Chief Engineer - Aerospace Hardware

CFD Research Corporation is seeking a Chief Engineer to serve as Technical Authority for aerospace development programs. In this role, you will be accountable for overall technical success, system integrity, and mission assurance on programs focused on aerospace power generation and power conversion systems. You will manage system architecture to ensure all technical efforts produce a safe, compliant, and integrated product across mechanical, power/control electronics, and embedded software disciplines. This position will interface directly with the Customer, Program Management Office, and Integrated Product Team (IPT) leads. This position will split time between our Headquarters in Huntsville, AL and our Engineering Test Center in Hollywood, Alabama. To learn more about the Hollywood Engineering Test Center capabilities and state-of-the-art equipment, please visit the facility's home page: https://www.cfd-research.com/hollywood/

Key Responsibilities:

• Primary Technical Interface to the Customer:Serves as the program’s primary technical interface to the customer and provides technical authority for engineering execution across the program. Leads the program’s technical engagement with the customer and is responsible for representing and defending the technical baseline, design approach, technical risks, and verification strategy at formal reviews and other customer technical interchange and decision forums. Ensures customer technical direction is appropriately incorporated into program execution.
• Technical Authority & Gate Certification: Hold final approval authority for engineering designs, technical changes, and verification results. Serve as the primary authority for certifying program readiness at major technical milestones, including PDR, CDR, and TRR.
• System Integration & Interface Management: Decompose high-level customer requirements into technical specifications for Integrated Product Team (IPT) Leads. Own Interface Control Documents (ICDs) to ensure physical, electrical, and software interfaces integrate across all subsystems. Maintain overall system architecture and subsystem compatibility throughout the design lifecycle.
• IPT Leadership & Collaboration: Provide technical guidance to IPT Leads, ensuring technical approaches are sound and subsystem decisions do not degrade overall system performance. Resolve technical disagreements between IPTs. Conduct formal scope-versus-resource discussions with Program Managers when technical requirements conflict with budget or schedule constraints. Approve IPT design approaches to ensure alignment with system specifications.
• Verification, Validation & Quality: Oversee the Verification and Validation (V&V) strategy and approve test plans to ensure all requirements are verified through test or analysis. Ensure design compliance with safety regulations and industry standards such as AS9100.
• Risk & Anomaly Management: Lead investigations into technical failures or anomalies during development or testing. Own technical risk mitigation plans, evaluate technical root causes for project variances, and track technical debt.

Basic Qualifications:

• Candidate must be a US Citizen and meet eligibility to obtain (and maintain) a Secret Clearance
• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, Computer, Software, or a related engineering field.
• 10+ years of engineering experience in the aerospace or aviation industry.
• Demonstrated experience in an engineering leadership, technical oversight, or multidisciplinary project lead role.
• Broad technical foundation covering engineering principles in hardware, electronics, or software.
• Strong written and verbal technical communication skills.

Desired Qualifications:

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Computer, or Systems Engineering.
• Experience with aerospace power generation systems, power conversion, fluid power, emergency power systems, or rotating electromechanical systems.
• Experience executing requirements flow-down, defining system-level architectures, and managing Interface Control Documents (ICDs).
• Experience serving as lead sign-off authority for major formal gate reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR) and issuing Certifications of Readiness.
• Hands-on experience developing V&V plans, conducting factory acceptance testing, qualification testing, and working with standards such as FAA, MIL-STD, NASA, or AS9100.
• Experience leading root cause analysis for testing anomalies, managing technical risk mitigation plans, and tracking technical debt.

Location: This individual will work onsite in Huntsville, AL and Hollywood, AL.

Candidate must be a US Citizen and possess the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.