Digital Engineering Manager

Job description

We are seeking a **Digital Engineering Manager** to serve as a key leader within Istari’s Customer Success Digital Engineering organization. This role operates under the Director of Digital Engineering and takes ownership of a portion of day-to-day execution while helping shape strategy, technical direction, and team growth. You will manage and mentor Forward Deployed Engineers building software with the Istari Platform while remaining deeply engaged in architecture, technical decision-making, and customer-facing problem solving. ### Core Responsibilities: ### **Technical & Program Leadership** - Own technical execution for a subset of Digital Engineering initiatives and programs - Contribute thought leadership around the Istari platform, its applications, and required capabilities - Help define product scope and technical approach for new digital engineering capabilities - Review designs, architectures, and implementations to ensure quality, scalability, and alignment with Istari’s platform vision - Serve as a technical escalation point for complex engineering and integration challenges ### **Team Leadership & Management** - Manage and mentor a team of Forward Deployed Engineers - Drive execution across multiple concurrent efforts, including planning, prioritization, and delivery - Provide technical coaching, design and code feedback, and career development guidance - Help scale lean, effective team processes as the organization grows ### **Cross-Functional & Customer Engagement** - Partner with cross-functional teams to translate customer needs into clear, executable technical plans - Support customer engagements requiring deep digital engineering expertise - Communicate technical tradeoffs effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders ### **Strategic Support & Direction** - Take on delegated responsibilities from the Director of Digital Engineering - Help define standards, best practices, and reusable technical patterns - Identify gaps in tooling, process, and team capabilities and propose improvements - Serve as a thought partner on the future of digital engineering at Istari—enabling engineers to “conduct the orchestra” of tools, not just play a single instrument ### Qualifications: - 7+ years of experience in engineering (aerospace, systems, mechanical, electrical, or similar) - 3+ years of experience leading or managing technical teams - Understanding of software fundamentals (APIs, data pipelines, services, integrations) - Experience working with engineering tools and ecosystems such as: - MBSE (e.g., Cameo, SysML) - CAD/PLM (e.g., CATIA, Teamcenter, similar) - Document and requirements systems - Simulations (FEA, CFD, etc) - Proven ability to balance **hands-on technical work** with **people leadership** - Excellent communication skills—able to explain complex technical concepts clearly ### **Preferred Qualifications** - Experience in aerospace, defense, or other complex engineered systems - Exposure to model extraction, automation, and digital thread concepts - Experience working in product or platform-based environments - Comfort operating in ambiguity and shaping roles, processes, and scope as the organization evolves ### Why This Role? This role is critical to scaling Istari’s Digital Engineering capability. You won’t just run a team—you’ll help define how digital engineering is practiced at Istari, enabling engineers to move faster, integrate better, and solve harder problems. You’ll have real ownership, real influence, and a direct partnership with the Director of Digital Engineering to shape the future of the organization. ### Why Istari? We've built a team of what we call Wizards -- people who bring depth in their domain and range across others, who are collaborative without being deferential, and who genuinely care about what we're building. We celebrate individual contributions, give feedback early and often, and argue about ideas so we can execute together. There's no room here for hierarchy for its own sake, or for busywork that doesn't move the mission. We are outcomes-driven, and we hold each other to a high standard — with genuine respect for each person's expertise and wellbeing. Focus is rewarded. Finish is remembered. Facts are friendly. Even when they are not fun. Fellowship is fundamental. Make others successful.