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Aerospace Engineering Director Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Engineering Director at our EMS plant in North America is a pivotal leadership role responsible ... Aerospace, Defense and Medical manufacturing experience required for A&D/Medical MFG sites. Skills ...

Director, Engineering

Lynchburg, VA · On-site

$169K - $238K/yr

The Engineering Director will serve as the senior technical leader for a complex, multidisciplinary ... Introduce and institutionalize best in class engineering practices from nuclear, aerospace, defense ...

The Engineering Director will serve as the senior technical leader for a complex, multidisciplinary ... Introduce and institutionalize best in class engineering practices from nuclear, aerospace, defense ...

The Engineering Director will serve as the senior technical leader for a complex, multidisciplinary ... Introduce and institutionalize best in class engineering practices from nuclear, aerospace, defense ...

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Aerospace Engineering Director information

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$73K

$194.7K

$254K

How much do aerospace engineering director jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for aerospace engineering director in the United States is $194,709.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $141,500.00 and $253,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Aerospace Engineering Director position, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Aerospace Engineering Director, you need a robust background in aerospace engineering, project management experience, and typically a relevant advanced degree (such as a Master's in Engineering or an MBA). Familiarity with CAD software, simulation tools, regulatory compliance systems, and certifications such as PMP or Six Sigma are often required. Outstanding leadership, strategic decision-making, and strong communication skills differentiate top performers in this role. These skills and qualifications are critical for overseeing complex projects, leading multidisciplinary teams, and ensuring that rigorous engineering standards and business goals are met.

What is an Aerospace Engineering Director job?

An Aerospace Engineering Director oversees the design, development, and testing of aircraft, spacecraft, and related systems. They lead engineering teams, manage budgets, and ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Their role involves strategic planning, collaborating with executives, and integrating new technologies to enhance aerospace products. Strong leadership, technical expertise, and project management skills are essential for success in this position.

What are some common challenges faced by Aerospace Engineering Directors in their daily work?

Aerospace Engineering Directors often manage multiple large-scale projects simultaneously, requiring excellent prioritization and time management skills. They must regularly address technical challenges, regulatory compliance issues, and evolving client demands, often under tight deadlines. Additionally, this role involves balancing the needs of engineering teams, upper management, and external stakeholders while ensuring projects remain on schedule and within budget. Adaptability, proactive problem-solving, and strong leadership are key to successfully navigating these challenges and maintaining project momentum.

More about Aerospace Engineering Director jobs
What cities are hiring for Aerospace Engineering Director jobs? Cities with the most Aerospace Engineering Director job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Aerospace Engineering jobs? The most popular types of Aerospace Engineering jobs are:
What states have the most Aerospace Engineering Director jobs? States with the most job openings for Aerospace Engineering Director jobs include:
Infographic showing various Aerospace Engineering Director job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 92% Full Time, 3% Part Time, 3% Contract, and 2% Nights. Highlights an 94% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $194,709 per year, or $93.6 per hour.
Engineering Director 1

Engineering Director 1

Northrop Grumman Corporation

San Diego, CA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Life, PTO

Posted 7 days ago


Northrop Grumman rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 352 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

107th of 527 rated manufacturers


Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: NoCLEARANCE TYPE: SecretTRAVEL: Yes, 25% of the TimeDescriptionAt Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work - and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman's Aeronautics Systems Sector is seeking an Engineering Director to support Software-related efforts. This leadership opportunity will be located at one of our core sites (Melbourne, FL; Palmdale, CA; San Diego, CA; or El Segundo, CA). Candidates must be willing and able to travel up to 25% of the time.

Please note that this opportunity is contingent on program funding. Start dates are determined after funding confirmation.

  • The Director will unite programs, engineers, and technical experts under a shared set of tools, processes, and practices to ensure a consistent, cohesive, and collaborative approach across all AS sector programs.
  • The ideal Director is aninfluential connector and trusted stewardof their discipline - combiningdeep technical expertise with a passion for technical training and development, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

  • Provide leadership and define strategic vision for technical priorities within Software discipline, aligned to long-term sector strategy.
  • Regularly interface with EI&E discipline leads to identify program needs and close gaps in engineering tools, processes, digital solutions, and technical training.
  • Lead the development, deployment, and sustainment of sector-wide engineering tools, standardized processes, digital solutions, and technical training-- ensuring they are relevant, scalable, and interoperable across programs.
  • Oversee and allocate the discipline's NCTA and indirect budgets to strengthen technical excellence; advance tools, processes, and workforce capabilities; and generate measurable impact on program performance and future competitiveness.
  • Represent the discipline in sector-wide and enterprise-wide technical development efforts related to technical development, technical career pathing, technical training, and critical skills investment.
  • Participate in sector-level talent reviews and succession planning to maintain discipline-wide visibility into talent strengths, gaps, and growth opportunities.
  • Provide leadership, alignment, and support to NG Fellows within the discipline to advance sector- and enterprise-wide emerging technologies and future workforce capabilities.
  • Contribute technical expertise and process leadership in major proposal reviews, program reviews, independent technical reviews, program stand-up reviews, NCTA and indirect activities, and other sector-wide improvement efforts.
  • Act as a trusted advisor to help resolve technical performance shortfalls through root cause analysis, corrective action planning, long-term verification of improvement.
  • Capture, share, and embed lessons learned and best practices across programs to continuously raise the bar for technical performance.

Our Leaders at Northrop Grumman live our values daily and encourage our teams to do the same. We do the right thing: upholding the highest ethical standards and facilitating a safe and respectful environment that attracts, retains, and inspires a diverse and engaged team. We do what we promise: holding yourself and others accountable to meet predictable and balanced results. We commit to shared success: operating as OneNG and removing barriers for our teams. Finally, We pioneer: setting a vision that shapes the future and inspires others.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Must have a Bachelor's of Science degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline AND 9 years of related professional/military experience within the Aerospace and Defense industry that includes a background in leadership positions, OR a Master's of Science degree in a STEM discipline and 7 years of related professional/military experience within the Aerospace and Defense industry that includes a background in leadership positions
  • Minimum 6 years of Software leadership/management experience in an integrated product team environment leading agile development teams
  • Experience working across the total program lifecycle
  • Expertise in establishing engineering standards, tools, and processes at scale.
  • Experience in defining and developing software processes and defining tools in alignment with the DOD Dev*Ops Reference architecture
  • Experience with or exposure to digital design initiatives and solutions
  • Experience with commercial Software licensing models and managing commercial software tool portfolios
  • Knowledge of modern industry practices for developing software defined systems.
  • Experience in Avionics, Vehicle, Systems Engineering, Global Supply Chain, and Test processes and tools where they overlap and/or are adjacent to Software processes and tools.(e.g. Software defined LRUs, Software Configuration Management, Software Integration and Test, Software procurement, auto-generated GNC Software.)
  • Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a government issued Secret clearance that is in scope or currently enrolled in continuous evaluation, with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI clearance as determined by business needs
  • Must be able to attain and maintain Special Program Access (PAR) within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience developing and integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Agile continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to automate the testing or deployment of software-defined systems.
  • Active U.S. Government in-scope Secret security clearance.

  • Current Special Program Access (PAR).
  • MS or MBA degree
  • Program management experience
  • Continuous improvement mindset with experience leading process optimization.
  • Strategic, systems-level thinker who can build alignment across functional and program boundaries.

#Yellow

Primary Level Salary Range: $176,100.00 - $305,900.00The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

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About Northrop Grumman

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work - and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible.

Industry

Space research administration

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Falls Church, VA, US

Year founded

1939