Associate Director - Landing Systems, Project Engineering Manager (Onsite)
About The Position
The Associate Director for Military Landing Gear leads complex, multi-disciplinary engineering programs supporting the development, delivery, and sustainment of landing gear systems for military platforms. This on-site leadership role, based in our Fort Worth, Texas facility, provides day-to-day technical direction, team development, and program oversight across a group of eight direct-report engineers. The role acts as the primary engineering interface to Program Management, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and military customers, ensuring technical excellence, compliance, schedule adherence, and risk management throughout the program lifecycle.
Requirements
- Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 12 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 10 years of experience.
- 10+ years of engineering experience in aerospace, mechanical, structural, landing systems, or related fields.
- Leadership experience, including management of engineering teams or project engineers; experience supervising direct reports.
- Experience with management requirements, configuration control, verification/validation, and product lifecycle processes.
- Experience managing complex technical programs, budgets, schedules, and risks.
- Ability to obtain a Security Clearance if needed after day 1.
Nice To Haves
- Experience working with military customers, defense programs, and applicable military and aerospace standards.
- Excellent communication skills and effectiveness in a matrixed environment.
Responsibilities
- Lead engineering execution for assigned military landing gear programs, including requirements management, design activities, analysis, qualification, and certification.
- Provide direct leadership, coaching, and performance management for a team of eight engineers across multiple disciplines.
- Develop and maintain engineering schedules, budgets, staffing plans, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Coordinate across mechanical, structural, systems, materials, testing, and project engineering teams to ensure integrated, customer-aligned solutions.
- Partner with Program Management to define milestones, resolve issues, and support customer engagement activities.
- Drive technical problem solving using structured methodologies and ensure timely escalation where required.
- Support proposals, bids, ROMs, and new business initiatives for military landing gear programs.
- Foster a culture of accountability, technical rigor, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the engineering team.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Three weeks of vacation for newly hired employees
- Generous 401(k) plan that includes employer matching funds and separate employer retirement contribution, including a Lifetime Income Strategy option
- Tuition reimbursement program
- Student Loan Repayment Program
- Life insurance and disability coverage
- Optional coverages you can buy pet insurance, home and auto insurance, additional life and accident insurance, critical illness insurance, group legal, ID theft protection
- Birth, adoption, parental leave benefits
- Ovia Health, fertility, and family planning
- Adoption Assistance
- Autism Benefit
- Employee Assistance Program, including up to 10 free counseling sessions
- Healthy You Incentives, wellness rewards program
- Doctor on Demand, virtual doctor visits
- Bright Horizons, child and elder care services
- Teladoc Medical Experts, second opinion program
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
