Director, Avionics Mechanical Engineering

Location: Seattle, Washington; on-site

Company

Develops the X-BAT aircraft and related ground equipment, including flight-critical avionics hardware.

What you will do

• Set the technical vision, strategy, and roadmap for mechanical, thermal, and EWIS engineering across flight and ground avionics.
• Build and scale a multi-team organization by hiring and developing managers and technical leads, defining structure, and planning headcount.
• Own delivery of complex electro-mechanical hardware from architecture through qualification and production.
• Establish engineering standards, design reviews, and processes for flight-critical avionics.
• Make key mechanical and thermal architecture decisions and communicate risks and recommendations to program leadership.
• Partner with electrical, RF, PCB design, reliability, structures, supply chain, and manufacturing leaders on product delivery, suppliers, and make-versus-buy decisions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• 15+ years of experience in mechanical design around electronics and electrical systems, including hands-on design of enclosures, thermal solutions, and harness integration.
• 5+ years of people leadership, including managing managers or leading multiple engineering teams.
• Experience delivering complex avionics or electro-mechanical hardware from concept through production and scaling engineering teams through rapid growth.
• Technical fluency in avionics packaging, FEA, thermal analysis, fatigue, and lifecycle testing, plus experience with fabrication shops, contract manufacturers, and suppliers.
• Ability to obtain a Secret security clearance.

Nice to have

• Leadership experience on aircraft, spacecraft, launch vehicles, or defense platforms.
• Experience with high-rate hardware production, including satellites, EV power electronics, or autonomous vehicles.
• Experience with DO-160, MIL-STD-810, or similar environmental qualification standards.

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time employee position with on-site work.
• Fast-paced, agile environment with shifting priorities.
• Culture focused on ownership, technical rigor, accountability, high standards, trust, and kindness.
• Leadership role requiring strong technical fundamentals and prior hands-on design experience.