Principal Engineer - Targets & Countermeasures

Huntsville, AL

9351

Worker Type

Regular

Job Description

AV is looking for a highly talented Principal Engineering to provide Missile Defense Agency (MDA) engineering oversight for target system payloads and countermeasure development. In this role, you will act as a trusted advisor to the program office, delivering critical assessments of prime contractor designs, technical plans, and target instrumentation layouts. You will serve as a technical anchor during major program milestones --from System Requirements through Product Acceptance --while seamlessly collaborating across multiple organizations, modeling teams, cost analysts, and schedulers to ensure items are delivered accurately and on time.

Engineering Oversight & Design Assessment

• ·Expert Advisory: Serve as the technical expert on payload and countermeasure requirements development, analysis, design, qualification, and fielding.

• ·Independent Evaluation: Review and provide assessments of prime contractor designs, plans, reports, and technical procedures.

• ·Instrumentation Analysis: Evaluate target instrumentation requirements, physical layouts, component selection, and testing methodologies

Program Milestone & Lifecycle Support

• ·Milestone Reviews: Provide technical evaluation and engineering support during all major program milestones (including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FRB, MRB, and PAR).

• ·Cross-Agency Coordination: Answer technical inquiries from external MDA organizations and lead multi-disciplinary Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs).

Program Management & Operations Collaboration

• ·Cost Estimation: Provide technical assessments to the cost analysis team to ensure accurate program management budget estimates.

• ·Schedule Alignment: Partner with the program scheduler to track delivery deadlines and proactively keep leadership advised of status.

Required:

• Master's degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) field.

• 12+ years of experience supporting missile defense or large-scale, complex DoD programs.

• ·Active DoD Secret clearance

• ·Program Execution: Experience managing end-to-end program lifecycles, including the development, testing, and fielding of complex systems.

• ·Adaptability: Thrive in a fast-paced environment where priorities change quickly.

• ·Multitasking: Handle multiple urgent tasks at once without losing focus.

• Travel: Able to support travel requests up to 20% of the time.

Desired:

• Understanding of Infrared/Radar Cross Section (IR/RCS) signatures for flight objects and countermeasures.

• ·Experience with material properties and material property measurements.

• ·Knowledge of real-world threat systems and how they impact target designs.

• ·Have an understanding of MDA flight test requirements and apply that to the payload hardware development.

• ·Technical proposal development and evaluation.

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)