Senior Director of Aerospace Engineering

Skills at this level

Propulsion System Design

— Directs the design and modeling of propulsion systems — engines, combustion chambers, turbines, and fuel systems — translating aerodynamic and thermodynamic requirements into buildable hardware.

CFD Analysis

— Governs the use of computational fluid dynamics to simulate and analyze propulsion flow and performance, setting expectations for mesh quality, solver selection, and validation against test data.

Structural and Thermal Analysis (FEA)

— Oversees finite element analyses that evaluate structural behavior and thermal loads on propulsion components operating at high temperature and pressure.

Thermodynamics

— Applies energy and heat-transfer principles to guide engine cycle and combustion design decisions and to judge the credibility of performance predictions.

Combustion

— Directs analysis of combustion processes for engine and rocket propellant design, informing chamber, injector, and stability decisions.

Materials Science

— Applies knowledge of high-temperature and structural materials to material-selection and qualification decisions for propulsion hardware and test articles.

Engine Test Planning and Execution

— Leads development of propulsion test plans and oversees test campaigns, ensuring safe, instrumented data collection that validates design and qualification objectives.

Non-Conforming Hardware Resolution

— Manages disposition of non-conforming hardware throughout flight engine production, balancing airworthiness, schedule, and cost against defined engineering criteria.

Subsystem Integration

— Coordinates interfacing of propulsion with other vehicle subsystems such as GNC, power, and mechanical systems to ensure the engine functions within the full vehicle.

Regulatory Compliance

— Directs propulsion engineering activities to meet applicable airworthiness and safety regulations, embedding compliance into design reviews and qualification.

Data Analysis and Interpretation

— Oversees analysis and interpretation of simulation, experiment, and measurement data, ensuring results are drawn correctly and presented clearly to decision-makers.

Technology Evaluation and Strategic Planning

— Assesses emerging propulsion technologies and shapes long-term technical roadmaps, aligning engineering investment with business objectives.

Leadership and Influence

— Mentors engineers and, at senior levels, aligns stakeholders and executives on propulsion decisions and multi-million-dollar technology investments, often without direct authority.

Communication

— Explains propulsion designs, analyses, and risk decisions orally and in writing to both technical teams and nontechnical executives and customers.

Budget and Resource Management

— Owns propulsion team operating budgets and allocation of engineering, simulation, and test resources across concurrent projects and programs.