Technical Director- Missiles

Position Overview

The Technical Director – Missiles will lead efforts to expand our presence in the U.S. defense missiles market, enabling advanced technology exchanges across U.S Department of War (DOW), industry, and research centers. As a U.S.-based defense company with the strength of a global parent organization, we are seeking a seasoned leader with deep expertise in DOW missile programs, weapon system architectures, technology roadmap development/execution, international technology transfer, and definition of research & development investment focus areas (with a balanced near- and far-term lens). The ideal candidate will bring proven experience within the Army and Navy community, and a strong network of relationships to position the company for long-term success in the U.S. defense ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the technology lead for U.S. missile programs, acting as the company’s primary interface with DOW engineering offices within OSW R&E, Army DEVCOM AvMC, Army PEO M&S, NSWC, NAWC, AFRL, AFLCMC, MDA, JHTO, and DIU.
• Develop and execute technology roadmap for technology transfer, internal investment, or partner collaboration that aligns with company’s growth strategies.
• Build, manage, and maintain a robust engagement plan with U.S. customer technology stakeholders.
• Support strategic capture and proposal efforts with a focus on technical excellence and the delivery of affordable, rapid technologies to DOW.
• Foster and maintain trusted relationships with key government technology decision-makers, primes and integrators to ensure the company maintains a robust performance of delivering credible, capable and trusted technologies and products.
• Collaborate with internal functional teams (legal, compliance, program management, supply chain and finance) to execute programs with a focus on technical excellence.
• Monitor and assess U.S defense trends as it relates to missile and weapon system technologies to inform the company’s strategic plan for the near- and far-term strategies.
• Represent the company at relevant technical conferences, industry events, and customer meetings to promote capabilities and expand industry presence.
• Provide regular briefings to senior leadership on technology roadmap status and technical risks associated to proposals and on-going programs.
• Drive the maturing of the engineering lifecycle (from requirements to definition to product support and deployment), with a focus on agile risk management within the company’s processes and procedures.

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years of relevant experience in U.S. defense technology leadership role within missiles and/or munitions.
• Deep familiarity with missile programs, research laboratories, and FFRDCs/UARCs.
• In-depth understanding of the U.S. government acquisition and contracting processes, including FAR/DFARS, IDIQs, OTAs, and SBIRs.
• Strong, active network across the defense industry; ability to access decision-makers and influence requirements early in the acquisition lifecycle.
• Prior military or civilian DOW service strongly preferred; experience working with or within DOW R&D or acquisition communities is a plus.
• Must be able to obtain a SECRET level Security Clearance.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related fields.
• Education: Advanced Degree (MBA, MS, or equivalent).
• Expertise in the U.S. defense acquisition system and ability to navigate complex program requirements.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of competitive dynamics in the defense sector.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to brief senior leaders across internal and external stakeholders.
• Technically conversant in missile systems and able to articulate company capabilities to a range of audiences.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and advanced engineering tools to support design and analysis efforts (AFSIM, POST, TAOS, SIMULINK, Various CFD Tools, CAD Tools, etc.).
• Normal amount of sitting or standing, average mobility to move around an office environment, able to conduct normal amount of work at a computer.
• Vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.
• Ability to travel domestically (50%) and occasionally international (5%) required.