Director of Engineering - SRM Start-Up (Arlington, VA)

Korn Ferry has partnered with our client on their search for the role, Director of Engineering - SRM Start-Up (Arlington, VA).

Avio USA is a brand-new greenfield start-up subsidiary of international aerospace company Avio (Rome, Italy). Avio USA is headquartered in Arlington, VA (Washington, DC) and is in the process of opening a new manufacturing facility from scratch in Hurt, VA (between Danville & Lynchburg). The CEO of Avio USA is retired US Navy Vice Admiral James "Jim" Syring, former Director of the US Missile Defense Agency . The new facility will support the U.S. Department of War’s effort to ramp up missile production for the Mk 104 program, the U.S. Navy dual-thrust SRM – Solid Rocket Motor. Raytheon and Avio USA have executed a purchase order of $26 million for continued engineering work. The Mk 104 works in tandem with the Mk 72 first-stage booster and other advanced throttling systems (like TDACS) to deliver extended range and precision targeting. News | RTX's Raytheon and Avio USA expand collaboration to accelerate Mk 104 rocket motor production | RTX

Avio will invest $500 million to establish an 860,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Hurt, VA. The new facility will produce Solid Rocket Motors for defense, tactile propulsion, missile systems, and the commercial space sectors. Governor announces Avio USA to bring jobs to Hurt • City of Danville .

The parent company Avio S.p.A. is headquartered in Rome, Italy (Colleferro) and is engaged in the manufacturing and development of space launchers and solid, liquid and cryogenic propulsion systems, payload adapters, and military tactical missiles . They are a Solid Rocket Motor subcontractor for the design and manufacturing of several European tactical missile programs. Avio is the prime contractor and operator of the Vega launcher, and a sub-contractor of the Ariane launcher. Avio is listed on the Italian Stock Exchange and is experiencing dramatic growth with a 23% increase in revenue in 2025 to EUR 542 Million. They have 7 primary locations in 3 countries, including Italy (Rome, Rivalta di Torino, Airola), France (Paris), USA (Arlington, VA & Hurt, VA) and French Guiana (Kourou).

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Avio USA is building a subsidiary from scratch in the USA and is seeking a Director of Engineering as employee #2 and reporting directly to the CEO, that will be excited about being very hands-on and building something from the ground-up. This Director of Engineering will partner closely with the CEO of Avio USA, will spearhead the partnership with RTX (Raytheon) and lead the greenfield development of our state-of-the-art U.S. Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) production facility in Hurt, VA. The land has been selected and purchased. Position will begin working remotely, and/or traveling often to HQ in Arlington, VA to partner with CEO, and then will need to relocate to Hurt, VA within 1-2 years to help guide the construction of the new facility. They will also need to hire 5 new SRM Engineers within 6 months.

This is a "builder" role. You will bridge the gap between world-class European engineering and U.S. defense manufacturing, overseeing the qualification and mass production of the Mk 104 dual-thrust rocket motor .

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES :

• Greenfield Facility Leadership: Architect and oversee the construction, layout, and commissioning of a new U.S.-based SRM manufacturing plant from the ground up. Ensure the facility meets all AS9100 and defense-grade safety/security standards.
• Partnership Management: Must work closely with CEO and serve as one of the primary technical points of contact for RTX (Raytheon). Navigate the $26M+ contract requirements, ensuring all milestones - from Critical Design Review (CDR) to qualification—are met on time and within spec. This will include partnering with third party outsourced SRM Manufacturers and Boston Consulting leaders to continue to complete and WIN bids at all phases of the MK 104 project.
• Production Scaling: Transition the Mk 104 from design and engineering into high-rate manufacturing. Implement advanced automated processes for propellant mixing, casting, and motor integration.
• Team Building & Leading: Recruit, HIRE, mentor, and lead a multi-disciplinary engineering team (Chemical, Mechanical, Aerospace, and Quality) dedicated to SRM production. Will be expected to hire 5 SRM Engineers within 3-4 months.
• Regulatory & Security Compliance: Ensure all operations comply with ITAR, EAR, and DoD security protocols (e.g., CMMC). Oversee the hazardous material handling and safety protocols inherent to solid propellant manufacturing.
• Strategic Sourcing: Collaborate with supply chain teams to secure long-lead materials and build a resilient domestic supplier base for SRM components.

REQUIREMENTS

• Must have Technical Degree and 15+ years in related aerospace/defense engineering, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role specifically focused on manufacturing Solid Rocket Motors (SRM) and be familiar with the Mk 104 program.
• Must have proven track record of taking a complex SRM propulsion system through the full lifecycle - from end-to-end , from qualification to large-scale production. Should also be comfortable assisting the CEO with putting together bids for new contracts and phases.
• Should have Greenfield experience having set up or greatly overhauled a new manufacturing line (or facility) from scratch, including equipment selection (planetary mixers, X-ray inspection, winding machines, etc.), and hiring SRM Engineers.
• TRAVEL & RELOCATION :
• 1st YEAR : Must be willing to travel regularly to Arlington, VA to partner with CEO. This will include overnight stays for 2-3 days at a time. in the beginning it will be very frequent until a partnership is formed, and then one week a month. The ideal candidate will live near Arlington and can be onsite even more.
• 2nd YEAR : Must be willing to relocate to Hurt , VA area within 1-2 years to help get the new manufacturing facility up and running and staffed. Hurt is located 30 miles south of Lynchburg, VA (pop. 80k), and 40 miles north of Danville, VA (pop. 40k). The new hire will also need to regularly travel to Arlington, VA (3.5 hours from Hurt, VA). Might also visit the parent company HQ in Rome, Italy .
• Must have GREAT communication skills with exceptional ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships, particularly between international parent companies and U.S. defense primes like Raytheon.
• The positions will focus on design, analysis ( FEA/thermal ), and testing of propulsion hardware (nozzles, structures, propellant systems) and will require structural or thermal experience within a defense program.
• Must be US Citizen with ability to obtain a U.S. Secret Security Clearance for ITAR restrictions.
• Ideal candidate will have experience with several (not all) of these key technical skills, including SRM – Solid Rocket Motor Propulsion, ANSYS mechanical (or Abaqus ), FEA (Finite Element Analysis) for Nozzle / Propellant / Grain / Thermal / High Temp / High Pressure / SolidWorks or Siemens NX, Testing (static fire, ground test), and Structural and Thermal analysis.
• Must be strong in FEA/CFD simulation software ANSYS and understand thermodynamics and fluid mechanics .
• Must have hands-on experience with Propellant Chemistry or energetic material handling.
• Must have knowledge of Composite Pressure Vessel ( COPV ) design and filament winding .
• Should be familiar with Insensitive Munitions ( IM ) protocols.
• Should have some experience in several other domains, including Structural Components , SRM Performance, Structure Dynamics , Extreme Temperature Components, Materials and Process, Supply Chain / Procurement, and Quality Assurance.
• AVIO USA HQ address : 1550 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA, 22202