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Engineering Operations Lead

AeroVironment

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At a glance

Compensation
No compensation found
Location
Huntsville, AL
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

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Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Secret clearance, requiredBachelor's degree, required

Job overview

AeroVironment seeks an Engineering Operations Lead to support the Missile Defense Agency’s Targets and Countermeasures Program Directorate. The role integrates operations and technical synchronization for Targets Systems Engineering, including executive engineering rhythms, tasker workflows, lifecycle documentation, and cross-directorate communications. The lead coordinates briefings, manages classified and unclassified tasking, maintains program baselines, and supports governance documentation and agency data calls.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Operational Battle Rhythms, requiredExecutive Briefing Consolidation, requiredTechnical Meeting Execution, requiredReview Comment Adjudication, requiredDoD Acquisition Documentation, requiredExecutive Correspondence Routing, requiredMicrosoft 365, requiredTask Tracking Systems, requiredDoD Workflows, nice to haveCross-Organization Coordination, nice to havePriority Deconfliction, nice to have

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Engineering or Equivalent Technical Discipline, required10+ Years Related Experience, requiredActive DoD Secret Clearance, requiredU.S. Citizenship, requiredMaintain Clearance and SIPRNet Access, requiredMaster's in STEM or Related Field, nice to have12+ Years DoD or Federal Experience, nice to haveMDA Targets or Engineering Experience, nice to haveSETA, a&as, or SE&I Experience, nice to have

Benefits

Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
401(k) Match
Paid Time Off

Full job description

Huntsville, AL

9355

Worker Type

Regular

Job Description

AV is looking for a highly talented Engineering Operations Lead to support the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Targets and Countermeasures Program Directorate (MDA/DTT) within the Chief Engineer / Targets Systems Engineering Division (MDA/DTTE). In this role, you will serve as the central operational integrator and technical synchronization point for Targets Systems Engineering. You will manage high-tempo executive engineering rhythms, direct tasker operations through government systems (e.g. Enhanced Tasking Management System 2 (ETMS2)), coordinate major lifecycle and governance baseline documentation, and orchestrate cross-directorate communications across Targets stakeholders, prime contractors, and partner organizations.

Job Description:

  • Executive Engineering Battle Rhythm & Operational Briefings

  • Targets Systems Engineering (DTTE) Weekly Staff: Manage end-to-end rhythm for weekly division staff meetings. Coordinate chart inputs, consolidate technical presentations on the portal, manage facility logistics, and deliver pre-brief packages to key leadership.

  • Agency-Level Integration (MDA/DE SE Weekly Staff): Coordinate, synthesize, and submit executive updates on requirements baselines, schedule changes, and technical accomplishments to the MDA Directorate for Engineering (DE).

  • Directorate Staff Calls (DTT Bi-Weekly): Aggregate and format Directorate-wide programmatic and technical status briefings for the Program Director and Front Office leadership.

  • Engineering Technical Reviews (ETR): Track, de-conflict, and report 30/60/90-day major target program technical milestone reviews across target portfolios to DE. Harvest and deliver post-review Executive Summaries to agency leadership within required timeframes.

  • Tasker & Workflow Management (ETMS2 Action Officer)

  • Action Officer Operations: Serve as the primary DTTE Action Officer in the Enhanced Tasking Management System 2 (ETMS2). Triage, distribute, monitor, and drive timely closure for Congressional, OSD, and internal agency active taskers.

  • Classified & Sensitive Tasking: Handle, ingest, and route classified and unclassified tasker inputs across SIPRNet and NIPRNet repositories with strict adherence to OPSEC and handling guidelines.

  • Public Release & Media Requests: Process and facilitate Industry Requests for Media Engagement and MDA Public Release (PR) packages. Coordinate reviews with Acquisition, Legal, and Strategic Communications, drafting Staff Summary Sheets.

  • Annual Historical Summaries & Data Calls: Lead the annual DTTE Historical Summary collection and coordinate inputs for Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) data calls and technical conference attendance nominations.

