Director of Engineering & Site Leader

Job Title: Engineering Director

Location: Reston, VA (Washington, DC Metropolitan Area)

Reports To: Vice President of Engineering, Sales & Marketing

Overview: The Engineering Director will be responsible for the establishment, oversight, and performance of a new engineering office in Reston, Virginia. This is a unique opportunity to build an engineering team from the ground up by hiring top aerospace talent. The office will primarily focus on developing safety-critical avionics and navigation software applications. The Engineering Director will provide leadership for all functions at the Reston site, which will be predominantly engineering roles.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure the Reston office meets all deliverables related to the annual financial plan, both operational and engineering.
• Act as a cultural ambassador, promoting key values such as accountability, open communication, a bias for action, and thinking and acting like an owner.
• Lead the build-out of the office, expanding to over 50 employees in the first three years, collaborating with HR on recruitment and onboarding, and partnering with senior engineering leaders to transfer expertise from other company locations.
• Ensure timely and on-budget execution of engineering projects performed at the Reston site.
• Provide accurate forecasts for Reston’s commitments, monitor relevant performance indicators, and resolve problems locally whenever possible, with a focus on action and accountability.
• Minimize costs and track performance through productivity projects and KPIs.
• Drive cross-functional priority management to ensure operational success.
• Foster a strong team spirit and drive employee engagement through effective communication, training, development plans, and resolution of HR issues. Partner with local HR and senior management to develop succession plans for key leadership positions.
• Ensure the resolution of site-specific issues related to facilities and maintain a safe and rewarding workplace for all employees.
• Maintain compliance with ethical standards and report transparently to the Vice President of Engineering, Sales & Marketing.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or computer science, ideally complemented by an MBA or other relevant master’s degree.
• A minimum of 15 years of experience in leadership roles within the aerospace sector, particularly with OEMs or suppliers in defense, with direct and indirect management of teams of 50 or more people.
• Proven experience in leading a satellite engineering location and growing a local team through recruitment and onboarding of technical staff, with a strong ability to assess engineering talent for both technical proficiency and cultural fit.
• 10 years of experience in aerospace electronics such as avionics and navigation systems, radar, and electronic warfare, including hardware, firmware, and software that application software that must be certified to high levels (minimum C) of design assurance under DO-160 and DO-178.
• Direct experience in delivering programs through the technology maturation, design, development, certification, and in-service phases.
• Strong focus on performance management, quality management, and engineering execution, ideally with recent experience in a mid-sized company (200 to 1000 employees).
• Experience working with the Department of Defense, with a focus on C4 (Command, Control, Communications, and Computers), ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), or Space applications.
• Strong business and financial acumen, with an understanding of financial issues related to cost center management.
• Exceptional leadership skills with a proven ability to engage and motivate teams, as well as strong coaching and mentoring capabilities.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a business-oriented approach; dynamic, outgoing, and a strong team player.
• Results-oriented, meticulous, and capable of handling high-pressure situations and tight deadlines.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• U.S. citizenship required due to Department of Defense customers.