Head of Engineering Design

Metrea delivers effects-as-a-service to national security partners across five domains and more than a dozen mission areas. These include airborne ISR electronic warfare secure communications aerial refueling special air missions aerial firefighting and advanced simulation. We own the whole stack: designing building and operating turnkey capabilities that give our partners decisive asymmetric advantage against rapidly evolving threats.

Our operating model is built around three interlocking pillars. The Support Groups provide a global shared-service spanning people finance platform operations legal and engagement. This frees up our Core Groups who develop and own mission capabilities end-to-end to focus entirely on delivery. The Market Groups apply a regional lens ensuring that our agile and adaptable capabilities remain aligned to the wicked problems that matter most to our partners across the Americas EMEA and Asia-Pacific.

At the heart of our model is a simple but powerful idea: be a true partner with skin in the game. Our partners need effects not just equipment. By owning the full stack from the lab to the field we are able to drive a continuous cycle of innovation that keeps our partners ahead. Its a fast-moving intellectually demanding environment where talented people are given real responsibility work on problems that matter and contribute to an enterprise that is growing quickly and deliberately.

Headquartered in Washington DC with facilities across the United States the United Kingdom as well as Continental Europe and Asia-Pacific.

The Head of Engineering Design leads the engineering organization responsible for the design development and integration of aircraft modifications across a mixed portfolio of aircraft platforms from twin engine turboprops to large jet aircraft. This position provides technical and organizational leadership for multidisciplinary engineering teams delivering complex aircraft modification programs including (but not limited too) structural mechanical electrical avionics mission systems and cabins for special-mission integrations. These integrations support operations around the globe in various regulatory environments. The Head of Engineering Design is accountable for engineering design quality technical execution resource planning schedule performance regulatory compliance and alignment with business and customer objectives.

The Head of Engineering Design will bring substantial aircraft modification experience strong engineering judgment and a demonstrated ability to lead teams through technically complex safety-critical and highly regulated programs.

Engineering Leadership

• Lead develop and manage multidisciplinary aircraft modification engineering teams across structural mechanical electrical avionics systems and related technical disciplines
• Establish clear organizational priorities accountabilities performance expectations and development plans for engineering leaders and individual contributors
• Build engineering capability through workforce planning succession planning technical mentoring targeted hiring and professional development
• Promote a culture of technical rigor ownership collaboration continuous improvement and operational accountability
• Ensure engineering teams are appropriately staffed and organized to support current programs new business opportunities and long-term strategic objectives

Aircraft Modification Execution

• Provide executive-level oversight of aircraft modification programs from concept development through design certification installation testing delivery and continued operational support
• Ensure modification designs meet customer requirements airworthiness standards internal engineering requirements and applicable regulatory obligations
• Oversee engineering work related to aircraft structures systems integration avionics electrical systems mechanical systems interiors mission equipment and special-purpose modifications
• Review program status technical risks resource requirements design maturity and engineering deliverables and develop mitigations as appropriate to ensure on time budget and performance delivery
• Ensure aircraft modification designs are aligned with Metreas broader objectives in developing APUS compliant scalable solutions
• Establish effective engineering planning design review verification validation and technical approval processes
• Partner with Program Management and Operations to resolve technical issues affecting schedule cost installation testing or aircraft delivery

Certification and Airworthiness Adherence

• Ensure aircraft modifications are designed and developed in accordance with applicable FAA EASA UK CAA military customer and other regulatory requirements
• Partner closely with Certification Airworthiness Quality and other key personnel to develop and execute certification strategies
• Support certification programs involving STCs major repairs and alterations field approvals conformity activities and other applicable certification pathways
• Ensure engineering data compliance findings test plans substantiation reports drawings analyses and instructions for continued airworthiness meet required standards
• Serve as a senior technical interface with regulatory authorities customers suppliers and external engineering partners when required

Technical Governance and Quality

• Establish and maintain engineering standards procedures design practices technical authority structures and approval processes
• Ensure technical decisions are supported by appropriate analysis testing documentation and sound engineering judgment
• Lead or support formal design reviews technical reviews safety assessments root-cause investigations and corrective-action efforts
• Ensure compliance with configuration management document control product safety quality-management export-control and information-security requirements
• Monitor engineering quality indicators and implement corrective actions when performance compliance or technical standards are not being met
• Strengthen lessons-learned knowledge-management and continuous-improvement practices across the engineering organization

Capability Area and File Partnership

• Support proposal development technical estimating statements of work schedules staffing plans and risk assessments
• Provide technical input into bid no-bid make buy and investment decisions
• Assess the technical feasibility certification complexity resource requirements and delivery risk of new aircraft modification opportunities
• Ensure engineering commitments are realistic appropriately resourced and aligned with contractual and business expectations
• Communicate program risks resource constraints technical decisions and required leadership actions clearly and promptly

Financial and Resource Management

• Develop and manage engineering budgets staffing plans labor forecasts and capital or tool requirements
• Dynamically balance resources across competing programs and priorities while informing and managing stakeholders as appropriately aligned with Enterprise objectives
• Identify opportunities to improve engineering efficiency standardization reuse and delivery performance without compromising safety or compliance
• Manage consultants suppliers and external engineering resources as needed

• Bachelors degree in aerospace engineering Mechanical Engineering Electrical Engineering Systems Engineering or a related technical discipline
• Minimum 10 or more years of progressively responsible aerospace engineering experience
• Significant experience supporting aircraft modification integration certification or major repair programs ideally in special mission aviation
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams through complex aircraft modification programs
• Strong knowledge of aircraft design systems integration airworthiness certification and configuration-management principles
• Experience working with FAA certification requirements and applicable regulations including for both Part-23 and Part-25 aircraft along with ideal experience of operating in other regulatory environments (EASA CASA etc.)
• Experience developing or supporting certification plans compliance data engineering substantiation testing conformity and approval activities
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple programs competing priorities technical risks and resource constraints
• Strong leadership communication decision-making and stakeholder-management skills
• Experience working directly with customers regulatory representatives senior leaders and cross-functional teams
• Ability to communicate complex technical issues clearly to both technical and nontechnical audiences

• Comprehensive medical plan options
• HSA / FSA accounts
• Dental and vision coverage
• 6% employer 401(k) match
• Fully paid parental leave for all new parents
• Generous PTO
• Life and disability insurance
• Long-term and Short-term disability coverage
• AD&D Coverage
• Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Subsided gym membership / plans throughWellhub

Applicants must be a US citizen.

The Companyis an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to racecolor religion sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin disability veteranstatusor other characteristics protected by law.

This is a full-time exempt position with typical working hours of Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Hours and work shifts may changein accordance withdepartment and business needs. Exempt Employees must have the ability to be on-call and available as business needs require.

This job operates in an office setting.

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