Chief Engineer, Hypersonic Vehicle

Stratolaunch

$157K — $237K *
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills
  • Proven engineering team leadership and project management experience
  • Hands-on experience with aerospace platform maintenance, modification, or testing
  • Effective recruitment and hiring of engineering talent
  • Ability to engage with customers and stakeholders
  • Strong analytical and critical thinking skills for complex problem-solving
  • Must be a US Citizen, capable of obtaining a DOD security clearance

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with Program Director/Managers for effective program execution
  • Act as program integrator/prime contractor
  • Lead technical trade studies and make final decisions across various disciplines
  • Implement Systems Engineering principles to control project scope and risk
  • Oversee test planning and execution for ground and flight tests
  • Support business proposals and strategic program planning
  • Facilitate technical meetings and engineering reviews to ensure project milestones are met

Benefits

  • 9/80 work schedule for better work-life balance
  • Comprehensive healthcare coverage including medical, dental, and vision
  • Paid maternity and parental leave
  • 401(k) plan with a 50% company match up to $11,500
  • Tuition reimbursement for continuing education
Full Job Description
Stratolaunch is seeking a Chief Engineer to be a high-impact technical leader for hypersonic air vehicle programs. This position will be the top technical authority and conscience on their development program. This position is trusted to lead people, to develop and execute technical strategies for open-ended problems, manage risk, and to communicate successfully with internal and external customers. The ideal candidate is a demonstrated leader and team player with significant experience across aerospace platforms, possessing a breadth of technical expertise across aircraft systems, aircraft certification, store certification, maintenance, and operations.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Partner with Program Director/Managers and support functions to achieve successful customer program execution
  • Experience acting as a program integrator/prime contractor
  • Lead trade studies and make final technical decisions, requiring balance across a wide breadth of disciplines to

include: aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, structures, controls and aero-thermodynamics
  • Apply Systems Engineering principles to control scope, manage risk, and drive quality technical execution
  • Support test planning and execution as required (ground and flight)
  • Support business proposals and planning
  • Facilitate successful technical meetings and reviews such as Engineering Review Board phase-gate technical

reviews. (e.g., SRR, PDR, CDR)
  • Create engineering staffing plans and identify skillset gaps in the team
  • Effectively collaborate across the enterprise in support of business objectives and program execution


REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills
  • Demonstrated success as an engineering team leader and experience balancing cost, schedule, and technical

performance considerations when making decisions
  • Demonstrated proficiency as a front-line manager of technical employees
  • Experience maintaining, modifying, or testing aerospace platforms
  • Experience recruiting and hiring engineers
  • Ability to interact with customers and/or external stakeholders
  • Demonstrated success applying analytical and critical thinking skills to solve multi-disciplinary, open-ended

technical problems
  • Ability to work independently in a dynamic environment to achieve business goals
  • US Citizen with the ability to obtain a DOD security clearance


PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Demonstrated success as a Chief Engineer of development programs
  • Experience with hypersonic and supersonic vehicle development
  • Experience supporting defense contracts and working on classified programs
  • Hypersonic/high-speed tactical missile experience highly desirable (e.g. multi-stage systems, hot structure airframes, launch platform integration)
  • Experience with rocket propulsion systems
  • Active TS/SCI security clearance
  • Experience with Siemens NX/Teamcenter
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
  • Staff-level ($157,000-$206,000): Bachelor's degree (B.S.) from accredited institution and 10-20 years of relevant experience, OR equivalent combination of education and experience
  • Principal Level ($181,000-$237,300): Bachelor's degree (B.S.) from accredited institution and 20+ years of engineering experience, OR equivalent combination of education and experience
  • Sr. Principal-Level ($k): Bachelor's degree (B.S.) from accredited institution and 25+ years of relevant experience, OR equivalent combination of education and experience.

Special remarks regarding work environment, if applicable
  • Position based in Mojave, CA. It is strongly preferred the candidate be fully on-site. Consideration for hybrid (partial remote/on-site work) work location arrangement at no less than 75-80% on-site time for well-qualified candidates.
  • Travel, as needed, to support the department. Travel estimated to be

#LI-AM1

Base salary and leveling are established on a case-by-case basis. We consider several factors to ensure a competitive offer, including your location, educational background, and a comprehensive assessment of the skills and experience demonstrated during your interviews.

Benefits and our location(s)
:
  • 9/80 schedule
  • Healthcare (medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs)
  • Paid Maternity and Parental Leave
  • 50% company match per contributed dollar into 401(k) savings plan, up to $11,500
  • Tuition reimbursement

This position may involve the operation of company vehicles as part of assigned duties.

Mojave Air & Spaceport is located just outside of Lancaster/Palmdale and is only 95 miles north of Los Angeles. The area offers both affordability and central access to a variety of California's best attractions and landmarks.

Not much for the outdoors and prefer the city life? You're within a half day's drive or less of Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, and San Francisco where you can find a variety of live entertainment, museums, tours, and historical sight-seeing. Theme parks are in abundance, with Six Flags Magic Mountain, Disneyland, and Knotts Berry Farm ready to meet the needs of rollercoaster thrill seekers.

Food and drink fanatics are in a haven of delectable choices. Wine aficionados will also find easy access to some of the state's best vino in Paso Robles, Santa Ynez, and even more locally in Tehachapi and Agua Dulce. Beer fanatics will find some of the best West Coast IPAs at Bravery and Lucky Luke's in Lancaster. Any food option you crave is covered, and we always recommend the authentic and fresh Mexican food that you won't find anywhere else in the United States.

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Stratolaunch

More Aerospace & Defense Jobs

Find similar Chief Engineer, Hypersonic Vehicle jobs: