Director - Engineering (ALC)

Job Description

Job Description

Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc offers advanced solutions to meet the most complex U.S. defense, security, space, and intelligence requirements. Celebrating over 50 years in the US, we remain a trusted government partner, leveraging world-class satellite, laser communication, rotor and fixed wing solutions to help our national security, defense and space focused customers meet their missions.

Airbus U.S. looks to employ a commitment driven team, dedicated to enabling our customer's mission success. We are committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive work environment and a welcoming and engaging staff. With competitive compensation and superior employee benefits, as well as a commitment to fostering individual career growth, Airbus U.S. is the place where top talent wants to work.

Position Summary:

Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. is seeking a driven, detail-oriented, and creative Engineering Director to lead the definition of requirements, development of system architecture, and analysis of advanced unmanned aircraft systems. This individual will primarily serve as the project's Engineering Director, providing technical leadership, direction, and oversight across a team of industry partners. Candidates should bring exceptional engineering leadership skills and extensive experience leading complex aerospace programs.

Position Responsibilities:

As the Engineering Director for this uncrewed aircraft system project, you will lead an international team of Airbus engineers and direct technical efforts across multiple industry partners. You will oversee the definition of system requirements, development of system architecture, subsystem integration, and interface design to ensure seamless system functionality. You will provide technical leadership across the program, manage cross-partner collaboration, identify and address technical risks, mentor engineers, and ensure the timely completion of contract deliverables. You will also manage system equities across the program, working closely with integrated product teams to plan integration and testing, ensure regulatory compliance, and validate system performance through rigorous assessments.

As the program's Engineering Director, you must understand the pace and discipline required to execute a Middle Tier of Acquisition – Rapid Prototyping program. You will work closely with the program management team to balance technical requirements, schedule, cost, and risk while ensuring deliverables meet the high standards required for a program in active competition. You will serve as the central technical leader responsible for coordinating and synchronizing engineering activities across the multiple integrated product teams and industry partners required to develop and deliver an innovative combat system.

Additionally, you will maintain oversight of engineering schedules, budgets, technical progress, and program risks while driving continuous improvement and fostering innovation in UAS technologies and engineering practices.

Systems Engineering 75%

• Conduct systems engineering tasks for Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, Inc., including work on the Aerial Logistics Connector system:
• Requirements development – initial definition, decomposition and flowdown, management.
• System design and trade studies – high level concept trades to support subsequent detail design.
• Verification planning and testing – verification matrices, buy-off / sell-off, test planning, etc.
• Model Based Systems Engineer – development of models and execution of systems analyses.
• Mission autonomy planning – autonomous architectures and integration in the Joint All-Domian Command and Control (JADC2) environment.
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of autonomous aircraft systems and their integration into complex uncrewed aircraft architectures:
• Understand the fundamentals of aircraft autonomy, autonomous mission management, navigation, contingency management, and mission execution.
• Understand how autonomy integrates with flight controls, avionics, sensors, mission systems, communications, and command-and-control systems.
• Understand human-machine interfaces and supervisory control, including mission planning, dynamic tasking, and transfer of aircraft control.
• Understand the basic principles and limitations of perception, decision-making, path planning, obstacle avoidance, and AI/ML-enabled autonomy.
• Work effectively with autonomy subject-matter experts to translate operational requirements into system requirements, interfaces, integration plans, and test objectives
• Apply sufficient technical understanding to identify integration risks, evaluate engineering trades, challenge technical assumptions, and make informed system-level decisions involving autonomous capabilities.
• Support the development of subsystem-level requirements and flow them down to various components and parts as needed throughout all phases of the development lifecycle, with a focus on Design for Cost, Design for Manufacturability, and Design for Test approaches.
• Ensure maximum reuse of existing Airbus products and identify any necessary modifications.
• Develop a vision for the operational environment in which the system will operate, and integrate activities to ensure mission success.
• Demonstrate the ability to participate in cross-functional planning, coordination, and task execution involving the full spectrum of engineering and integration activities.

Roadmap Development 15%

• Support the Aerial Logistics Connector development product roadmap, including design adjustments, schedule, and cost targets aligned with future business captures.
• Define customer-driven changes to ensure the system thrives in a highly complex operational environment.

Additional Responsibilities 10%

• Perform all necessary systems engineering activities to build, maintain, and evolve Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, Inc. uncrewed aircraft products.
• Promote and optimize cost savings by reusing existing Airbus platform designs and manufacturing infrastructures in pursuit of new opportunities in this fast-growing market.

Qualified Experience / Skills / Training:

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering or a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) with relevant Systems Engineering work experience.
• Preferred: Master's in degree in Systems Engineering or a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) with relevant Systems Engineering work experience.

Experience:

• A minimum of 25 years with a Bachelor's degree, or 20 years with a Master's degree.
• Proven track record of working with aerospace hardware systems, from conceptual designs and trade-offs through detailed design, development, manufacturing, integration, testing, deployment, and operations.

Knowledge, Skills, Demonstrated Capabilities:

• Experience defining and decomposing uncrewed aircraft systems requirements, along with verifying and validating requirements. (e.g., Requirements Verification and Traceability Matrices)
• Familiarity with autonomous systems and mission autonomy architectures, spanning operations from takeoff to enroute. decision-making to terminal destination landing, including launch, flight operations, mission CONOPS, and user interfaces.
• Familiarity with systems engineering software tools, including DOORS.
• Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), including SysML.
• Experience with Class II UAS platforms (Medium Altitude Long-Endurance) and autonomy systems at Level 3/4, with the ability to scale towards Level 5 automation.
• Familiarity with Airbus products, especially Helionix, with the ability to ensure maximum reuse and identify necessary modifications for UAS integration.
• Understanding of vertical lift or medium-scale UAS systems and their unique operational challenges, particularly within autonomy and platform development.
• Experience leading and/or performing analyses in areas such as affordability, safety, reliability, maintainability, testability, human systems integration, survivability, vulnerability, susceptibility, system security, regulatory compliance, certification, product assurance, or other specialty engineering disciplines.
• Communicate clearly and concisely across multiple levels
• Team-minded and ready to work in a multi-functional, multi-cultural, fast-paced, and complex technical environment
• Display a flexible attitude with strong initiative.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver results.

Travel Required:

• Periodic travel (less than 20%) to Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, Inc. facilities or partner companies.
• Occasional international travel to collaborate with European Airbus Helicopter counterparts.

Eligibility:

US Citizenship.

Clearance:

Ability to obtain and maintain a Government security clearance Active DoD security clearance at Secret or above highly desirable.

Physical Requirements:

• Vision : able to see and read computer screen and other electronic equipment with screens, able to read documents.
• Hearing : able to hear to participate in conversations in person and via teleconference or phone and to hear sounds including safety warnings or alarms.
• Equipment Operation (personal computer, telephone, copies, fax machine, and related office equipment and using electronic identification card to enter building floors and internal doors): able to operate most office and personal electronic equipment.
• Carrying : able to carry documents, electronic equipment and/or supplies up to 40lbs/9kg.
• Lifting : able to lift documents, electronic equipment and/or supplies up to 40lbs/9kg.
• Sitting : able to sit for long periods of time in meetings, working on computer.
• Squatting / Kneeling : able to occasionally squat or kneel to retrieve or replace items shelved on bottom shelves.
• Standing : able to stand for long periods of time.
• Walking : able to walk through office and outside areas including uneven surfaces.

Equal Employment Opportunity : Airbus provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetics, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status, or other legally protected status. In addition to federal law requirements, Airbus complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, demotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, benefits, and training. Airbus expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetics, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status or other legally protected status.

As a matter of policy, Airbus does not sponsor visas for US positions unless specified. Only applicants with current work authorization will be considered. Airbus does not offer tenured or guaranteed employment. Employment with Airbus is at will, meaning either the company or the employee can terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice. Airbus reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises. This position description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

By submitting your resume or application you are consenting to Airbus using and storing information about you for monitoring purposes relating to your application or future employment. This information will only be used by Airbus.
Airbus is committed to achieving workforce diversity and creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome all applications irrespective of social and cultural background, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or religious belief.
Airbus is, and always has been, committed to equal opportunities for all. As such, we will never ask for any type of monetary exchange in the frame of a recruitment process. Any impersonation of Airbus to do so should be reported to View email address on ziprecruiter.com.

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