Director of Engineering, Directed Energy Systems

Director of Engineering, Directed Energy Systems page is loaded## Director of Engineering, Directed Energy Systems locations:
1300 Eubank Boulevard Southeast, Albuquerque, NMtime type:
Full time posted on:
Posted Todayjob requisition :
6996
** Worker Type
** Regular
* * Job Description
**** Summary
* * AV Directed Energy Systems is a defense technology innovator specializing in advanced high-energy laser and directed energy weapon systems for counter-UAS, force protection, and tactical engagement missions. We serve U.S. and allied military customers with high-reliability solutions that perform in mission-critical environments. Our growth requires disciplined leadership that balances technical excellence with operational maturity.

We are hiring a
** Director of Engineering
** to lead our growing multidisciplinary engineering team. This position blends strong people and organizational leadership (60%) with technical oversight and strategic input (40%), supporting complex defense programs and driving a culture of excellence. You will manage engineering staff, define and enforce policies and procedures, and ensure successful execution of Directed Energy-based product development and delivery.

*
* Key Responsibilities:

*
* ** Personnel & Organizational Leadership*
* • Lead and manage a team of 30+ engineers across systems, software, optical, mechanical, power, and control disciplines, including functional managers.

• Develop, implement, and maintain engineering policies, procedures, and standards to ensure repeatability, traceability, and compliance.

• Partner with Talent Acquisition and HR to manage staffing plans, hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, career development, and succession planning.

• Foster a culture of accountability, technical curiosity, and continuous improvement.

• Oversee resource allocation, workload balancing, and organizational structure to meet program and business needs.

• Lead internal reviews and support external audits, ensuring engineering compliance with ITAR, DoD cybersecurity, and quality standards (ISO, AS9100).

• Promote cross-functional collaboration with Program Management, Operations, and Business Development.

** Technical Oversight & Strategy*
* • Provide high-level guidance on Directed Energy system architecture, laser subsystem integration, and power/thermal management, especially during proposal and concept phases.

• Participate in technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR), design decisions, and risk assessments to ensure design integrity and alignment with requirements.

• Serve as a technical advisor for complex engineering challenges, trade studies, and roadmap planning.

• Drive adoption of formal systems engineering practices, model-based design, and design-for-manufacturing principles.

• Ensure all development activities meet program milestones, cost targets, and quality objectives.

** Required Qualifications*
* • U.S. Citizenship and active DoD Secret Security Clearance.

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline; M.S. or MBA preferred.

• 10+ years of engineering experience with at least 5 years in management roles within the defense or aerospace industry.

• Demonstrated leadership of multi-disciplinary teams developing complex hardware/software systems.

• Strong understanding of engineering lifecycle management, technical reviews, and process compliance in a defense environment.

• Ability to balance operational priorities with long-term technical vision.

** Preferred Qualifications*
* • Experience with high-energy laser systems, beam control, power electronics, thermal management, or optical subsystems.

• Familiarity with MIL-STD-810, DO-254, or similar defense compliance frameworks.

• Knowledge of engineering tools and environments such as MATLAB, Zemax, Solid Works, and Agile development methods.

• Experience working with classified development or secure program environments.
** Clearance Level
** Secret The salary range for this role is:$148,000 - $217,875

Aero Vironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience,…