Director of Engineering - Aerospace Manufacturing

Director of Engineering - Executive Leadership Opportunity in Advanced Aerospace Manufacturing

South Gate, CA \| On-site

Opportunity Summary

Join an established aerospace and defense manufacturer entering an exciting period of growth, modernization, and operational expansion. The company produces high-precision machined components and engineered manufacturing solutions supporting some of the industry's most demanding aerospace and defense programs. With strong business momentum and continued investment in engineering, automation, and manufacturing technology, this is an opportunity to help shape the next generation of the organization. As Director of Engineering, you will lead the engineering organization responsible for manufacturing engineering, CNC programming, technical proposal support, process development, tooling strategy, and new product introduction. Working directly with executive leadership, you will drive both day-to-day engineering execution and long-term strategic initiatives including manufacturing technology investments, automation, capital planning, and organizational development. This role is designed for an experienced engineering leader who wants to expand beyond functional management into executive leadership. The successful candidate will play a key role in the company's long-term succession strategy, with the opportunity to assume broader operational and executive responsibilities as the business continues to grow.

About Us

We are a well-established aerospace and defense manufacturer specializing in precision machining, advanced manufacturing, and production of complex hardware for highly regulated industries. Our business combines decades of manufacturing expertise with continued investments in automation, engineering talent, and modern production technologies to support long-term customer partnerships and sustained growth. As our manufacturing capabilities continue to expand, we are building the next generation of leadership that will guide the business through its next phase of growth, operational excellence, and technology adoption.

Job Duties

• Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary engineering organization including manufacturing engineers, CNC programmers, tooling engineers, NPI engineers, and technical sales engineers.
• Build and scale the engineering organization by recruiting top technical talent to support continued business growth.
• Establish engineering priorities while balancing customer commitments, production schedules, quality objectives, and financial performance.
• Partner with executive leadership to develop engineering strategy, organizational plans, and long-term business initiatives.
• Support business development efforts by developing manufacturing strategies, technical solutions, cost estimates, tooling plans, and proposal content.
• Evaluate manufacturing feasibility, technical risk, and production readiness for new business opportunities.
• Lead new product introduction activities from manufacturing planning through production launch and production ramp.
• Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM), process development, tooling strategy, process validation, and first article inspection activities.
• Coordinate engineering efforts across manufacturing, operations, quality, supply chain, and program management to ensure successful product execution.
• Develop and maintain the company's engineering and manufacturing technology roadmap.
• Identify and implement investments in advanced manufacturing equipment, automation, robotics, software, and production technologies.
• Develop business cases and return-on-investment analyses supporting capital equipment purchases and manufacturing improvements.
• Evaluate emerging manufacturing technologies and lead implementation where they improve quality, throughput, efficiency, or profitability.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives across the engineering organization.
• Make engineering decisions that balance technical excellence with operational efficiency, manufacturability, customer requirements, and long-term business objectives.
• Serve as a strategic leader helping modernize manufacturing capabilities while preparing the organization for continued growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 8\+ years of engineering experience within advanced manufacturing.
• 3\+ years leading engineering teams or technical organizations.
• Strong knowledge of CNC machining, precision manufacturing, tooling, manufacturing processes, and production operations.
• Experience supporting customer proposals, manufacturing planning, cost estimating, and technical risk assessment.
• Demonstrated success leading new product introduction from concept through production.
• Experience developing engineering strategies, manufacturing roadmaps, capital investment plans, or operational improvement initiatives.
• Strong understanding of Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and production process optimization.
• Proven leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance engineering decisions alongside operational and financial objectives.

Preferred Experience

• Aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated manufacturing experience.
• Experience supporting Boeing, Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman, or similar aerospace and defense manufacturing standards.
• Experience implementing robotics, automation, or advanced manufacturing technologies within production environments.
• Working knowledge of AS9100, ISO 9001, or comparable quality management systems.
• Experience leading manufacturing modernization or facility expansion initiatives.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other structured continuous improvement methodologies.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Engineering Management, or Business Administration.

Why Join Us

• Join an established aerospace manufacturer experiencing significant growth and long-term business expansion.
• Lead the engineering strategy for a business investing heavily in advanced manufacturing, automation, and operational excellence.
• Build and develop a high-performing engineering organization while helping shape the future direction of the company.
• Work directly alongside executive leadership with significant influence over engineering strategy, manufacturing investments, and business decisions.
• Participate in a performance-based incentive program tied directly to company profitability, providing meaningful upside beyond base compensation.
• Enjoy a clearly defined opportunity to grow into broader executive leadership responsibilities through the company's long-term succession planning strategy.
• Take ownership of high-impact initiatives spanning engineering, manufacturing technology, automation, capital planning, and operational improvement.
• Join a collaborative leadership team where decisions are made quickly and technical leaders have a direct impact on company success.

Compensation Details

$175,000 - $225,000 base salary plus profit sharing and stock options