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Aerospace Chief Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

LWI Chief Engineer - Aerospace/RF Department/Location: Engineering /Oklahoma City, OK 73103 Supervisor: Director of Engineering Status: Regular/Full-Time Exempt Desired Start Date: Apr 2026 ...

Other duties as assigned Required Qualifications * BS in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, or Systems Engineering * 15+ years of engineering experience on DoD aviation programs * 5+ years in a chief ...

This role brings deep, recognized expertise in aerospace systems engineering and serves as a ... Chief Engineers, and contribute SME-level judgment to the most demanding architectural and ...

The Chief Engineer is the single technical authority for Dynamic Aviation's engineering function ... MS in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, or Systems Engineering * Top Secret clearance or ...

As a pioneer in advanced Energy Storage Systems for Aerospace, Defense, and Transportation ... We are seeking an accomplished Chief Engineer to provide technical leadership for the design ...

Janicki Industries is an innovative, family-owned aerospace company located at the foot of the ... We are looking for a Chief Engineer to join our growing team. This position is located on-site in ...

Deputy Chief Engineer

Denver, CO ยท On-site

$185K - $310K/yr

This is a generational opportunity to architect a solution to some of the most challenging mission sets in missile defense, not to mention aerospace engineering as a whole. The Deputy Chief is ...

Janicki Industries is an innovative, family-owned aerospace company located at the foot of the ... We are looking for a Chief Engineer to join our growing team. This position is located on-site in ...

Aerospace Engineer

El Segundo, CA ยท On-site

$195K - $250K/yr

Advise Government Chief Engineers, program managers, and IPT leads on systems integration ... Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Astronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering ...

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Aerospace Chief Engineer information

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$32.5K

$92.9K

$181K

How much do aerospace chief engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for aerospace chief engineer in the United States is $92,945.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $59,000.00 and $120,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Aerospace Chief Engineer vs Aerospace Systems Engineer?

AspectAerospace Chief EngineerAerospace Systems Engineer
CredentialsEngineering degree, professional engineering license, extensive experienceEngineering degree, specialized in systems engineering, relevant certifications
Work EnvironmentLeadership role overseeing projects, coordination with multiple teamsDesign, analysis, and integration of aerospace systems within projects
Employer & Industry UsageMajor aerospace companies, defense contractors, research institutionsEngineering firms, aerospace manufacturers, government agencies

The Aerospace Chief Engineer typically holds a senior leadership position responsible for overseeing entire projects and ensuring technical integrity, while the Aerospace Systems Engineer focuses on designing, analyzing, and integrating specific aerospace systems. Both roles require strong engineering credentials, but the Chief Engineer emphasizes leadership and project management, whereas the Systems Engineer concentrates on technical system development.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Aerospace Chief Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Aerospace Chief Engineer, you need advanced expertise in aerospace engineering principles, systems integration, and extensive experience managing complex engineering projects, often supported by a relevant engineering degree and professional licensure (e.g., PE). Familiarity with CAD software, finite element analysis tools, and project management systems is crucial, along with certifications such as PMP or Six Sigma. Outstanding leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills help foster innovation, coordinate multidisciplinary teams, and ensure project alignment. These skills and qualifications are vital for delivering safe, efficient, and groundbreaking aerospace solutions in a highly regulated and competitive industry.

What are some common challenges faced by an Aerospace Chief Engineer when leading multidisciplinary teams on large-scale projects?

Aerospace Chief Engineers often navigate the complexities of managing multidisciplinary teams that include specialists in aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, structures, and systems engineering. One common challenge is ensuring effective communication and alignment across these diverse groups, as technical priorities can sometimes compete or conflict. Additionally, balancing project timelines, budget constraints, and stringent regulatory requirements demands strong organizational and problem-solving skills. Successful Chief Engineers foster collaboration, anticipate integration issues early, and create transparent decision-making processes to keep projects on track.

What does an Aerospace Chief Engineer do?

