Engineering Manager, Advanced Systems Engineering
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a world leader in proven, reliable remotely piloted aircraft and tactical reconnaissance radars, as well as advanced high-resolution surveillance systems.
The Research & Design (R&D) Engineering organization at GA-ASI has recently established a new engineering department called System Development & Integration (SD&I) Engineering, and we are hiring! The SD&I Department is comprised of engineering leaders working as system engineers, integration engineers, sub-IPT leads, IPT leads, and/or Chief Engineers who use their previous detailed design, integration, and/or test experience as a foundation for these wider in breadth roles at the system level. The main objective for these roles is to guide and lead detail design engineers in the other engineering design departments in R&D Engineering during next generation aircraft development efforts at GA-ASI.
This position reports to the head of the SD&I Engineering Department. Successful candidates will be capable of leading a team of system engineers responsible for guiding and coordinating detailed design engineers across multiple disciplines, defining pragmatic system engineering approaches that leverage Model-Based System Engineering (MBSE) tools alongside traditional methods and discipline-specific tools, as well as establishing integration strategies between MBSE tools, physics-based models, code-generating platforms, and PLM systems. The successful candidate will have 10+ years of engineering experience including 7-10 years in design, integration, or test in one of the primary aerospace disciplines (flight sciences, mechanical systems, electrical/avionics, propulsion, software, airframe structures, etc.) followed by a transition into system engineering. This leader will balance technical rigor with practical program execution and value outcomes over methodological purity.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Leadership and Team Management
Leads, mentors, and develops a team of system engineers supporting complex aerospace programs
Recruits, retains, and develops engineering talent
Conducts performance reviews and career development planning
Manages resource allocation, workload distribution, and technical staffing
Fosters collaboration across engineering disciplines including flight sciences, mechanical systems, electrical/avionics, propulsion, software, and airframe structures
Provides direction to system engineering and technical staff
Represents system engineering in program reviews, customer engagements, and internal leadership meetings
System Engineering Strategy and Process
Defines and implements system engineering processes, standards, and best practices that balance rigor with practicality and program needs
Establishes a balanced system engineering approach that leverages MBSE tools (e.g., Cameo, MagicDraw, etc.) alongside traditional methods and discipline-specific environments
Defines integration strategies between MBSE tools, physics-based analysis models, code-generating platforms (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, Stateflow), and PLM systems (e.g., Teamcenter)
Deploys the right tools and methods for specific engineering problems without dogmatic adherence to any single methodology
Sets technical direction and priorities aligned with program objectives and organizational strategy
System Engineering Execution
Understands systems engineering across multiple disciplines and leads development of behavioral and functional capabilities at the system level
Creates, analyzes and interprets requirements at the system level, decomposes and flows down to lower-level specifications
Oversees system architecture development, trade studies, and interface definition and control
Conducts trade studies and other analyses to inform requirements flowed down to detailed design engineering departments
Drives requirements definition, decomposition, allocation, and traceability across system and subsystem levels
Evaluates and guides the development of detailed designs to ensure system-level requirements are met
Ensures proper configuration management and change control across the system engineering lifecycle
Oversees verification and validation planning, including test integration and system-level acceptance criteria
Supports risk identification, analysis, and mitigation at the system level
Technical Contribution and Problem Solving
Applies domain expertise from aerospace design, integration, or test to inform system-level decisions
Devises new approaches to resolve unusual or complex engineering problems
Evaluates trade-offs between subsystem performance, integration complexity, cost, schedule, and risk
Provides technical guidance to system engineers and hardware/software design engineering teams
Analyzes and troubleshoots systems by utilizing standard engineering principles
Troubleshoots conflicting design/development requirements, difficult coordination requirements, and special material requirements
Reviews system requirements, interface control documents, system models, and verification plans
Supports technical problem resolution and root cause analysis for system-level issues
Airworthiness and Standards
Understands military aircraft airworthiness standards and is adept at analyzing airworthiness artifacts to determine if compliance is demonstrated
Ensures system engineering activities support military airworthiness or similar regulatory processes as required
Coordination and Communication
Provides technical coordination of vendors/suppliers as required
Works closely with program management, engineering leads, operations, and other stakeholders
Coordinates with suppliers, subcontractors, and customers on system requirements and interfaces
Provides documentation and makes technical presentations as required
Communicates technical concepts, system architecture, and engineering strategies to diverse audiences
Leads or is a key stakeholder in Conceptual Design Reviews, SFR, SRR, PDR, CDR and Test Readiness Reviews for assigned scope of work
Supports proposal development, technical presentations, and customer engagements as needed
Compliance and Safety
Maintains the strict confidentiality of sensitive information
Observes all laws, regulations and other applicable obligations wherever and whenever business is conducted on behalf of the Company
Works in a safe manner in accordance with established operating procedures and practices
Additional Responsibilities:
Performs other duties as assigned
We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.
Job Qualifications:
Typically requires a Bachelors, Masters or PhD in engineering or a related technical field as well as eleven or more years of progressively complex engineering experience. May substitute equivalent experience in lieu of education.
Aerospace industry experience in design, integration, or test in one or more of the following disciplines: flight sciences, mechanical systems, electrical/avionics systems, propulsion, software engineering, or airframe structural design.
Subsequent experience in system engineering, including requirements management, system architecture, interface control, and/or verification and validation.
Experience leading or managing engineering teams, projects, or technical work packages.
Knowledge of Model-Based System Engineering (MBSE) principles, tools, and applications.
Understanding of how to integrate MBSE with other engineering tools and environments, including physics-based simulation, code-generating models (e.g., Simulink, Stateflow), and PLM systems (e.g., Teamcenter).
Strong technical communication skills and ability to work across engineering disciplines.
Demonstrated ability to balance technical rigor with practical program execution.
Preferred Qualifications:
Hands-on experience with MBSE tools such as Cameo Systems Modeler, MagicDraw, etc.
Experience with MATLAB/Simulink, Stateflow, or similar model-based development environments.
Experience with PLM systems such as Teamcenter, including integration with requirements management and system models.
Experience supporting military airworthiness or similar regulatory processes
Ability to obtain and maintain DoD Security Clearance is required.
Job Category
Engineering
Experience Level
Management
Workstyle
Onsite
Full-Time/Part-Time
Full-Time Salary
Pay Range Low
130,500
Pay Range High
228,375
Travel Percentage Required
0% - 25%
Relocation Assistance Provided?
Yes
US Citizenship Required? Yes
Clearance Required? Desired
Clearance Level
Secret
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