Head of Research & Innovation

Airbus•Bingen, WA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The HO Research & Innovation (HOR&I) will support the CTO in managing all technical aspects of the Flexrotor Program. Working in close partnership with the CTO, the HO R&I is co-responsible for driving the program’s innovations and defining the long-term innovation roadmap. This role ensures the operational execution of R&D improvements and guarantees that both current and emerging technologies align with customer needs and company strategic goals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline or equivalent experience
Minimum of eight (8) years of experience developing and improving aerospace or aviation-related technologies or equivalent experience in school or professional environment.
Minimum of six (6) years of experience in UAS, autonomous flight or aviation/aerospace systems in educational or equivalent experience in school or professional environment.
Demonstrated problem-solving skills
Good understanding of design principles
Demonstrated ability to conceptualize, develop, and design structures, mechanisms, and systems in accordance with customer requirements and applicable aerospace/aviation standards
Experience working with other developers and engineers to ensure smooth deployment and continuous operation in an educational or professional environment.
US Person under ITAR definition (U.S. Citizen, green card holder or person covered under our existing ITAR license)
Ownership, accountability, and attention to detail in all work efforts.
Must understand principles of Airbus knowledge transfer process and ensure compliance to process.
Professionalism, and judgment; ability to excel with minimum supervision.
Ability to communicate effectively in verbal and written form in English
Active listening skills, respecting others’ point of view and taking ownership of contributing the required input while demonstrating strong communication skills (written, interpersonal, and presentational).
Demonstrated ability to influence and consult (providing options with pros, cons, and risks) while helping in solving business processes and/or technical problems.
Demonstrated interpersonal skills, customer-centric attitude, and ability to embrace cultural diversity.
Proven team leader, team player and dedication to being a team player.
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems supporting engineering development and configuration control
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and digital engineering environments used for aerospace system development (e.g., CATIA, Siemens NX, SolidWorks)
Systems engineering and requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS, Jama, or equivalent
Engineering collaboration and project tracking tools (e.g., JIRA, Confluence or equivalent)
Data analysis and engineering documentation tools
Engineering simulation and analysis environments supporting concept validation and prototyping

Nice To Haves

Master’s or Doctoral degree in STEM discipline
Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools (e.g., Cameo/MagicDraw, SysML modeling environments)
Autonomous systems development environments and simulation frameworks for UAS applications
Innovation management or technology roadmap planning tools
Patent search and intellectual property documentation systems

Responsibilities

Strategic Roadmap: Collaborate with the CTO to define, maintain, and execute the Flexrotor innovation roadmap, ensuring it remains competitive and technologically advanced.
Technology Scouting: Identify emerging trends in UAS and autonomous systems to integrate into the innovation pipeline.
Prototyping & R&D: Oversee the transition of innovative concepts from the research phase to practical application within the Flexrotor platform.
IP Support: Assist in identifying patentable innovations and protecting the company’s intellectual property.
Operational Oversight: Support the CTO in ensuring technical excellence across the program scope, aligning engineering outputs with customer expectations and business interests.
Gate Reviews & Life Cycle: Lead and participate in program gate reviews; manage the technical execution of projects to ensure rigorous design, analysis, and testing protocols are met.
Quality & Manufacturability: Review designs specifically for cost-efficiency, manufacturability, and quality assurance compliance.
Engineering Leadership: Provide direct guidance and mentorship to engineering staff to foster an innovation-centric culture.
Standards Advocacy: Implement and refine company engineering design standards.
Risk Management: Support proposal development by ensuring technical compliance and identifying risks in new technology integration.
Participate in facilitation of technology and skills knowledge transfer