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Defense Industry Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Navier

Head of Defense

Washington, DC · On-site

Identify industry trends, competitor activities, and emerging opportunities in the defense sector. * Manage relationships with contractors and coordinate closely with Navier's defense advisory board ...

Navier

Head of Defense

Washington, DC · On-site

Identify industry trends, competitor activities, and emerging opportunities in the defense sector. * Manage relationships with contractors and coordinate closely with Navier's defense advisory board ...

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Defense Industry information

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$59K

$92.6K

$136.5K

How much do defense industry jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for defense industry in the United States is $92,575.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $77,500.00 and $103,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the defense industry?

To excel in the defense industry, strong backgrounds in engineering, project management, security clearance, and a thorough understanding of defense regulations are essential. Familiarity with specialized tools such as CAD software, simulation systems, and industry certifications like PMP or ITAR compliance is highly valued. Attention to detail, ethical integrity, teamwork, and effective communication skills set top candidates apart. Mastery of these areas ensures that professionals can contribute to complex defense projects while maintaining strict safety, quality, and compliance standards.

What opportunities for career advancement exist within the defense industry?

The defense industry offers a diverse range of career advancement paths, often allowing professionals to move into roles such as project management, systems engineering, technical leadership, or executive positions. Many organizations provide mentorship programs, skills training, and support for further certifications, allowing employees to deepen their expertise or pivot to new specialties. As you gain experience, there are opportunities to take on larger, more complex projects and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams. Advancement often depends on a mix of technical proficiency, leadership abilities, and successful completion of large-scale projects.

What is a defense industry job?

A Defense Industry job involves working for companies or organizations that develop, produce, and maintain military technologies, equipment, and services. These roles can include engineering, cybersecurity, logistics, intelligence, and project management. Jobs may be with government contractors, defense agencies, or private firms supporting national security. Many positions require security clearances and specialized technical expertise. The industry plays a crucial role in national defense and global security.

More about Defense Industry jobs
What cities are hiring for Defense Industry jobs? Cities with the most Defense Industry job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Defense Industry jobs? The most popular types of Defense Industry jobs are:
What states have the most Defense Industry jobs? States with the most job openings for Defense Industry jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Defense Industry jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Defense Industry jobs are:
Defense Industry jobs near you
Infographic showing various Defense Industry job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 79% Full Time, 13% Part Time, and 7% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $92,575 per year, or $44.5 per hour.

Product Design Engineering Manager - Aerospace & Defense Industry!

Costello/April Design, Inc.

Raleigh, NC • On-site

$162K - $168K/yr

Full-time

Posted 15 days ago

Job description

SUMMARY:
C/A Design is seeking a technically driven Product Design Engineering Manager (PDEM) to lead the conception, and development of rugged embedded computing products for aerospace, defense, and other applications. This role combines engineering with strategic product management. This candidate understands customer mission requirements, translates them into innovative hardware solutions, and guides products from concept through deployment. The PDEM is a contributes to developing new products and scaling to full scale production while also optimizing manufacturing processes and increasing efficiencies on existing technologies. The PDEM will work closely with engineering, manufacturing, and key customers to deliver high-performance solutions that meet environmental and regulatory requirements.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Foster a culture of proactive safety, continually demonstrate an unequivocal commitment to the highest standard of health and safety for the workforce.
  • Define product vision, roadmap, and lifecycle strategy for mechanical and thermal products within rugged embedded computing platforms and adjacent defense and aerospace applications.
  • Gather and prioritize customer requirements from defense and aerospace customers.
  • Conduct competitive analysis and identify emerging technologies and market trends.
  • Develop business cases, pricing strategies, and product positioning.
  • Create product requirements documents and engineering specifications.
  • Manage products throughout their lifecycle, including new product introduction, sustaining engineering, and end-of-life planning.
  • Coordinate product launches with sales, marketing, and operations teams.
  • Participate within industry organizations and technical working groups.
  • Coordinate with other department heads (quality, supply chain and operations teams) to ensure alignment of manufacturing objectives with overall company goals.
  • Oversee all production processes, including the creation, maintenance, and improvement of process documentation, ensuring adherence to quality and regulatory standards.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to scale new processes from prototype to production.
  • Liaise with vendors and suppliers to ensure the timely delivery of equipment and materials while upholding quality standards.
  • Analyze production metrics and performance data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
  • Communicate effectively with cross-functional teams while leading new products from quote through production.
  • Maintain department performance metrics.
  • Foster a culture of innovation, teamwork, and accountability within the sales and engineering departments.
  • Serve as the technical expert and point of contact for manufacturing engineering issues, providing guidance and support to resolve complex problems.
  • Travel: attend customer site visits, leadership meetings, trade shows, and industry organization meetings (10-20%).

REQUIREMENTS:
  • Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, industrial engineering or similar engineering discipline required. Advanced degrees are highly desirable.
  • 7+ years in a dynamic Engineering role.
  • 3+ years in an Engineering leadership role with a heavy focus on New Product Introduction.
  • Experience managing technical products from concept through production.
  • Strong understanding of embedded computer architectures (VPX, VME, cPCI, etc.).
  • Strong working knowledge of high precision machining and programming.
  • Strong knowledge of engineering principles, along with hands-on experience within a high precision machining and assembly environment
  • Excellent project management skills, ability to own a project from start to finish and successfully delegate roles within a team.
  • Leadership qualities - a positive & influential manager capable of strengthening internal and external relationships while bringing out the best in their staff.
  • A continuous improvement mindset - someone that embraces change and leads the way.
  • Exceptional technical skills to include SolidWorks and MS Office.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk and sit. The employee will use hands to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls, reach with hands and arms, climb stairs, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit and to use a computer keyboard with mouse for long periods of time. The employee will occasionally lift and/or move 25 pounds.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Office, Plant, Warehouse or Remote locations:
Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job in the Plant or Warehouse, the employee is exposed to noise and aluminum particles. The noise level is usually moderate but hearing protection may be required in designated areas. The employee is required to wear safety glasses when in the plant. Conditions in remote locations vary, depending on the job requirements.
ABOUT HEICO:
Heico has a history of success. Since its founding over 40 years ago The Heico Companies has grown from a single business to over 80 separate companies through a strategic acquisition policy, and by reinvesting its earnings into internal growth and new prospects. Historically talented at restoring distressed companies, Heico now strategically targets acquisitions that will complement its ever-growing portfolio of companies in manufacturing, construction, and industrial services.
These four core operations are organized into groups: Metal Processing Group, Construction Solutions Group, Applied Solutions Group, and Industrial Technologies Group. Once acquired, new Heico companies are assigned to a group and run on a stand-alone basis, allowing for great independence as well as the opportunity to share knowledge about markets, production processes, and management practices across other Heico groups and companies. Each Group has its own corporate team.
Heico continues to seek out new opportunities and maintain its standard of success. The Heico Companies has remained a privately held company since its creation and maintains a majority ownership in each of its operations, which generates more than $3.3 billion dollars in revenues. Many of our businesses are certified Woman-owned Business Enterprises (WBE).
More information about the holding company and overall organization can be found at www.heicocompanies.com.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

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