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Boeing

Builds commercial aircraft, defense and space systems

Head of Vehicle Engineering

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/23/2026Deadline 11/13/26
$174.5k - $260k
Expert
El Segundo, CA, USA
In PersonExpected to be 100% onsite.
Engineering ManagementEngineering Leadership
No H1B Sponsorship
US Citizenship, US Top Secret Clearance Required

About the job

Requirements
  • A minimum of 14 years of experience as an engineering professional in the aerospace and/or defense industry is required.
  • At least 4 years of experience as a functional manager is required.
  • Experience serving as or currently serving as a project lead and/or functional manager in spacecraft development is required.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of satellite systems and components is required.
  • Demonstrated ability in vehicle engineering design integration and analysis for spacecraft bus and structure products is required.
  • Experience in structural design and analysis, including static, dynamic, loads, and finite element methods, is required.
  • Experience in thermal design and analysis is required.
  • Experience with mechanical systems and mechanisms is required.
  • Experience with propulsion systems is required.
  • Experience with harness and cable design is required.
  • Experience with design for manufacturability and sustainment is required.
  • Experience with integration, assembly, and test flow is required.
  • The candidate must be a U.S. citizen and able to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance; a post-start Top Secret clearance is required.
  • Applicants must be eligible to meet U.S. export control compliance requirements as a U.S. person.
  • Successful candidates must satisfy the company’s Conflict of Interest assessment process.
  • Post-offer applicants and employees may be subject to drug and alcohol testing when criteria are met under company policies.
Responsibilities
  • Lead the vehicle engineering team to deliver technical work products, schedules, and budgets, and advocate for the functional engineering team to secure required resources.
  • Develop and sustain a vision for the growth and improved efficiency of the vehicle engineering team.
  • Set technical direction and standards for mechanical, thermal, structural, harness, propulsion, and mechanical ground support engineering teams.
  • Communicate company developments and the context behind higher-level decisions to engineering teams.
  • Establish and maintain standardized project management tools, including common integrated master schedule and work breakdown structure templates.
  • Establish objectives and key performance indicators aligned with company goals and measure engineering performance across the organization.
  • Implement organizational initiatives and corrective actions to meet and improve performance targets.
  • Coordinate risk management across teams, escalating and prioritizing critical risks.
  • Oversee program-level schedules, balance resources, and approve staffing plans.
  • Review and approve proposal labor estimates and technical baselines, and manage bid efforts.
  • Manage communication with program directors and project managers about technical work products, performance, and corporate-prioritization impacts.
  • Enforce commonality of tools, analysis, processes, and standards across teams.
  • Partner with Quality and Safety to ensure risk posture is understood and standards remain current with team processes.
  • Work with Manufacturing leadership on design for manufacturability and resolution of complex non-conformances across working shifts.
  • Scale designs across program portfolios and establish team processes and standards to support that work.
  • Work with Program Management to meet execution milestones and address blockers and support needs.
  • Identify cross-team relationships and priorities recommended by team managers; establish and maintain interview processes and staffing plans.
  • Approve tools and software for efficient use across engineering teams and manage associated costs.
  • Manage the overhead budget across engineering teams, including managers, meetings, software, training, tools, and equipment.
  • Mentor and conduct performance reviews for front-line managers, engineering technical leads, and other direct reports.
  • Hold regular one-on-one meetings with direct reports and provide formal feedback and requests in accordance with company guidelines.
  • Identify talent for Technical Fellow positions and career growth paths.
  • Sponsor cross-team initiatives that drive innovation and identify and support transformational technologies.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience with iterative and/or agile development processes is preferred.
  • Experience with computer-aided design tools such as NX, SolidWorks, and Creo, and product lifecycle management systems such as Teamcenter, is preferred.
  • Experience with 3D harness modeling or other integration tools is preferred.
  • Experience with structural and thermal analysis tools such as Nastran, Patran, and Thermal Desktop is preferred.
  • Experience designing vehicles for production at scale, exceeding 100 per year, is preferred.
  • Experience with Git, JIRA, and Confluence is preferred.
  • Aerospace industry experience is preferred.
  • National security experience is preferred.
  • An active U.S. Top Secret/SCI security clearance is preferred.

About the company

Boeing builds commercial airplanes, military aircraft and space systems for airlines, governments and other aerospace customers worldwide. Its passenger jet families include the 737 and 787, while its defense portfolio spans fighter aircraft, helicopters, tankers and satellites. Engineers design and integrate aircraft structures and systems, and factories assemble and test the finished products for delivery to customers. The company earns money through aircraft and equipment sales, government development contracts, and services such as maintenance, spare parts and flight training. Boeing was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Arlington, Virginia

Founded

1916

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Boeing brought fuselage production in house: December 2025's completed Spirit acquisition includes the 737 structures business.
  • Demand supports long production programs: July 2026 reporting lists Boeing's commercial backlog above 6,200 airplanes.
  • Eligible staff study without annual STEM tuition caps: Boeing pays partner schools directly under Learning Together.

