Director of Engineering

Cryptic Vector

$125K — $150K *
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of engineering experience with leadership roles
  • Experience building and managing high-performing engineering teams
  • Proficient in talent management including hiring and retention
  • Track record of ensuring quality and schedule in engineering execution
  • Skilled in establishing engineering processes and metrics
  • Ability to collaborate in a matrixed organization
  • Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field
  • Active security clearance preferred depending on program needs

Responsibilities

  • Lead and manage the engineering organization
  • Oversee all aspects of talent management from hiring to retention
  • Assign engineering talent to critical programs and proposals
  • Establish standard engineering processes across all divisions
  • Ensure high-quality engineering execution focusing on accountability
  • Identify skill gaps and create training or recruiting strategies
  • Develop career paths for future technical leaders

Benefits

  • Opportunities for professional development and mentoring
  • Collaborative work environment focused on technical excellence
  • Capacity to shape engineering operations across the company
  • Access to cutting-edge projects in defense and intelligence sectors
  • Engagement with leadership at multiple organizational levels
Full Job Description
Director of Engineering

We're looking for an experienced, people-focused Director of Engineering to lead and scale our engineering organization. In this role, you'll own engineering talent management, drive high-quality technical execution, and build the processes and culture that enable mission success. You'll partner closely with Program Managers and Division Directors to ensure the right talent is in the right places while developing the next generation of technical leaders.

You'll have the opportunity to shape how engineering operates across the company-establishing consistent standards, balancing resources across competing priorities, and fostering a culture of collaboration, technical excellence, and mission impact.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and manage the engineering organization
  • Own engineering talent management: hiring, development, mentoring, performance, and retention
  • Ensure the right engineering talent is assigned to programs, IRADs, and proposals
  • Establish consistent engineering processes, standards, tools, and best practices across locations and divisions
  • Drive engineering execution with a focus on quality, schedule, technical rigor, accountability, and follow-through
  • Identify skill and capability gaps and develop recruiting or training plans to address them
  • Develop technical leaders and create clear career paths for engineers
  • Balance engineering resources across competing program and business priorities
  • Partner with Program Managers and Division Directors to ensure programs have the technical resources needed to succeed
  • Own engineering metrics and organizational health (utilization, staffing, attrition, recruiting needs, skill mix, etc.)
  • Foster a strong engineering culture focused on collaboration, technical excellence, innovation, and mission impact


Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

  • 10+ years of progressive engineering experience, including significant leadership experience
  • Proven track record of building, leading, and scaling high-performing engineering teams
  • Experience owning talent management processes (hiring, performance management, development, and retention)
  • Demonstrated ability to drive engineering execution against quality, schedule, and technical standards
  • Experience establishing engineering processes, standards, tools, and metrics
  • Strong ability to partner with program and business leadership in a matrixed environment
  • Bachelor's degree in engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field
  • Active security clearance (or ability to obtain one) preferred depending on program needs


Preferred Qualifications

  • Master's degree in a technical or related field
  • Experience leading multi-site or multi-division engineering organizations
  • Background in defense, intelligence, or government contracting environments
  • Experience with resource planning, capacity management, and organizational health metrics
  • Demonstrated success developing technical leaders and career frameworks
  • Strong communication skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders


This role requires use of technical data subject to U.S. Government contract restrictions, therefore this posting is only for U.S. Citizens.

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