Engineering Digital Transformation Chief Engineer

AeroVironment • Simi Valley, CA

6h

About The Position

The Chief Engineer, Digital Transformation is the overall technical authority for the Engineering Digital Transformation project. The Chief Engineer is accountable for all technical aspects of the EDT project and leads a team of AV engineers and contractors to ideate, conceptualize, develop, launch, and sustain products, processes and infrastructure aspects of the EDT. The Chief Engineer works with AV internal stakeholders and third-party solution providers to develop concepts of operations which feed into the EDT plan to meet business objectives. They will chair the technical review boards and drive all technical requirements of the EDT project.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required in a Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, or Systems Engineering discipline or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Experience with Engineering infrastructure products, processes and tools
• Minimum of 15 years of demonstrated experience in aerospace product design and sustainment
• Experience with leading large technical teams through the product lifecycle
• Experience in an Agile and Waterfall development environment
• Excellent verbal, presentation, and written communication skills
• Experience with integrating new capabilities onto platforms, requiring flow-down of requirements to lower-level systems
• Experience project planning in terms of schedule, budget, and resource estimations
• Exceptional leadership and management skills, with the ability to develop and communicate a vision that inspires and motivates staff and aligns with the business strategy
• Ability to build strong relationships within all disciplines within organization
• Effective influencing and negotiation skills in an environment in which resources may not be under your direct control
• Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives
• Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products
• Experience leading a multi-disciplinary team in an engineering environment
• Project Management Experience
• Experienced and proficient with MS Office applications and other office productivity tools
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company
• Has effective problem-solving, analytical, interpersonal and communication skills
• Team Player - Focuses on teamwork, collaboration and puts the success of the team above one's own interests
• Inspires, motivates, and empowers people to deliver organizational goals, while also delivering value back to employees
• U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) or asylee/refugee status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) required.
• Must be able to travel within the Continental U.S. and internationally when required.

Nice To Haves

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent analytical, time management and organizational skills.
• Strong computer skills and proficiency with office software and productivity tools.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Works well with little or no supervision and exercises independent judgement on a regular basis.
• Strong ability to gain cooperation of others, conducting presentations of complex technical information concerning specific projects or schedules.
• Education and/or experience gained in Engineering Digital Environment and Digital Thread
• Advanced degree, MBA or MS in a related Digital Environment and Digital Thread

Responsibilities

• Serves as the Engineering Authority, providing technical guidance and leadership throughout the project lifecycle to ensure alignment with project objectives.
• Assesses the technical feasibility of the project during the planning phase and provide recommendations to management to address potential risks or challenges.
• Interfaces directly with the vendor's technical team and AV’s technical teams to ensure the completion and testing of all technical deliverables.
• Leads and coordinates teams in resolving deeply technical issues related to engineering infrastructure, including processes and tools.
• Oversees the design, development, and implementation of new engineering processes and tools to enhance project outcomes.
• Ensures thorough testing and validation of technical components to meet quality standards prior to go-live.
• Assists in the development and delivery of training programs to support the adoption and effective use of new processes and tools during and after go-live.
• Collaborates with the EDT Program Manager (EDT_PM) to monitor and execute the project scope, cost, and schedule.
• Identifies, analyzes, and mitigates technical risks to ensure project success and minimize disruptions.
• Provides ongoing support and recommendations for process enhancements and tool improvements to drive long-term project sustainability and efficiency.
• Represents and communicates the technical aspects of EDT to internal and external stakeholders
• Chairs the technical review board and is the final authority for product documentation and engineering change requests/orders
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees