Chief Engineer

Chief Engineer

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field.
• 15+ years of progressive experience working in an engineering or related discipline in the technology sector, delivering first-of-kind systems and products to customers.
• Proven technical leadership experience, including gaining the respect of cross-functional engineering and product teams.
• Demonstrated deep expertise in engineering design and analysis.
• Strong breadth and knowledge of engineering fundamentals across many disciplines ranging from mechanical and optical engineering to electrical and software engineering.
• Engineering depth in one or more of the following areas: thermal and structural engineering; electrical engineering, RF design, optical and opto-mechanical engineering, software engineering, and/or micro device fabrication and packaging.
• Demonstrated experience having built and delivered at least one complex, first-of-a-kind system or hardware product.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to earn trust, build and maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging culture.
• Ability to travel 2 to 3 weeks a quarter.

Responsibilities

• Led the technical engineering development of the product against its most important requirements from inception to new product introduction, including the creation of prototypes, engineering units, production designs, and the delivery of technical data packages to manufacturing and production.
• Work with technical program management and product management to translate business goals and product requirements into actionable development plans with sound technical approaches.
• Support company-wide goals, OKRs, and technical milestones for technology development, system development, and product initiatives.
• Work across functional teams, including mechanical systems, software, optical and laser systems, control electronics, system integration, trap development, systems engineering, and architecture, to drive a consistent technical approach to product design.
• Support phased gate development, including participation in and leadership of gated reviews.
• Support technical risk management and the development of risk registers.
• Serve on the product change control board.
• Guide design analysis cycles, trade studies, down selections, and iterative product design and development. Support make-buy-partner analysis and strategy.
• Work with system engineering to deliver verified and validated production designs for our upcoming products.
• Work with both external and internal research and engineering technology development teams to manage new technology and capability introduction to the product baseline.
• Work with internal research and engineering technology development teams and subject matter experts to create and maintain technology development and insertion roadmaps, identify missing technology elements and make adjustments in response to customer expectations and new technology developments. Lead the annual roadmap review and update activity.
• Provide guidance to the program team and executive leadership team regarding leading-edge vs. bleeding-edge technologies using data and experience-driven inputs for critical decision-making.
• Communicate development progress and issues to management and the broader organization; communicate strategy developments, provide ongoing executive updates, prioritize initiatives, and escalate roadblocks to executive leadership.
• Provide inputs to strategic and annual planning, product development direction, and overall business strategy.
• Assist in the career development of others, including mentoring and supporting more junior engineers and staff.

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or another relevant discipline with 20+ years of industry experience.
• Demonstrated history and growth in functional and technical management of complex hardware systems.
• Demonstrated ability to make data-driven decisions effectively and efficiently.
• Good knowledge of fixture design, machine and tool shop capabilities and limitations, microfabrication, and manufacturing processes.
• Knowledge and experience with complex optical systems, lasers, free-space, and fiber-based optical systems and components.
• High proficiency in standard, modern office and engineering software packages, including Microsoft Office, Google GSuite, Atlassian Jira & Confluence, Slack, Jama, MATLAB, Python, SolidWorks, etc.
• Capability to obtain and maintain a DoD Top Secret security clearance.
• Knowledge of trapped ion quantum computing systems.