WASP Product Line Chief Engineer

AeroVironment • Albuquerque, NM

8d

About The Position

The WASP Product Line Chief Engineer (PLCE) will serve as the technical authority for the WASP Phased Array Product Line, responsible for long-term technical vision, architecture alignment, and incremental capability evolution through block upgrades. This role is not primarily customer-facing, but instead focuses on sustaining engineering excellence, driving product roadmap execution, and ensuring alignment with the Space RF Business Unit (BU) strategy. Working in close partnership with the Chief Architect, Product Line Manager (PLM), and BU Leadership, the WASP PLCE ensures that product investments, design decisions, and technology insertions are cohesive scalable, and aligned to both market needs and future mission requirements. In collaboration with the PLM, this role balances technical performance, cost, schedule, and market priorities to deliver competitive and sustainable product outcomes. This role reports through the Director of Engineering and collaborates across programs to maintain technical consistency, reuse, and innovation across the portfolio. Success in this role requires deep RF domain expertise, strong systems engineering discipline, and demonstrated experience evolving complex systems across multiple product increments. On any given day, the selected candidate may perform the following duties: Serve as the single technical authority for the WASP product line, ensuring consistency of architecture, design approach, and technical standards across all programs and upgrades Drive product evolution strategy, defining and guiding block upgrades, technology refresh cycles, and capability roadmaps Partner closely with the Product Line Manager (PLM) and Chief Architect to align technical execution with product strategy, business case, cost targets and market needs Collaborate with the PLM and BU Leadership to ensure technical solutions are aligned with business objectives, customer demand signals, and growth strategy Partner with the Chief Architect to ensure alignment to enterprise-level architectures, modularity, and reuse strategies Maintain and evolve the technical baseline across the product lifecycle, from conceptualization through sustainment, ensuring backward compatibility and forward scalability Provide technical oversight to program Chief Engineers to ensure alignment with product line standards and long-term vision (if applicable) Lead cross-functional technical integration across RF, digital, FPGA/firmware, software, mechanical, systems, and test disciplines Champion RF system performance optimization, ensuring designs meet or exceed mission requirements across upgrades Drive systems engineering rigor, including requirements decomposition, traceability, and verification strategies across product increments Establish and enforce design standards, best practices and reusable architecture across the product line Identify and mitigate technical risks associated with product evolution and technology insertion Support and help shape IRAD efforts in partnership with the PLM, Chief Architect & BU Leadership to align with product and business roadmap priorities Mentor engineering teams and develop technical talent within the product line

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• 8+ years' of engineering experience, with significant experience in RF Systems or phased-array technologies
• Demonstrated experience in product development and lifecycle management, including multiple design iterations or block upgrades
• Strong background in RF system design, integration, and performance analysis
• Experience applying systems engineering across complex systems (requirements, architecture, V&V)
• Ability to operate effectively in an internal leadership role influencing multiple programs and stakeholders (if applicable)
• Experience collaborating with product management or product line leadership on roadmap and investment decisions
• Proficiency with standard engineering and business tools (Microsoft Office, project planning tools, etc.)
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret US DoD Security Clearance
• ITAR Requirement: This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field
• Deep subject matter expertise (SME) in RF systems, including phased arrays, EW, radar or communication systems
• Experience with modular open systems approaches (MOSA) and scalable architecture design
• Prior experience in a Product Line Chief Engineer, Lead Systems Engineer, or Technical Director-type role
• Experience guiding technology roadmaps and IRAD investments in partnership with product management
• Familiarity with MBSE tools and digital engineering environments
• Experience working across multiple programs to standardize architectures and promote reuse
• Knowledge of DoD acquisition processes and environments
• Strong leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Active Secret or Top Secret US DoD Security Clearance

Responsibilities

• Serve as the single technical authority for the WASP product line, ensuring consistency of architecture, design approach, and technical standards across all programs and upgrades
• Drive product evolution strategy, defining and guiding block upgrades, technology refresh cycles, and capability roadmaps
• Partner closely with the Product Line Manager (PLM) and Chief Architect to align technical execution with product strategy, business case, cost targets and market needs
• Collaborate with the PLM and BU Leadership to ensure technical solutions are aligned with business objectives, customer demand signals, and growth strategy
• Partner with the Chief Architect to ensure alignment to enterprise-level architectures, modularity, and reuse strategies
• Maintain and evolve the technical baseline across the product lifecycle, from conceptualization through sustainment, ensuring backward compatibility and forward scalability
• Provide technical oversight to program Chief Engineers to ensure alignment with product line standards and long-term vision (if applicable)
• Lead cross-functional technical integration across RF, digital, FPGA/firmware, software, mechanical, systems, and test disciplines
• Champion RF system performance optimization, ensuring designs meet or exceed mission requirements across upgrades
• Drive systems engineering rigor, including requirements decomposition, traceability, and verification strategies across product increments
• Establish and enforce design standards, best practices and reusable architecture across the product line
• Identify and mitigate technical risks associated with product evolution and technology insertion
• Support and help shape IRAD efforts in partnership with the PLM, Chief Architect & BU Leadership to align with product and business roadmap priorities
• Mentor engineering teams and develop technical talent within the product line

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: 501-1,000 employees