Chief Engineer, Aerospace Structures and Hardware

Job description

Albers Aerospace is seeking a highly experienced Chief Engineer – Aerospace Structures & Hardware to provide technical leadership across complex aerospace and defense programs spanning development, production readiness, low-rate production, and full-rate manufacturing. This role serves as the senior technical authority responsible for ensuring products are technically sound, manufacturable, producible, and scalable while meeting customer, schedule, cost, and quality objectives. The Chief Engineer will work closely with customers, program leadership, engineering teams, suppliers, manufacturing operations, and quality organizations to bridge the gap between design intent and successful production execution. While the prime customer retains design authority, this position plays a critical role in evaluating technical requirements, assessing manufacturing feasibility, mitigating production risks, and driving continuous improvement throughout the product lifecycle. The ideal candidate combines deep aerospace hardware expertise with practical manufacturing experience and the ability to lead cross-functional teams in fast-paced, mission-critical environments. Essential Job Functions: Serve as the senior technical leader for aerospace structures, mechanical systems, and complex hardware programs from development through production. Provide technical direction and decision-making across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and program management functions. Ensure alignment between customer requirements, technical baselines, manufacturing capabilities, and business objectives. Act as the primary engineering liaison between customers, suppliers, manufacturing operations, and program teams. Lead technical reviews, design assessments, production readiness evaluations, and engineering risk reviews. Lead Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), producibility, and production readiness initiatives. Evaluate technical data packages, engineering drawings, specifications, and manufacturing plans to identify risks, gaps, and opportunities for improvement. Develop strategies to improve production efficiency, reduce cycle time, increase yield, and enhance product quality. Support transition from development and prototype builds into repeatable production environments. Lead First Article Inspection (FAI), Production Readiness Reviews (PRR), and qualification planning activities. Assess supplier capabilities, manufacturing processes, and technical readiness to support program requirements. Lead make-versus-buy analyses based on technical capability, cost, schedule, capacity, and risk considerations. Support supplier selection, qualification, transition, and second-source manufacturing initiatives. Collaborate with suppliers and internal manufacturing teams to resolve technical issues and improve production performance. Drive successful industrialization and scaling of products across internal and external manufacturing sources. Identify technical, manufacturing, and supply chain risks and develop mitigation strategies. Drive recurring cost reduction initiatives through process improvements, alternative sourcing strategies, value engineering, and manufacturing optimization. Support proposal development, cost estimating, technical planning, and business case evaluations. Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions related to production, quality, and technical performance issues. Establish and promote engineering best practices, standard work, and lessons learned across programs. Serve as a trusted technical advisor to customers, program leadership, and executive management. Lead customer technical interchange meetings, production reviews, and manufacturing readiness discussions. Support contract pursuits, proposal activities, technical volumes, and customer presentations. Partner with Program Management to ensure technical execution supports program cost, schedule, and performance objectives. Provide executive-level updates on technical risks, production challenges, and mitigation plans. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline. 12+ years of progressive engineering experience within aerospace, defense, aviation, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments. Demonstrated experience leading complex aerospace hardware, structures, mechanical assemblies, or aircraft-related systems from development through production. Strong background in manufacturing engineering, producibility, industrialization, and production readiness activities. Experience evaluating and interpreting engineering drawings, technical data packages, specifications, and manufacturing requirements. Experience supporting supplier management, supplier qualification, second-source production, or production transfer activities. Knowledge of aerospace manufacturing processes including machining, fabrication, assembly, integration, and inspection. Experience supporting build-to-print manufacturing, engineering development programs, production ramp-up efforts, or production restart initiatives. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and technical decision-making skills. Ability to influence cross-functional teams and communicate effectively with customers, suppliers, and executive leadership. Must be a U.S. Citizen. Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of Defense security clearance. Preferred Qualifications Master's degree in Engineering, Systems Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field. Experience supporting military aircraft, airborne mission systems, weapons integration, aircraft modifications, or aerospace structures. Working knowledge of AS9100, First Article Inspection (AS9102), Configuration Management, MRB processes, Engineering Change Management, and Production Readiness Reviews. Experience with complex machined structures, aerospace assemblies, composites, electromechanical systems, harness integration, or mission equipment packaging. Familiarity with environmental qualification requirements including vibration, thermal, shock, EMI/EMC, and environmental testing. Experience leading Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) and cross-functional technical organizations. Prior experience serving as a Chief Engineer, Engineering Director, Technical Director, Lead Systems Engineer, IPT Lead, Program Engineer, or Technical Program Manager. Active Secret or Top Secret security clearance. Note: The duties and responsibilities described on this document are not necessarily a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the teammate from time to time; and the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands. Reasonable Accommodations To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Albers Aerospace is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate. All employment decisions are based upon qualifications, merit, and business need. Our core competencies include systems engineering, program management, logistics, production support, aircraft maintenance, and aviation/aerospace services. We were founded in 2015 and since our establishment, we have been attracting the best talent in our fields of interest enabling us to provide cutting-edge solutions and support to our warfighters. We understand and provide expert consultation on weapons systems acquisition programs, maintenance/modernization programs, and sustainment programs. We know defense and we know aircraft systems.