Chief Engineer Weapons Integration

MSI Defense Solutions•Mooresville, NC

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Chief Engineer – Weapons Integration (WI) serves as MSI's senior technical authority for system architecture, weapons integration, and program-specific engineering design across all current and future weapons integration efforts. This is MSI's most critical technical leadership position. The Chief Engineer - WI defines and governs the technical approach across weapons programs, with direct responsibility for weapon system architecture, effector and sensor integration, fire control interfaces, gimbal and EO-IR systems, and mission capability development. This role carries the technical credibility of MSI in front of government program offices, prime partners, and international customers. This is a hands-on engineering leadership role, not an advisory or oversight position. The Chief Engineer - WI is expected to be on the shop floor reviewing hardware, in the lab validating integration approaches, and at the workstation reviewing designs - not just directing from a conference room. MSI does not employ consultants in leadership roles. Leaders at MSI build, solve, and deliver alongside their teams. The Chief Engineer – Weapons Integration works in close coordination with the Director of Engineering Operations and the Lead Suspension and Mobility Engineer, with all three roles operating as peers with distinct areas of ownership. The Chief Engineer Weapons Integration is responsible for architecture, integration design, and technical authority over weapons programs; the Director of Engineering Operations owns engineering process execution, configuration management, test infrastructure, sustaining engineering, and manufacturing engineering support; and the Lead Suspension and Mobility Engineer oversees all mobility and suspension programs. Shared resource requests across these functions are arbitrated by the Vice President of Engineering. The roles are expected to sync weekly on cross-cutting priorities, and none has authority over the others' direct reports. The Chief Engineer – WI also works in close partnership with the VP/GM Air Defense Programs, who owns program execution, customer relationships, and fielding. The Chief Engineer-WI provides technical authority; the VP/GM owns schedule, cost, and delivery. Together, they represent MSI's ability to execute weapons integration programs from design through fielding. This position reports to the Vice President of Engineering. The position requires a full-time work week spent in the shop and office. Normal hours are Monday through Thursday 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM and Friday 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Travel will be required for customer engagements, technical interchanges, test events, and program reviews. Most time will be spent at the main office in Mooresville, NC.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Engineering (required); advanced degree preferred.
10+ years of progressively responsible experience in engineering with demonstrated leadership in weapons systems, integration, or complex defense system design.
Deep expertise in weapons system architecture, effector and sensor integration, and complex system design and trade studies.
Demonstrated experience serving as a technical authority or lead engineer on complex defense programs.
Strong understanding of defense acquisition processes, integration challenges, and operational mission requirements.
Ability to represent MSI's technical credibility in front of government program offices.
Hands-on engineering leader who leads from the front. Must be willing and able to personally review hardware on the shop floor, troubleshoot integration issues at the bench, and work technical problems directly - not solely through delegation or process. MSI does not employ engineering executives who operate as consultants.
Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical architecture into strategic narratives for senior military, government, and industry audiences.
Proficiency with engineering tools including Creo, Microsoft Office, and standard engineering data management systems.
Must be a US Citizen and able to obtain a Security Clearance.

Nice To Haves

Experience with gimbal systems, EO-IR sensors, embedded motion control, or stabilized platform design strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the technical authority across all weapons integration programs.
Define and govern system-level architecture, including: Weapons system design frameworks and integration strategies, Effector, sensor, gimbal, and EO-IR integration, Fire control interfaces, data flows, and system performance requirements, Embedded controls and motion system architecture
Establish engineering design standards, best practices, and technical review processes for weapons programs.
Lead design reviews (PDR, CDR), trade studies, and technical decision-making across programs.
Own the system-of-systems view across MSI's weapons integration portfolio and ensure architectural coherence across platforms.
Provide hands-on technical leadership for weapons integration programs. This means personally reviewing designs, working integration problems at the bench level, validating test results, and being present on the shop floor during critical builds - not delegating technical decisions through layers of process. Ensure: Designs meet customer requirements, mission objectives, and DoD acquisition standards, Technical risks are identified, mitigated, and communicated early., Solutions are scalable, manufacturable, and supportable across both U.S. and international configurations.
Partner with Program Management and the VP/GM Air Defense Programs to ensure alignment between technical execution, cost targets, and schedule constraints.
Represent MSI's technical credibility in Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs), source selection discussions, and government program reviews.
Collaborate with the VP/GM Air Defense Programs and Business Development to: Develop credible and competitive technical solutions for proposals and capture efforts, Support customer engagements, briefings, and technical discussions with government program offices, PEOs, and international customers, Shape requirements and influence acquisition strategies in MSI's favor
Contribute to technical volumes, Basis of Estimate (BOE) development, concept development, and solution shaping.
Represent MSI at industry conferences, technical symposia, and government forums as a subject matter expert in weapons integration and counter-UAS systems.
Work across Engineering, Production, Operations, and Supply Chain to ensure: Designs are producible and aligned with manufacturing capabilities, Materials, components, and subsystems meet integration requirements
Coordinate with the Director of Engineering Operations on design-to-production handoffs, test resource sharing, and engineering process alignment.
Provide technical guidance to ensure successful transition from development to production and fielding.
Establish and enforce high standards for weapons program engineering, including: Design quality and technical rigor, Documentation completeness and accuracy, Verification and validation planning and execution
Drive continuous improvement in engineering methodologies, tools, and integration processes.
Ensure all technical outputs support Program of Record readiness and can withstand government technical review.
Directly lead and mentor the weapons integration engineering team, including weapons integration engineers, systems integration and test engineers, and dedicated mechanical designers. Mentorship at MSI means working alongside the team, not reviewing their work from a distance.
Develop the next generation of technical leadership within MSI's engineering department.
Serve as a thought leader and subject matter expert in weapons integration, counter-UAS systems, and modular air defense architectures.

Benefits

401(k) with employer match
Dental Insurance
Disability Insurance
Health Insurance
Vision Insurance
Paid Parental and Maternity Leave
Life Insurance
Paid Time Off – 120 hours per year to start (prorated in first year of employment)
Continuing Education
Annual Year End Paid Holiday Closure