Review Board, Design Authority reviews) to maintain technical integrity, reuse, and common standards across programs.
• Drive a focused, high-impact R&D portfolio aligned with the technology strategy and customer needs, making clear go/hold/stop decisions on major technology bets.
• Guide the maturation of technologies from concept and prototype through flight test, production, and in-service evolution.
• Sponsor and review research and case studies on leading-edge technologies, identifying differentiating capabilities and ensuring rapid learning cycles (demo, test, iterate).
• Serve as the company’s ultimate technical authority for key design and architecture decisions, technical risk acceptance, and technology trade-offs.
• Establish and track key technical KPIs/OKRs (e.g., defect rates, design cycle times, test coverage, reliability metrics) and drive continuous improvement based on data.
• Lead and integrate a multi-disciplinary Engineering organization (Systems, Software, AI/Autonomy, Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Payloads, Test) to deliver cohesive, high-impact solutions for global defense and security customers.
• Scale and structure the Engineering and Flight Operations organizations to meet strategic growth; assign authority and responsibility to department directors and their leadership teams, and monitor execution.
• Build and maintain a strong technical ladder, including Principal/Chief Engineers, to provide deep expertise, mentorship, and design leadership across programs.
• Provide strategic oversight and technical direction through the Director, Flight Operations to ensure operations (flight test, training, deployed missions) are tightly integrated with the technology roadmap and product strategy.
• Engage directly with key customers, end-users, and partners to understand mission problems, shape the technology roadmap around real operational needs, and advocate for investment priorities.
• Represent the company’s technology strategy and capabilities at customer briefings, industry events, standards bodies, and with key suppliers, serving as an external technical thought leader.
• Provide authoritative technical input to major pursuits and strategic partnerships, including solution architectures, discriminators, and risk/feasibility assessments.
• Partner with Programs, Operations, Product Lines, Business Development, and Finance to ensure technology strategy and engineering execution support growth, profitability, and long-range business plans.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire Engineering and Flight Operations leadership and their teams, reinforcing a culture of technical excellence, safety, integrity, and accountability.
• Build and sustain an inclusive, high-performance culture that attracts, develops, and retains top technical and operational talent.
• Own Engineering and Flight Operations budgets and resource plans, ensuring investments and staffing align with strategic priorities and program commitments.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a closely related technical discipline from an accredited institution.
• Extensive experience in aerospace, defense, and/or autonomous systems, with significant time in senior technical leadership roles (e.g., Vice President, Chief Engineer, Head of Engineering, or equivalent).
• Demonstrated experience defining and executing technology strategy and technical roadmaps for complex, software-enabled hardware products.
• Proven track record partnering with Programs/Operations and Business Development to deliver on schedule, on budget, and to spec for government or highly regulated customers.
• Demonstrated success managing sizable departmental budgets and contributing to annual operating plans and long-range business planning.
• Ability to engage credibly at a deep technical level (e.g., architecture trade-offs, algorithm performance, system safety, test strategies) while maintaining a portfolio-level strategic view.
• Demonstrated ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing technical organizations in fast-paced, mission-driven environments.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to influence and align stakeholders from engineering, operations, programs, finance, and business development.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical topics in clear business and operational terms to executives, customers, and partners.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in ambiguity, make sound decisions with incomplete data, and drive clarity, focus, and accountability.

Desired Qualifications

• Ability to obtain or maintain a Secret Security Clearance.
• Prior experience as a senior technology leader (e.g., VP-level Engineering/Technology, Chief Engineer) in aerospace, defense, or autonomous systems organizations.
• Deep familiarity with small tactical UAS, ISR mission concepts, and associated ground and data systems.
• Hands-on or leadership experience in autonomy/AI for UAS, advanced payloads, mission systems, or secure communications networks.
• Demonstrated experience with Profit & Loss responsibility or strong P&L fluency in a technology- and operations-intensive business.
• Familiarity with export control environments (e.g., ITAR/EAR) and experience working with U.S. and/or allied defense and security customers.