Technical Director / Chief Engineer

Knowhirematch•West Springfield, MA

36d•$175,000 - $260,000

About The Position

As the Technical Director and Business Unit Chief Engineer, you will be the primary technical authority for a multi-million dollar maritime portfolio. You will lead an elite, 100-person cross-functional engineering team through the full lifecycle of undersea imaging technology—from advanced R&D and proposal to low-rate production and global deployment. You will act as the strategic partner to the General Manager, ensuring that technical innovation aligns with business profitability and the critical mission requirements of the DoD and international partners. The Impact of Your Leadership Strategic Oversight: Maintain accountability for the technical, cost, and schedule performance across all programs, including customer-funded initiatives and Internal Research and Development (IRAD). Team Development: Directly supervise and mentor a group of 3–6 Program Chief Engineers, fostering a high-performance culture of commitment and continuous improvement. Process Modernization: Lead the transition toward disciplined systems engineering, incorporating Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and Design for Manufacturability (DfM). Stakeholder Influence: Represent the engineering organization in high-stakes technical briefings with major DoD stakeholders and executive leadership.

Requirements

Experience: Bachelor’s Degree + 12 years of prior relevant experience.
OR Master’s/MBA + 10 years of experience leading cross-functional teams (including leadership of at least one 40+ person team).
Technical Mastery: Deep understanding of Earned Value Management (EVM), Control Account Management (CAM), and Integrated Master Schedules (IMS).
Program Experience: Proven track record of transitioning development programs into qualification and low-rate production.
Citizenship: Must be a US Citizen with an active DoD Secret clearance.

Nice To Haves

Domain Knowledge: Undersea/Subsea systems, Optical systems, or maritime sensor technology.
Contractual Nuance: Experience executing Fixed-Price development programs and international defense contracts.
Leadership Style: Experience as an engineering discipline functional manager and a champion of continuous process improvement.

Responsibilities

Lifecycle Management: Plan and execute product development from initial proposal and definition through to production transition and long-term sustainment.
Financial Accountability: Review and approve Estimates to Complete (ETC), manage overhead budgets, and ensure proper technology readiness and "Design to Cost" alignment.
Risk & Quality: Use Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS) and engineering metrics to analyze performance; guide Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) efforts when necessary.
Resource Planning: Collaborate with the matrixed functional organization to ensure top-tier engineering talent is assigned to meet mission-critical timelines.