Program Chief Engineer

Firehawk Aerospace is a propulsion-focused aerospace and defense company based in Addison, TX. We design, develop, and manufacture advanced solid and hybrid rocket motors and propulsion systems for emerging commercial and national security missions. Our team is focused on advancing propulsion technology from concept through test, qualification, and production.

This is a full-time, onsite position based in Addison, TX, with occasional travel to Firehawk facilities, supplier locations, and test sites as needed (approximately 10%).

Role Summary

Firehawk Aerospace is seeking a Program Chief Engineer to provide technical leadership and cross-functional execution for the development of next-generation solid and hybrid propulsion systems. This role serves as a key technical integrator across research, design, analysis, manufacturing, test, quality, and production teams to ensure achievement of technical, cost, schedule, and risk objectives.

Reporting directly to Firehawk’s Chief Engineer, this individual will function as a technical deputy across Design, Development, Test, Manufacturing, and Production, helping drive technical decisions, integration, and execution across the full product lifecycle. The role will partner closely with Program Management and functional leadership to communicate program status, resolve technical issues, maintain alignment to internal and customer commitments, and support successful product maturation from concept through production.

The ideal candidate brings broad hardware development experience in aerospace or defense and a demonstrated track record leading Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), subsystem teams, or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multidisciplinary team in the design, development, integration, test, and maturation of advanced solid and hybrid rocket propulsion systems
• Own integrated planning and day-to-day execution across requirements, design, analysis, prototyping, system integration, test, manufacturing readiness, and transition to production
• Drive program execution against technical performance, cost, schedule, and risk objectives
• Serve as a primary technical focal point between Chief Engineering, Program Management, and functional teams to drive issue resolution and execution alignment
• Develop and maintain integrated execution plans, schedules, risk/opportunity registers, and performance metrics
• Support program planning disciplines including Earned Value Management, baseline management, and change control as applicable
• Lead cross-functional coordination across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Test Operations, Safety, and Program Management
• Lead technical status reviews and provide actionable updates on performance, risks, opportunities, and mitigation plans
• Support and drive project decisions by balancing technical merit, safety, producibility, cost, schedule, and mission success
• Ensure readiness and closure of entry/exit criteria for major technical and program reviews, including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and FRR
• Apply systems engineering rigor across requirements decomposition and traceability, interface definition/control, verification/validation planning, and configuration-managed technical baselines
• Help maintain the technical baseline and ensure design, analysis, test, and change activity remain aligned across the development lifecycle

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
• 8+ years of engineering experience, including significant hardware development experience in aerospace, defense, propulsion, flight systems, or other complex high-consequence products
• Demonstrated success leading technical execution, integrated planning, and cross-functional coordination in a fast-paced R&D or product development environment
• Strong technical foundation in one or more of the following areas: mechanical design, structural analysis, thermal analysis, internal ballistics/SRM performance, combustion/CFD, systems integration, or test engineering
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in a matrixed organization
• Strong written and verbal communication skills,…