Familiarity with expectations and collaboration in the context of typical Government development contracts, including organizations such as NASA, US Government defense organizations, and/or aerospace Prime Contractor mission partners
Excellent customer interfacing skills
US Citizen and eligibility to obtain a US Security Clearance
Demonstrable expertise in laser system concepts and technologies
Forecast program resource requirements, including technical workforce, facilities, and equipment needs
Provide executive-level briefings on program health, milestones, and challenges
Define system-level performance parameters and manage the requirements flow-down through all subsystems
Strong written and verbal communication and documentation skills
Lead cross-functional teams of scientists, engineers, and manufacturing personnel to achieve program success
Serve as the primary customer interface, fostering collaboration and ensuring clear, transparent communication
Partner with Business Development to define growth opportunities, contribute to proposals, and engage with key customers
Proactively identify, mitigate, and communicate technical, cost, and schedule risks; develop and execute recovery plans as needed
Develop and maintain comprehensive program plans aligned with customer work statements and technical specifications
Oversee the end-to-end development lifecycle of complex active electro-optical systems, from design through delivery
Direct experience with systems engineering, optical or laser system development, and high-reliability aerospace programs
Experience and Expertise Required: Proven success managing R&D programs in the defense or aerospace sector with full accountability for cost, schedule, and technical performance
EVM experience
>10 years professional experience including demonstrated success leading large and diverse technical teams in an engineering organization
Bachelors (Master's or PhD degree preferred) in a relevant engineering or applied-science field