An Aerospace Chief Engineer leads the engineering team responsible for designing, developing, and overseeing the construction of aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and related systems. They ensure that engineering projects meet technical standards, regulatory requirements, and safety protocols. Additionally, they coordinate between multidisciplinary teams, manage project budgets and timelines, and often serve as the primary technical authority on aerospace projects. Their leadership is crucial in driving innovation and ensuring the successful completion of complex aerospace missions.
More about Aerospace Chief Engineer jobs
What states have the most Aerospace Chief Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Aerospace Chief Engineer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Aerospace Chief Engineer job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 92% Full Time, 6% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 94% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $92,945 per year, or $44.7 per hour.
Chief Engineer - Aerospace

Chief Engineer - Aerospace

Verity Integrated Systems

Huntsville, AL โ€ข On-site

Full-time

Posted 13 days ago


Job description

Verity was founded with a focus on providing advanced science and technology and business management services to commercial and government clients. Our team includes engineers and analysts with subject matter expertise in domains that span software development, simulation technologies, experimentation support tools, and systems analysis methodologies. We have applied expertise in emerging threat evaluation, analysis, and simulation. These capabilities have been successfully applied to not only Science and Technology (S&T) programs, but also major weapon system acquisition programs and gap-filling warfighter solutions.

We are looking for a Chief Engineer to drive our Aerospace programs and to join our rapidly growing team in Huntsville, AL. In this role, you will be responsible for serving as a technical lead on a diverse set of emerging developments geared towards solving complex problems in the hypersonic strike and defense domains. This will include driving technology developments through design, build, test and delivery for next generation target and strike systems. The Chief Engineer will develop and implement a technical strategy and roadmap in conjunction with the Head of Engineering that effectively leverages current Verity technologies and newly developed technologies to serve the customer mission areas. This role will address pre-award demonstrations, early contract phases, and full-contract execution. The Chief Engineer, working with a multi-disciplinary engineering team, will ensure the efficient development and delivery of hardware and software solutions for the customer. These efforts will include leading complex, integrated systems for demonstrations to include sub-contracted teammates and strategic partnerships. The Chief Engineer will need to facilitate effective technical development and integration that spans company-boundaries in an agile development approach. They will need to balance development of new capabilities with the incorporation of several pre-existing industry capabilities and need to effectively communicate the development status to internal and external stakeholders. The Chief Engineer will be responsible for technical oversight of all aspects of program execution from proposals to SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR, TRR, assembly, qualification testing, and delivery of flight units for launch.

Responsibilities

  • Provide technical expertise across multiple aerovehicle subsystems and ground systems
  • Leverage strategic partnerships and teammates for integrating components that satisfy customer requirements in new and challenging mission areas
  • Provide aerospace industry expertise to refine and advance the Verity strategy for customer engagements and demonstrations
  • Contribute technical inputs to proposals to include engineering execution plans
  • Provide oversight to a multi-disciplinary team of engineers through all phases of program execution
  • Perform mission and system level trade studies and analysis to balance risk, cost, and performance

Requirements

  • Experience in architecting, developing, and delivering defense aerospace hardware and software systems
  • Experience in the missile defense mission area through ground based interceptors or space based sensing and understand the kill chains associated with defeating adversary missile threats
  • Understanding of the recent/current technical state of key aerospace systems and mission areas
  • Demonstrated ability to decompose complex systems with competing objectives (e.g., performance, schedule, openness, cybersecurity) into executable requirements and execution then delivering on those to meet government expectations
  • Experience with spacecraft standards for qualification testing and acceptance testing
  • Experience with US government aerospace mission areas and associated CONOPS for successfully executing missions that create overmatch
  • Design and development of aerospace vehicle and payload architectures and detailed mission solutions to complex challenges
  • Strong technical communication skills, providing the ability to deliver critical technical briefings and conclusions to technical leadership, company leadership, and customers
  • Strong technical fundamentals in space systems, space ground infrastructure, and product development
  • Technical experience leading US Government contracts
  • Ability and desire to travel, as required
  • Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance