Customer Engineer

About the Role AeroTEC is looking for a Customer Engineer who thrives at the intersection of technical depth and customer partnership. This is not a traditional sales role; it is a solutions architecture role with a customer‑facing mandate. You will shape proposals from the inside out, coordinate SMEs across specialties, and build the technical foundation that gets programs to award. You bring a real engineering background, ideally with hands‑on experience in aerospace product development, and the interpersonal instincts to make customers feel heard, understood, and confident. You are energized by complex problems, comfortable working across organizational boundaries, and genuinely enjoy the human side of the work. What You’ll Do Proposal Development & Solution Architecture Own the development of internal Statements of Work (iSOW), defining the technical scope, solution architecture, and delivery approach for each proposal. Support proposal efforts from RFP receipt through submission, coordinating across sales, engineering, operations, and leadership to build credible, competitive responses. Pull in the right SMEs from structures, systems, avionics, propulsion, flight test, manufacturing, and certification, and synthesize their input into a cohesive solution. Develop and manage Basis of Estimates (BOEs), supporting resource planning and labor hour builds with appropriate rigor. Ensure proposed solutions are technically sound, schedulable, and margin‑healthy before they go out the door. Customer Engagement & Business Development Build and maintain strong relationships with customer engineering, program, and procurement stakeholders across OEM, defense, and advanced air mobility accounts. Support AeroTEC’s BD pipeline by qualifying opportunities, shaping requirements early, and positioning our capabilities ahead of RFP release. Translate customer program needs, such as certification strategy, test planning, and regulatory pathways, into clear scopes and winning value propositions. Represent AeroTEC at customer meetings, site visits, and industry events with technical credibility and genuine relationship‑building instincts. Support contract negotiations and ensure smooth handoff of awarded programs to execution teams. Qualifications Education Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, or related engineering discipline required. MBA or equivalent business training is a plus, not a prerequisite. Experience 10+ years of experience in aerospace engineering, with direct exposure to the full product development lifecycle from early design through certification and entry into service. Working knowledge of FAA certification frameworks, including Part 23 and/or Part 25, STC processes, and applicable airworthiness standards (DO-178, DO-254, ARP4761, or similar). Familiarity with how aircraft development programs are structured, staffed, and estimated; possess enough to build credible BOEs and resource plans. Experience across multiple engineering disciplines is a plus; you do not need to be a deep specialist in all of them, but you need to know how they interact. Interpersonal & Professional Skills Naturally outgoing and relationship‑oriented; you build trust quickly and maintain it over time. Strong communicator across technical and non‑technical audiences; equally comfortable at an engineering whiteboard and in an executive briefing. Collaborative and low‑ego: you know how to pull a team together around a proposal without needing to own every answer. Willingness to challenge technical approach while embodying collaboration. Organized and self‑directed; you are capable of running multiple proposal efforts simultaneously in a fast‑moving environment. Curious and adaptable; energized by new program types, emerging regulations, and customers who bring hard problems. Bonus Points Experience with eVTOL, UAM, or other advanced air mobility programs. Exposure to DER/DAR networks or designated engineering representative processes. Prior experience at an aerospace engineering services firm, Tier 1 supplier, or certification consultancy. Physical Requirements Regularly required to talk and/or hear; frequently required to sit, stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. Must have the ability to sit for long periods of time. Occasionally required to climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Travel 25% (flying and driving) to various international and domestic worksites may be required. Personal vehicle required for errands. State driver’s license and clean driving record required. Compliance This position must meet export control compliance requirements. To meet export control compliance requirements, a “U.S. Person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. §120.15 is required. “U.S. Person” includes U.S. Citizen, Lawful Permanent Resident, Refugee, or Asylee. Benefits Unlimited Time‑Off for salaried employees. Employer paid premiums for health coverage (PPO/HDHP plans) and dental. $40,000 Life Insurance Policy. Access to Employee Assistance and Health Advocate Program. 401(k) and employer match. Vision, additional life insurance options, critical illness, accident, hospital indemnity, cell phone cost reimbursement, pet insurance. Id Watchdog, Legal Shield, and Perk Spot discounts. Education reimbursement up to $5,250 per year. Quarterly bonus schemes for salaried employees, manager’s bonuses for management roles, and SIP for sales positions. Positions may or may not qualify for sign‑on bonus or relocation assistance. AeroTEC Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. This Job Description is not intended to describe, in detail, the multitude of tasks that may be assigned but rather to give the employee a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of his/her position. As the nature of business demands change, so may the essential functions of this position. #J-18808-Ljbffr