Interview Studio

Requirements found

Scheduling (must) Budgeting Supply Chain

What this posting asks for

Level: Senior — The posting asks for 12+ years of experience.

Main responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical deputy to the X-BAT Air Vehicle Lead, acting on their behalf when necessary and helping translate program objectives into clea…
• Maintain the integrity of the air vehicle’s technical baseline, including system requirements, architecture, interfaces, configuration, performance, verifica…
• Lead the day-to-day integration of engineering activities across aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, mechanical systems, avionics, electrical systems, flig…
• Drive aircraft-level technical decisions and trade studies, ensuring decisions are grounded in first-principles analysis and consider downstream effects on p…
• Lead major technical and design reviews, ensuring the aircraft is sufficiently mature to progress through fabrication, ground test, flight test, qualificatio…
• Partner with Program Management to align technical scope with schedule, budget, staffing, supplier, and customer commitments.
• Work closely with Manufacturing and Supply Chain to ensure designs are producible, scalable, and supported by a resilient supplier base.
• Partner with Test and Flight Operations to define verification strategies, ground- and flight-test objectives, instrumentation requirements, test readiness c…
• Lead rapid root-cause investigations and corrective actions for complex aircraft-level problems identified during integration, ground test, flight test, prod…
• Ensure technical decisions and engineering changes are documented, communicated, and reflected in the controlled product baseline.

Competencies an interviewer will look for

• Technical skill Core
  In the posting: “This individual will help maintain the technical integrity of the aircraft while driving day-to-day engineering execution across structures, aerodynamics, pr…” · “The ideal candidate combines broad aircraft technical depth with strong systems thinking, sound engineering judgment, and a demonstrated ability to lead mult…” · “Serve as the primary technical deputy to the X-BAT Air Vehicle Lead, acting on their behalf when necessary and helping translate program objectives into clea…”
  Show it by: Names the tools, languages or systems used and how; Explains a technical choice and its trade-off.
• Communication Core
  In the posting: “Ensure technical decisions and engineering changes are documented, communicated, and reflected in the controlled product baseline.” · “Communicate aircraft status, technical risks, decision recommendations, and recovery plans clearly to program leadership, executives, customers, and external…” · “Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical issues and recommendations to executive and customer audie…”
  Show it by: Adapts the message to the listener; Gives an example of explaining something clearly in writing or speech.
• Teamwork and collaboration Core
  In the posting: “Partner with Program Management to align technical scope with schedule, budget, staffing, supplier, and customer commitments.” · “Work closely with Manufacturing and Supply Chain to ensure designs are producible, scalable, and supported by a resilient supplier base.” · “Partner with Test and Flight Operations to define verification strategies, ground- and flight-test objectives, instrumentation requirements, test readiness c…”
  Show it by: Says what they did inside a team, not only what 'we' did; Shows how a disagreement was handled.
• Ownership and accountability Core
  In the posting: “Are you an experienced aircraft-development leader looking to help build a new class of autonomous combat aircraft? Are you energized by technically difficul…” · “This individual will help maintain the technical integrity of the aircraft while driving day-to-day engineering execution across structures, aerodynamics, pr…” · “Lead the day-to-day integration of engineering activities across aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, mechanical systems, avionics, electrical systems, flig…”
  Show it by: Takes a task from start to finish without being chased; Owns a mistake and what was changed after it.
• Leadership and mentoring Core
  In the posting: “Develop the technical leadership capabilities of engineering managers, functional leads, integrated product team leads, and senior individual contributors.” · “Communicate aircraft status, technical risks, decision recommendations, and recovery plans clearly to program leadership, executives, customers, and external…” · “Demonstrated technical leadership on an aircraft-development program, preferably as a Chief Engineer, Deputy Chief Engineer, Air Vehicle Lead, Systems Engine…”
  Show it by: Describes setting direction or a standard others followed; Names someone they coached and what changed for them.
• Customer focus Core
  In the posting: “Partner with Program Management to align technical scope with schedule, budget, staffing, supplier, and customer commitments.” · “Communicate aircraft status, technical risks, decision recommendations, and recovery plans clearly to program leadership, executives, customers, and external…” · “Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical issues and recommendations to executive and customer audie…”
  Show it by: Puts the customer's need in their own words; Shows a result for the customer, not only for the company.
• Planning and organisation Core
  In the posting: “They must be comfortable moving between system-level decisions and detailed technical problem-solving while balancing performance, safety, cost, schedule, ma…” · “Serve as the primary technical deputy to the X-BAT Air Vehicle Lead, acting on their behalf when necessary and helping translate program objectives into clea…” · “Drive aircraft-level technical decisions and trade studies, ensuring decisions are grounded in first-principles analysis and consider downstream effects on p…”
  Show it by: Shows how priorities were set when everything was urgent; Mentions deadlines met and how.
• Attention to detail and quality Core
  In the posting: “They must be comfortable moving between system-level decisions and detailed technical problem-solving while balancing performance, safety, cost, schedule, ma…” · “Drive aircraft-level technical decisions and trade studies, ensuring decisions are grounded in first-principles analysis and consider downstream effects on p…” · “Demonstrated ability to make high-quality technical decisions with incomplete information and under aggressive program timelines.”
  Show it by: Gives an example of an error caught before it caused harm; Names the check or standard they used.
• Stakeholder management Core
  In the posting: “Communicate aircraft status, technical risks, decision recommendations, and recovery plans clearly to program leadership, executives, customers, and external…” · “Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical issues and recommendations to executive and customer audie…” · “Experience working directly with the Department of Defense, military service customers, external suppliers, and strategic industry partners.”
  Show it by: Shows how they aligned people with different goals; Explains how they handled a 'no' from someone senior.
• Problem solving Core
  In the posting: “They must be comfortable moving between system-level decisions and detailed technical problem-solving while balancing performance, safety, cost, schedule, ma…” · “Lead rapid root-cause investigations and corrective actions for complex aircraft-level problems identified during integration, ground test, flight test, prod…”
  Show it by: Describes a real problem, the options considered and the one chosen; Shows how the cause was found, not just the fix.
• Data and analysis Core
  In the posting: “Drive aircraft-level technical decisions and trade studies, ensuring decisions are grounded in first-principles analysis and consider downstream effects on p…” · “Establish and maintain a disciplined technical-risk process, ensuring risks are identified early, assigned accountable owners, supported by mitigation plans,…”
  Show it by: Uses a number to describe the situation or the result; Explains what the data showed and what was done with it.
• Adaptability and learning Supporting
  In the posting: “The ideal candidate combines broad aircraft technical depth with strong systems thinking, sound engineering judgment, and a demonstrated ability to lead mult…”
  Show it by: Describes learning something new quickly and using it; Shows a change of plan and how they adjusted.

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