  • Systems Engineering Governance & Lifecycle Documentation

  • Cost Analysis Requirements Description (CARD): Serve as lead operational integrator for the annual DT Targets CARD update supporting the President's Budget submit to Congress. Conduct kickoff alignments across project management shops (Logistics, Acquisition, Contracts, Software, Cyber, and IMTP Manifest teams). Consolidate classified and unclassified appendices, adjudicate comments via Form 100, generate Staff Summary Sheets, and shepherd packages through executive sign-off.

  • PESHE Program Maintenance: Manage biennial updates to the Programmatic Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health Evaluation (PESHE) in coordination with Targets Quality (DTOQ) and Environmental Management (DSF).

  • Baseline Plans & SOP Governance: Oversee the review cycle, administrative accuracy, Form 100 comment matrix adjudication, formal routing, and publishing of core program documentation.

  • Data Management & Configuration Control: Maintain configuration-controlled baseline archives on designated agency SharePoint portals, DOD365 environments, and SIPR shared networks.

Required:

  • Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or an equivalent technical/scientific discipline specifically related to area of specialty

  • 10+ years of related professional experience

  • A degree may be preferred at this level

  • Active DoD Secret clearance (U.S. Citizenship required)

  • Must be able to maintain clearance and access to classified environments (SIPRNet)

  • Demonstrated track record managing operational battle rhythms, executive briefing consolidation, and technical meeting execution for senior military and civilian leaders

  • Direct experience tracking and adjudicating review comments utilizing formal systems (e.g., DoD Form 100 comment matrices)

  • Familiarity with DoD acquisition lifecycle documentation (e.g., CARD, SEP, RMP, PESHE, TEMP)

  • Strong administrative rigor in routing executive correspondence, Staff Summary Sheets (SSS), and official action packages

  • Expert proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint)

  • Working knowledge of task tracking systems (ETMS2 or similar DoD correspondence management tools)

Desired:

  • Master's degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Technical Management, or a related Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) discipline

  • 12+ years of professional experience supporting DoD / federal program offices, preferably in a SETA, Advisory & Assistance Services (A&AS), or Systems Engineering & Integration (SE&I) capacity

  • Prior direct experience supporting the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), specifically the Targets and Countermeasures Directorate (DTT) or Engineering Directorate (DE).

  • Working familiarity DoW / MDA workflows

  • Experience coordinating across multi-organization teams including US Army DEVCOM (S3I), prime target hardware vendors, and national labs/FFRDCs

  • Proven ability to operate semi-autonomously, establish deadlines, and effectively de-conflict competing technical and programmatic priorities under tight turnarounds

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. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits .

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

Principals only need apply. NO agencies please.

Who We Are

Based in California, AeroVironment (AVAV) is a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Founded in 1971 by celebrated physicist and engineer, Dr. Paul MacCready, we’ve been at the leading edge of technical innovation for more than 45 years. Be a part of the team that developed the world’s most widely used military drones and created the first submarine-launched reconnaissance drone, and has seven innovative vehicles that are part of the Smithsonian Institution’s permanent collection in Washington, DC.

Join us today in developing the next generation of small UAS and tactical missile systems that will deliver more actionable intelligence to our customers so they can proceed with certainty – and succeed.

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.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR

About AV:

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.

We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.

If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

Careers at AeroVironment (https://www.avinc.com/careers/our-team)

How this job compares

Set against the 3,102 open Systems Engineering jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 10, 2026.

Pay
  • This postingNot listed
  • Alabama median$123–205K/yr67 salary ranges
  • US median$32–42/hr144 hourly ranges
Openings
Olive Jobs lists 105 open Systems Engineering jobs in Alabama and 3,102 across the US. 5% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Alabama
Experience
This posting asks for at least 10 years of experience; Systems Engineering postings that state a minimum ask for 7 years at the median (2,466 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 1,042 of the 3,102 open Systems Engineering jobs (34%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 10, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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