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Vice President of Engineering

City/State: Colorado Springs, CO USA

Type and Schedule: Full-Time, Salary/Exempt, On-Site

Annualized Salary Range: $221,312.00 - $301,496.00 (commensurate with experience).

About Us: Caliola is a woman-owned small business that is improving and protecting our Nation's way of life through secure collaboration and resilient communications. Our engineers, subject matter experts, and veterans are developing and delivering trusted solutions for mission-critical communications. We seek teammates who share our core values:

I3 for C3 - Insight, Innovation, and Integrity for Command, Control, and Communications

These values guide how we work every day. At Caliola, you will find technically challenging, mission-focused work within a flexible and collaborative culture that is uncommon in the defense industry. We offer flexible PTO, subsidized health insurance, 401(k) matching, professional development, and a competitive compensation structure designed to support long-term growth.

Our performance has driven rapid growth and national recognition, being named twice to the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ and inclusion on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies. We have also been recognized as a Colorado Company to Watch, a ColoradoBiz Top Company in Aerospace & Defense, and the #2 Gazette's Best Workplace (medium size) in 2025.

Headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, we operate in a leading aerospace and defense hub with proximity to major military installations. Set against the Rocky Mountains, the region offers year-round outdoor recreation and a high quality of life for professionals and families considering relocation.

As a part of our selection process, we ask all applicants to complete a short, 10-12-minute survey from Culture Index. This is a survey, not a test; no passing or failing. The purpose of this survey is to identify your unique strengths as they relate to our open positions. Please copy and paste the following link into a separate browser window to complete: https://go.cultureindex.com/s/5i6Gpe3wge

Position Description: The Vice President of Engineering (VP of Engineering) will lead Caliola's engineering and program management teams, ensuring delivery of high-quality solutions, innovative products, and mission-critical systems. This executive will drive technical excellence, operational efficiency, and strategic alignment with DoD priorities, while fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. The VP of Engineering will also support the evolution of DoD-funded solutions into marketable products and champion adoption of new tools, processes, and AI-driven knowledge management within the engineering organization.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Leadership, Management, and Accountability (LMA) for a team comprising the leaders of Caliola's engineering and program management teams.
• Ensure that standards for quality are maintained across a diverse organization that both delivers engineering solutions and develops hardware and software products.
• Identify and resolve strategic staffing gaps in the capabilities of the engineering organization (e.g., identify need to hire staff in a key emerging discipline).
• Work with leaders of Caliola's engineering teams to identify when new tools (e.g., AI, languages, frameworks, etc.) should be integrated into production development.
• Work with Chief Scientist and business development team to ensure that solutions developed with DoD funding can evolve into marketable products or components.
• Work with Chief Scientist and business development team to architect solutions that integrate multiple capabilities drawn from Caliola's engineering portfolio.
• Support major proposal efforts that span multiple engineering disciplines.
• Champion the development and sustainment of AI-driven knowledge management tools for collaboration within the engineering organization and with other teams.
• Ensure that compliance with key certifications, to include CMMC and AS9100, are maintained with Caliola's engineering organization.

What We Require:

• MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline (or equivalent full time professional experience).
• Experience with system level design of complex hardware and/or software systems.
• Leadership experience in an organization that works with or within the DoD.
• Understanding of DoD contracting and its impact on engineering execution.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage challenging situations with grace and professionalism.
• Ability to effectively lead a geographically distributed team from Caliola's headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO.
• Ability to travel periodically, with an emphasis on critical meetings at key customer sites across the United States and Europe.
• Must be able to obtain a US Top-Secret security clearance.

What We Value:

• Demonstrated knowledge of wireless and/or satellite communications.
• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
• Experience leading the development and delivery of products to the DoD.
• Experience with formal DoD program management processes and best practices.
• Active US Secret or Top-Secret security clearance.

Minimum Physical Requirements:

• Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods and transition between the two as required.
• Ability to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds occasionally.
• Ability to bend, stoop, reach, and navigate stairs or uneven surfaces during site visits.
• Dexterity to grasp, handle, and manipulate small items such as laptops, cellphones, USB drives, business cards, and documents.
• Ability to travel periodically, including by car or airplane, for customer meetings and site visits.
• Ability to maintain focus and attention to detail for extended periods while reviewing technical documents, proposals, and digital information.

Please contact Human Resources with questions about ADA accommodations.

Expression of Interest: By applying to this job, you are expressing interest in this position and could be considered for other career opportunities at Caliola Engineering. Should a match be identified between your skillset and Caliola's requirements for this or a future opening, you may be contacted.

At Caliola, we believe that true innovation can only occur when teammates bring their authentic selves to collaborate in a supportive, encouraging environment. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age, or any other federally protected class.

Caliola participates in E-Verify, an internet-based system used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. Upon hire, all employees are required to complete Form I-9 to verify their identity and employment eligibility to work in the United States.

All candidates will be required to pass a basic background screening.