Chief Engineer - Laser Communications Program

Overview

BlueHalo is seeking a Laser Communications (Lasercomm) Program Chief Engineer with strong leadership abilities, excellent engineering skills, and extensive experience in product innovation and technical execution to oversee and lead a major lasercomm payload program with the Space Technologies (SpaceTech) Division within BlueHalo Labs. This position requires experience in developing/maintaining strong customer relationships and fulfilling deliverables, thereby positioning the SpaceTech team for future growth. The candidate should have a strong technical and project engineering background with significant knowledge in the design and development of complex optical communication systems. The Program Chief Engineer is responsible for the development and execution of plans to support a major SpaceTech Lasercomm program within the cost, schedule and requirements of the contracts as well as the direct oversight in leading, training, coaching and mentoring of the division's engineering team through every phase, from prototype to production and completion of the program.

The ideal candidate will be a competent, self-starting individual, who has strong interpersonal, communication and time management skills. Success in this position requires a strategic thinker with strong organizational skills and attention to detail. The Program Chief Engineer will keep abreast of cutting-edge advancements in the field, be dedicated to excellence, be able to make decisions in the moment and clearly communicate a vision and company goals to various audiences. Most importantly, BlueHalo values those who are demonstrated team players, who conduct themselves ethically, and who exude a serious commitment to our company projects and mission.

You'd like to do this

• Oversees and guides daily technical execution of a complete product lifecycle including requirement analysis, design and development, integration and test, deployment, and sustainment to assure quality, safety and engineering due diligence while remaining cognizant of programmatic cost and schedule constraints, and requirement goals outlined in the contracts.

• Conducts weekly/bi-weekly feedback/pulse checks from technical staff to collect opportunities or issues and report them to the PM team and SpaceTech Leadership.

• Participates in and guides the System Engineering Integration and Test (SEIT) team to fully understand key program requirements, technical performance measures, and system verification plans.

• Develops plans and approaches with the engineering team to manage all formal, recognized risk items, as well as unplanned "surprises" that occur during development.

• Establishes a regular, informal, agile technical peer review and design verification test process (short term, prioritized task lists and sprint schedules) across the engineering team to check and validate design changes as well as design elements that trace to critical performance requirements to avoid future risk or schedule delays; and takes lead responsibility for ensuring technical staff are accountable to deliver a high quality engineering product.

• Schedules in concert with the SEIT team, test event data reviews to review results, capture non-conformance, and document resolutions as well as; schedules, as appropriate, non-advocate reviews to ensure quality and appropriate scrutiny is applied to key design elements.

• Verifies and documents that action items from peer reviews are addressed.

• Establishes technical readiness reviews for major program milestones and signature/approval is required for consent to proceed with any key program event.

• Reviews and approves customer presentations for sound technical messaging, coherence, and storyline.

• Ensures key program technical data and knowledge points are captured, documented, and organized to assist future programs.

• Documents lessons learned in the final program report.

Program Management

• Maintain close coordination with the Program Management Team, Functional teams, and other staff in order to help shape and execute ongoing efforts in the lasercomm product lines.

• Support the management of engineering activities across program tasks by providing technical direction and approval to decisions impacting engineering designs, analyses and system architectures to ensure the lasercomm products meet all technical/operational requirements and customer expectations.

• While maintaining compliance to the Quality Management System, ensures developmental programs employ tailored levels of process and paperwork and is balanced with the smallest possible, most focused, qualified staff. Yet, not at the expense of creative engineering, agile prototyping or fostering a culture of inclusion and innovation.

• Delegates lead engineering roles and sets engineering technical structure on program; communicate this organizational structure to the PM team during early planning phases.

• Nominates staff for spot awards and bonus opportunities.

• Provides inputs to the PM team to support schedule updates and milestone schedule progress.

• Reviews and must approve any program schedule or plan as well as key changes (a) at the time of proposal and (b) during program execution.

• In concert with the PM team, organizes agendas and layout for key design and customer technical reviews.

• Communicates risk status, mitigation plans, and progress to the PM Team and customer.

• Supports preparing CDRL / program technical status reports for the customer, presents technical status to the customer and participates in all routine customer status and coordination meetings.

Business and Strategy

• Capable of co-leading major proposal efforts to capture new business segments utilizing technology developed during successful programs.

• Looks for program opportunities to grow SpaceTech technical capabilities.

• Creates favorable culture to increase productivity, sound engineering, and innovation.

You're required to have this

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in relevant STEM discipline, or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience

• Active Top Secret/SCI Clearance

• 10+ years of relevant experience within an engineering field

• Engineering experience on space-qualified hardware

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including speaking, writing, and listening, such that ideas and information are clearly conveyed, and meaning is obtained

• Experience providing technical leadership throughout the entire product life cycle, responsible for overseeing the technical, schedule, and cost performance of all engineering activities.

• Experience with identifying critical staffing resources to ensure staffing plans to address technical development areas

• Experience with developing and presenting technical briefings to the customer and company leadership

• Ability to effectively lead teams of technical experts to resolve challenging technical problems

• Proficiency with computer software (Microsoft Suite of Programs, Adobe, etc.) for file creation, conversion, and consolidation, and project scheduling

• Ability to effectively handle variety of situations and problems that may arise - sometimes several at once - and solve them, work with those involved to come to cooperative solutions, while understanding time and budget constraints

• Proven ability to perform under the stress of frequent interruptions and/or distractions

• Skill in working, independently and at the direction of a manager; following through on assignments in a timely manner

• Ability to prioritize, organize, and complete assignments efficiently and accurately, while adapting to shifting or competing work assignments and changes in workload volume

• Experienced negotiator, amongst engineering, program management, vendors, and contracts

• Experience in business analytics and metrics reporting

• Experience evaluating performance on current and previous awards regarding engineering, research and development, subcontracts, costs, and profit

• Knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR/DFAR) and non-FAR/DFAR based mandatory flow down clauses and various types of agreements

Desired Education and Experience

• MS or advanced degree in physics, optical, mechanical, or electrical engineering

• Ability to read and interpret technical specifications and requirements

• Integrated Product Team Lead, Systems Engineering lead, or line engineering management experience

• Experience in assigning and delegating tasks to engineering teams, setting both long and short-term project goals as well as working alongside other engineers and technicians, approving designs and budgets, calculating costs, material, labor, and time required for each project, negotiating contracts with vendors and clients, executing plans safely and efficiently, ensuring that projects stay within time and budgetary restraints, and compiling reports and presenting information to customers and corporate

• Prior experience working with space qualified optical flight hardware

• Experience in Aerospace or with US Department of Defense

Leading the Transformation

The BlueHalo Effect It speaks to who we are as a company, a global protective ring that shields everything we most want to safeguard, an unbroken line that ensures our customers retain the advantage in any battlespace, from high above the Earth to deep in cyberspace. It's who we are, a halo, a protector, the light of inspired engineering keeping our Nation safe. Our vision is a world where national security is certain because technical superiority is assured. Join us and become a vital element of The BlueHalo Effect! EEO Statement BlueHalo is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. U.S. Citizenship is required for most positions. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable workplace accommodation for any part of the employment process, please send an email to Recruiting@bluehalo.com. Please indicate the specifics of the assistance needed. This option is reserved only for individuals who are requesting a reasonable workplace accommodation. It is not intended for other purposes or inquiries.