Director, Engineering - Aerospace and Defense

Curtiss-Wright Corporation•Mississauga, ON

3d•CA$175,000 - CA$210,000•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a Director of Engineering to lead and modernize a multi-disciplinary engineering organization within a complex, engineered-to-order environment supporting defense and naval applications. This position reports to the VP / GM of the Business Unit and is a member of the Senior Leadership Team for the site. This role requires more than technical expertise. We are looking for a leader who brings strong business acumen, operational awareness, professional presence, and the ability to drive disciplined execution across engineering and cross-functional teams.

Requirements

Proven experience transforming and leading large engineering teams in complex environments
Strong systems engineering foundation with demonstrated ability to improve execution discipline
Ability to connect engineering decisions to business outcomes (cost, schedule, margin)
Decisive leader who can drive clarity, accountability, and change
Strong communication skills, including structured technical writing and executive-level communication
Bachelor’s degree in engineering (required) (EO, design, software preferred)
Professional Engineer (P.Eng) designation (required)
10+ years of progressive engineering leadership experience (required)
Proven experience leading large, multi-disciplinary engineering teams (required)
Strong business and financial acumen (budgeting, forecasting, financial levers)
Deep understanding of operations, and manufacturing environments
Systems thinking and structured problem-solving
Decisive leadership and bias for action
Strong communication and technical writing capability
Ability to manage complexity and ambiguity
High standards for accountability and execution

Nice To Haves

Experience working closely with manufacturing or operations in a defense or aerospace environment is a strong asset
MBA in operations, finance, or strategy
Defense, aerospace, or naval systems environment, military background preferred
Experience working within engineered-to-order (ETO) or complex product environments
Demonstrated experience working closely with manufacturing, Sales and operations teams
Experience/expertise in welding and associated regulations (WCB, Lloyds)

Responsibilities

Lead a team of 40–50 engineers and technologists across design and systems engineering
Drive execution across new product development and legacy product support
Establish and strengthen systems engineering practices, including requirements management and verification alignment
Align engineering outputs with manufacturing realities, cost targets, and program requirements
Partner closely with Operations, Business Development, Supply Chain, and Program Management
Improve design-for-manufacture and overall product performance
Break down silos and improve cross-functional execution
Elevate engineering communication, documentation, and technical rigor