What critics are saying

  • Commercial recovery remains unprofitable: July 2026 reporting shows Boeing's airplane division lost $322 million in the second quarter.
  • Boeing bears defense overruns: fixed-price deals supplied roughly 60% of its defense manufacturing and defense services revenue in 2025.
  • Union negotiations shape Boeing factory careers: its U.S. workforce has 32 separate labor agreements with different expiration dates.

What makes Boeing unique

  • Boeing dominates cargo aircraft: it says its freighters serve over 90% of the global air freight market.
  • Service work extends beyond Boeing jets: Global Services supports equipment regardless of its original manufacturer.
  • Heavy lifting uses two rotors: Boeing's Chinook places its lifting rotors in tandem for cargo missions.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Disability Insurance
  • Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

-2%

1 year growth

-2%

2 year growth

-2%
Yahoo Finance
Oct 22nd, 2026
Boeing's jet unit still loses money despite record deliveries and $597B backlog

Boeing's commercial jet unit is still losing money, posting an operating margin of negative 2.7% in fiscal Q2 2026 despite delivering 171 airplanes, its most in a quarter since 2018. The unit earned $11.8 billion, nearly half of Boeing's $24.6 billion revenue. Management blames pricing drags that take time to fade. Cash margins on the 737 and 787 sit slightly above breakeven, and Boeing is ramping the 737 to 47 airplanes a month. Company-wide, the operating margin was negative 5.4% over the twelve months to June 2026, against 11.7% in 2018. The stock fell 11.3% over the year to October 21, 2026, while the S&P 500 returned 16.5%. Management expects better prices on its record $597 billion backlog and targets free cash flow of $1 billion to $3 billion for 2026. Boeing reports on October 27.

Yahoo Finance
Oct 20th, 2026
FAA certifies Boeing 737-10, clearing way for deliveries of 1,555 ordered jets

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified the Boeing 737-10, the largest jet in the 737 MAX family. Boeing says it will begin deliveries in the coming months. The plane seats up to 230 passengers and has the lowest per-seat costs of any single-aisle jet in service. It also has 365 nautical miles more range than competitors without auxiliary fuel tanks, and cuts CO2 emissions and fuel use by 20%. More than 30 customers have ordered 1,555 of the planes, over 30% of the 737 MAX order book. Certification involved more than 2,000 flight hours and 1,000 ground test hours. "That rigor gives us confidence as we move toward deliveries," said Chris Payne, a Boeing vice president.

CNBC
Oct 20th, 2026
FAA certifies Boeing 737 Max 10 after years of delays, final approval for Max family

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday certified Boeing's 737 Max 10, the largest model in the family and the last to win approval. The plane was due to fly in 2020 but was delayed by safety crises and engineering changes, including to an engine anti-icing system. The approval came weeks after officials reviewed a navigation system glitch and ruled it not a safety-of-flight issue. "We will continue to hold Boeing to the highest safety standards," said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. Chief executive officer Kelly Ortberg said orders for the jet make up about 30% of Boeing's backlog. The FAA approved the smaller Max 7 in early August. Boeing opened a fourth 737 Max production line in Everett, Washington, in July.

PR Newswire
Oct 20th, 2026
Boeing launches Dataliner, an AI platform built with Microsoft to give airlines fleet-wide data insights

Boeing has launched Dataliner, an AI-powered platform that helps airlines turn fragmented aviation data into fleet-wide intelligence for maintenance and operational decisions. The company announced it on October 20, 2026. Built with Microsoft, using Azure AI Foundry and Microsoft's data solutions, Dataliner lets airlines keep data in their own environments. Airlines choose what they share and can access Boeing intelligence through applications, APIs, analytics, and AI-enabled tools. "Airlines have more data available to them than ever before, but turning that data into meaningful action remains a challenge," said Lindsey Douglas, vice president at Boeing Global Services. Dataliner will also underpin Boeing's Digital Services portfolio, including new products Asset Lifecycle Planning and TechOps AI Agent.

Yahoo Finance
Oct 15th, 2026
Boeing's board gets an aviation overhaul as it eyes a new jet and a $715B backlog

Boeing's board now has far more aviation experience than the one that elected former chief executive David Calhoun, according to a Motley Fool analysis of company filings. Four current directors stand out: Bradley Tilden, a former Alaska Air Group chief executive; David Joyce, who retired as chief executive of GE Aviation in 2020; Akhil Johri, a former United Technologies chief financial officer; and David Gitlin, who ran two United Technologies aerospace businesses. The earlier board included several members without clear aviation expertise. Only Robert Bradway, John Richardson, and Lynn Good remain. That experience matters as chief executive Kelly Ortberg works to restore the balance sheet before developing a new airplane. He says Boeing needs "a couple more years" before committing to one. The company still holds a $715 billion backlog.