Principal Engineer - Targets & Countermeasures

About the role

Worker Type

Regular

About the role

AV is looking for a highly talented Principal Engineering to provide Missile Defense Agency (MDA) engineering oversight for target system payloads and countermeasure development. In this role, you will act as a trusted advisor to the program office, delivering critical assessments of prime contractor designs, technical plans, and target instrumentation layouts.

You will serve as a technical anchor during major program milestones --from System Requirements through Product Acceptance --while seamlessly collaborating across multiple organizations, modeling teams, cost analysts, and schedulers to ensure items are delivered accurately and on time.

Engineering Oversight & Design Assessment

• *Expert Advisory: Serve as the technical expert on payload and countermeasure requirements development, analysis, design, qualification, and fielding.
• *Independent Evaluation: Review and provide assessments of prime contractor designs, plans, reports, and technical procedures.
• *Instrumentation Analysis: Evaluate target instrumentation requirements, physical layouts, component selection, and testing methodologies

Program Milestone & Lifecycle Support

• *Milestone Reviews: Provide technical evaluation and engineering support during all major program milestones (including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FRB, MRB, and PAR).
• *Cross-Agency Coordination: Answer technical inquiries from external MDA organizations and lead multi-disciplinary Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs).

Program Management & Operations Collaboration

• *Cost Estimation: Provide technical assessments to the cost analysis team to ensure accurate program management budget estimates.
• *Schedule Alignment: Partner with the program scheduler to track delivery deadlines and proactively keep leadership advised of status.

Required

• Master's degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) field.
• 12+ years of experience supporting missile defense or large-scale, complex DoD programs.
• *Active DoD Secret clearance
• *Program Execution: Experience managing end-to-end program lifecycles, including the development, testing, and fielding of complex systems.
• *Adaptability: Thrive in a fast-paced environment where priorities change quickly.
• *Multitasking: Handle multiple urgent tasks at once without losing focus.
• Travel: Able to support travel requests up to 20% of the time.

Desired

• Understanding of Infrared/Radar Cross Section (IR/RCS) signatures for flight objects and countermeasures.
• *Experience with material properties and material property measurements.
• *Knowledge of real-world threat systems and how they impact target designs.
• *Have an understanding of MDA flight test requirements and apply that to the payload hardware development.
• *Technical proposal development and evaluation.

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 will be asked to provide specific documentation to verify U.S. person status under the ITAR and the EAR.

• A "U.S. person" according to their 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.

Benefits

AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with company matching, and flexible work schedule options. Depending on your business unit, role, and customer contract requirements, select programs may offer a 9/80 work schedule and paid holiday shutdown.

Principals only need apply. NO agencies please.

What We Do

Building on a history of technological innovation, AeroVironment designs, develops, produces, and supports an advanced portfolio of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company's hand-launched UAS to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition.

ITAR