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Senior Engineering Manager

Dayton, OH

Our client is an established small business and a trusted Prime Contractor to the U.S. Department of War, delivering engineering, manufacturing, product quality, and supply chain solutions across weapon system sustainment programs. The team works directly with government and military customers to bridge the gap between initial requirements and manufacturing execution, including advanced and additive manufacturing, digital engineering, and model-based manufacturing. Our client is recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the country.

Position Summary

Our client is hiring a Senior Engineering Manager to lead engineering execution across its sustainment and advanced manufacturing programs. This is a hands-on leadership role: you will manage a team of engineers spanning electrical, mechanical, and industrial disciplines, own technical delivery on active DoD programs, and be the person program leadership and customers turn to when a design, schedule, or quality issue needs a decision. This is not a large-department, layers-of-management role. You will be close to the work, close to the team, and close to the customer.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a multi-disciplinary engineering team (electrical, mechanical, industrial) supporting weapon system sustainment and advanced manufacturing programs
• Own technical delivery: scope, schedule, budget, and quality across assigned programs and projects
• Serve as a working technical authority, reviewing designs, resolving engineering issues, and stepping in as a hands-on contributor when programs need it
• Translate customer and contract requirements into engineering execution plans and staffing decisions
• Manage workforce planning, staffing allocation, and skill mix across current and upcoming program needs
• Develop, mentor, and performance-manage engineers and any front-line leads on the team
• Interface directly with program managers, the customer, and executive leadership on technical status, risk, and schedule
• Ensure designs, processes, and deliverables meet contract, regulatory, and quality requirements, including ITAR/EAR and CUI data handling
• Drive continuous improvement in engineering processes, tools, and metrics across the department
• Support proposal and bid activity, including technical scoping and basis-of-estimate input for new and follow-on work
• Coordinate with supply chain, quality, and manufacturing functions to keep engineering aligned with production realities

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a closely related engineering field
• 10+ years of engineering experience in defense, aerospace, or advanced manufacturing environments, including at least 3-5 years in a people leadership or engineering management role
• Direct experience with defense industry programs, contract requirements, and quality/regulatory standards (ITAR/EAR, AS9100, or similar)
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a technical team while remaining hands-on with design review and problem-solving
• Experience managing program-level engineering execution: schedule, budget, staffing, and risk
• Strong communication skills across technical and executive audiences, and comfort representing engineering directly to the customer
• Ability to obtain and maintain the security clearance level required for program access (U.S. citizenship required)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in weapon system sustainment, model-based manufacturing, or digital engineering environments
• Background spanning more than one engineering discipline (electrical, mechanical, or industrial), reflecting the cross-functional nature of this team
• Familiarity with additive/advanced manufacturing processes
• Prior experience at a small-to-medium defense manufacturer or prime contractor, where engineering leaders wear more than one hat
• Active DoD security clearance

Why This Role

• Direct, visible impact on U.S. weapon system sustainment programs, not buried in a large matrixed organization
• Broad scope across disciplines and program lifecycle stages, from requirements through manufacturing execution
• Seat at the table with program leadership and the customer, not several layers removed
• Join a fast-growing, small-business prime contractor with room to shape how engineering is run as the company scales