Senior Manager, Mechanical Engineering

V2X is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineering Section Manager to join our Hardware Engineering team in Indianapolis, IN. This role supports the development of advanced defense systems, including podded communication links, sensor systems, airborne armament equipment, alternate mission equipment, cockpit displays, avionics, and radar systems. Additionally, the Indianapolis facility supports other product lines serving diverse Department of Defense (DoD) customers, providing unique opportunities to work across multiple programs and advance your career.

The selected candidate will lead, manage, and continuously improve a team of 12 mechanical engineers and will be responsible for driving technical excellence, fostering talent development, and aligning the mechanical engineering team with organizational objectives. This role requires technical depth, leadership expertise, and a strategic mindset to ensure project success and organizational growth.

Responsibilities

Team Leadership and Talent Management

• Lead and manage the mechanical engineering team, fostering trust, collaboration, and accountability.
• Cultivate talent by mentoring engineers, driving career development plans, and identifying opportunities for growth.
• Evaluate and manage individual and team performance, including conducting performance reviews and recognizing contributions.
• Implement and oversee effective management systems to continuously improve team operations and processes.
• Drive hiring efforts, forecast resource demands, and resolve skill gaps to ensure team readiness for current and future program execution.

Technical Oversight

• Provide technical expertise and subject matter guidance in mechanical design, analysis, environmental/dynamic testing, for DoD hardware.
• Support the team’s technical execution across all programs, ensuring adherence to customer requirements, budgets, and schedules.
• Review, critique, and approve engineering work products while ensuring compliance with DoD/aerospace standards (e.g., ASME, MIL-STD).
• Drive innovation, sound decision-making, and critical thinking across the team to solve engineering challenges and deliver high-quality products.

Program Planning and Execution

• Collaborate with program leadership to develop technical solutions, execution plans, risk management strategies, and labor estimates.
• Align mechanical engineering resources to meet program schedules and priorities while balancing competing demands.
• Actively contribute to early phase design, concept development, and proposal efforts.
• Continuous Improvement and Strategy: Drive continuous improvement in processes, tools, and technologies to enhance team efficiency and effectiveness.
• Lead change initiatives and align the team with industry and organizational trends to position the organization for long-term success.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with other departments and contribute to strategic initiatives that support business objectives.

Compliance and Security

• Ensure team compliance with ITAR/EAR export control regulations and other applicable standards.
• Maintain accountability for meeting all safety, training, and qualification requirements.
• Support all mandatory processes related to employee travel, expenses, and timecards in accordance with company policy.

To be considered for the Senior Mechanical Engineering Manager role, the candidate should have experience in either the mechanical design, mechanical analysis, environmental/dynamic testing of airborne or DoD hardware.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related STEM discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in mechanical engineering within aerospace or DoD industries.
• Technical expertise in mechanical design, analysis, environmental testing, or dynamic testing of airborne/DoD hardware.
• Project leadership experience in planning, scheduling, budgeting, and executing engineering projects.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including experience providing technical mentorship.
• Experience executing on product development teams and collaborating across disciplines.
• Strong interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and experience resolving conflicts and fostering collaboration.

Desired/Additional Qualifications:

• Master’s or PhD in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering.
• Prior management experience leading mechanical engineering teams in aerospace or DoD companies.
• Cross-disciplinary knowledge across engineering domains.
• Proficiency with solid modeling CAD tools (e.g., Creo) and PLMs (e.g. Windchill).
• Familiarity with engineering drawings and military drawing standards.
• Experience with failure investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Experience with mechanical testing, including planning, instrumentation, execution, and data analysis.
• Current and active DoD security clearance.

Work Authorization & Security Clearance Requirements:

• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret DoD security clearance.
• U.S. Citizenship is required in accordance with ITAR/EAR regulations.