The Chief Engineer, Systems provides technical leadership and oversight for engineering activities on assigned programs, ensuring technical integrity, systems integration, and delivery of compliant solutions. The Chief Engineer, Systems serves as the primary technical authority for a program and is the interface between engineering, program management, and the customer. In this role, you will oversee a portfolio of engineering projects and work with a talented group of engineers to drive those projects to completion. This role will operate as part of the design and development team and will report directly to the MUAS Business Unit Chief Engineer.

Position Responsibilities

Technical Leadership:

• Establish and maintain overall system architecture, ensuring alignment with customer requirements and program constraints
• Lead technical decision-making across all engineering disciplines (mechanical, electrical, software, systems)
• Lead engineering review boards (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) and technical risk review meetings
• Resolve cross-functional technical issues and trade-offs
• Mentor and develop engineering team members across disciplines

Systems Engineering & Integration

• Oversee requirements flow-down, allocation, and traceability from system to subsystem level
• Ensure proper interface control between subsystems and with external systems
• Direct system integration activities and resolve integration issues
• Maintain technical baseline and configuration control
• Lead technical interchange meetings (TIMs) with customer and subcontractors

Technical Planning & Execution

• Support development of integrated master schedule for engineering deliverables
• Identify technical risks and develop mitigation strategies
• Allocate technical resources and guide work prioritization
• Ensure engineering work packages are properly scoped, estimated, and tracked
• Drive make/buy decisions and technical evaluation of suppliers

Verification & Validation

• Establish verification and validation approach for system and subsystem requirements
• Oversee development of test plans, procedures, and acceptance criteria
• Review test results and approve closure of verification activities
• Support qualification testing, flight testing, and operational demonstrations
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action for technical issues

Customer & Stakeholder Interface

• Serve as primary technical point of contact with customer engineering team
• Present technical approach, status, and risk at program reviews
• Support proposal development with technical solutions and cost estimates
• Negotiate technical requirements and acceptance criteria with customer
• Coordinate with subcontractor chief engineers on integrated solutions

Standards & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with applicable military standards (MIL-STDs), industry standards, and contractual requirements
• Drive best practices in systems engineering processes (EIA-632, ISO 15288, etc.)
• Maintain technical quality and engineering rigor across all deliverables
• Ensure proper documentation per contract data requirements list (CDRL)

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelors Degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) field.
• 15 years of experience in an engineering design or development environment
• 3 years of project management experience. (PMP or CAPM certification a plus.)
• Experience with integrating new capabilities onto platforms, requiring flow-down of requirements to lower-level systems.
• Experience project planning in terms of schedule, budget, and resource estimations.

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Master’s Degree in a Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, or Systems Engineering discipline (or equivalent)
• Direct experience with design or development in the Aerospace or Defense industries (UAVs or Military aviation preferred)

Clearance Level

 

The salary range for this role is:

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement:

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits:  AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown.  For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit:  http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

Principals only need apply.  NO agencies please.

About AV:

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.

We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.

If youre ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR

U.S. Citizenship required. Must be willing to work on government contracts and have the ability to obtain a security clearance.