Vice President, Engineering and Technology

About the role

As our Vice President, Engineering and Technology, you will be the senior technical leader guiding the next generation of Insitu’s platforms, payloads, autonomy, and mission services—shaping how our customers sense, decide, and act in the most demanding environments. This is a high‑impact, enterprise‑wide role that combines technology strategy, engineering leadership, and operational integration. You will report directly to the CEO, lead both Engineering and Flight Operations through your department directors, and set the technical direction that underpins Insitu’s growth, competitiveness, and long‑term innovation roadmap.

Responsibilities

• Technology Vision, Strategy & Architecture
  • 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.
• Innovation, R&D & Productization
  • 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).
• Chief Technical Authority & Governance
  • 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.
• Engineering & Flight Organization Leadership
  • 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.
• Customer, Market & Ecosystem Engagement
  • 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.
• Executive Leadership, Culture & Governance
  • 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.

Requirements

• Education
  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a closely related technical discipline from an accredited institution.
• Experience
  • 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.
• Leadership & Interpersonal Skills
  • 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

This role is eligible for hybrid work. There is a strong preference that this individual is on site at our facilities in Bingen, WA 3+ days/week. The ability to travel is required—travel needs will vary based on customer/partnership opportunities, timing of events, etc.