Sr. Manager of Engineering

Loft Federal is committed to delivering theU.S. national security space communityafast, affordable, and streamlinedpathway to orbit. As awholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Loft Orbital Solutions, Inc., we specialize in providing mission-ready space infrastructure with unmatched efficiency.

At Loft, we empower our team with autonomy, ownership, and bold problem-solving opportunitieswhile fostering atight-knit, supportive environment. We believe that diversity, inclusivity, and communityare the foundation of an open and innovative culture. We valuekind, collaborative, and mission-driven teammates who excel inproblem-solving and communication—because great solutions come from great teams.

Are you ready to embark on this exciting journey with us?

As the Senior Manager of Engineering, you will be the cornerstone of our engineering organization’s growth and execution. Youwon'tjust oversee projects—you will build the teams that deliver them. Your primary focus will be on functional employee management, driving our hiring strategy, and leading programmatic staffing to ensure our engineering teams are optimally resourced to meet aggressive mission milestones.

If you are passionate about mentoring engineers, scaling high-performing teams, and aligning technical talent with complex programmatic needs in the aerospace sector, this is the role for you.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership & Functional Management

• Own the functional management and strategic direction for a cross-functional engineering team spanning systems, mechanical, electrical, andRFengineering.
• Provide ongoing mentorship, career development, and performance management.
• Coach engineers and technical leads, helping them gain the skills needed to architect complex systems, mentor junior staff, and lead through the entireprogramdevelopment lifecycle from requirements definition to integration and test.
• Define goals within team meetings to ensure your teams are executing on short-term deliverables week-over-week while providing them the vision for the future.

Hiring & Team Growth

• Partner closely with talent acquisition and executive leadership to definetheengineeringhiring roadmap for the next6-12+ months.
• Write and refine job descriptions, design effective technical interview panels, and directlyparticipatein the interviewing and closing of top-tier engineering talent.
• Build a robust pipeline of aerospace and engineering professionals, championingdiversityand inclusion within our engineering ranks.

Programmatic Staffing & Resource Allocation

• Collaborate with Program Managers and technical leads to dynamicallyallocateengineering resources across multiple concurrent projects toattainbusiness goals consistent with cost, high quality, and reliability.
• Identify critical skills gaps within the organization and strategically deploy personnel to mitigate programmatic risks.
• Balance the immediate tactical needs of aerospace programs with the long-term career growth and functional development of individual engineers.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 10years of professional engineering experience, with at least 3+ years in a direct engineering management or leadership role, preferably within the aerospace, defense, or hardware-tech startup industries.
• Strong understanding of complex systems integration, hardware/software development life cycles, and performance analysis
• Exceptional cross-functional communication skills, with the ability to bridge the gap between technical engineering teams, program management, and executive leadership.
• A proven track recordof scaling engineering teams, including sourcing, interviewing, and closing competitive technical candidates.
• Demonstrated experience in matrixed organizations or programmatic environments where dynamic resource allocation and capacity planning were critical.
• High emotional intelligence (EQ) with a servant-leadership mindset; you care deeply about your team’s well-being and career progression.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience supporting SCI and SAP level programs
• Familiarity with non-traditional acquisition and rapid capability insertion models
• Product or mission integration experience
• Demonstrated discretion and sound judgment in sensitive…