Are you ready to join an innovative company with over 100 years of excellence and a steadfast commitment to ethical business practices? Amentum is a trusted partner to United States government agencies, allied governments, and corporations worldwide supporting critical programs across a broad range of domains. We are hiring a Chief Engineer to support key programs at NSWC Crane. This is a high-impact role that requires a mix of strategic planning, technical know-how, and hands-on management to deliver results while spearheading cutting-edge solutions.
The Chief Engineer will provide senior engineering leadership and technical direction for research and development efforts supporting Counter Unmanned Systems (C-UxS) programs. This individual will serve as the top engineering leadership responsible for the technical integrity, integration, and overall engineering execution of unmanned systems and related subsystems operating in contested and complex operational environments. The Chief Engineer works in close partnership with the Program Manager, and government stakeholders to translate research and scientific innovation into sound, executable engineering solutions.
Job Duties and Responsibilities:
- Serve as the senior engineering leadership for the program, providing technical leadership and oversight across all engineering disciplines involved in C-UxS research and development (systems, software, electrical, mechanical, test, and integration engineering).
- Own the overall technical baseline, ensuring engineering rigor, consistency, and traceability across requirements, design, integration, and test activities.
- Partner with all stakeholders to translate emerging research and scientific findings into practical engineering designs and implementations.
- Lead engineering trade studies, design reviews, and technical risk assessments related to system performance, survivability, autonomy, and resilience in contested/denied environments.
- Provide engineering oversight and approval authority for major design decisions, technical baselines, and configuration changes.
- Lead, mentor, and coordinate a multidisciplinary engineering team, including Systems Engineers, Test Engineers, M&S Analysts, and other technical staff, ensuring efficient allocation of engineering resources across active efforts.
- Ensure engineering designs, processes, and systems adhere to industry standards, safety regulations, and best practices.
- Oversee resource planning, budgeting, and scheduling to optimize efficiency and cost-effectiveness across engineering projects.
- Evaluate emerging technologies, tools, and methodologies to enhance organizational capabilities and maintain a competitive edge.
- Identify and mitigate risks, resolve complex issues, and provide viable solutions to engineering challenges.
- Represent the engineering function at executive leadership meetings, presenting project status updates, strategic initiatives, and technical insights.
- Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, partners, and clients to ensure alignment and satisfaction.
Minimum Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Aerospace, Systems, or other related field). A master’s degree or relevant advanced education is highly preferred.
- Minimum of 15 years in engineering, including significant leadership and management experience in a senior engineering role.
- Demonstrated expertise in overseeing complex, large-scale engineering projects with proven technical and operational success.
- Comprehensive knowledge of industry standards, regulations, and best practices.
- Strong leadership, communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills, with a proven ability to lead and inspire diverse teams.
- Strong understanding of the full systems engineering lifecycle, and technology readiness level (TRL) frameworks.
- Proficiency in the use of engineering software, tools, and technologies specific to CUxS.
- Experience in budget planning, cost estimation, and financial management for engineering projects.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret Clearance. Please note U.S. Citizenship is required to obtain a clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Active Top Secret security clearance or ability to obtain one.
- Professional Engineering (PE) license or equivalent certification in relevant field.
- Experience working in CUxS or areas of GPS-denial, electronic warfare resilience, swarm autonomy, communications degradation.
- Track record of driving organizational innovation and implementing emerging technologies.
- Knowledge of compliance and quality management systems in highly regulated industries (e.g., ISO, Six Sigma, LEED, etc.).
Compensation Details:
$140,000 - $240,000
The compensation range or hourly rate listed for this position is provided as a good-faith estimate of what the company intends to offer for this role at the time this posting was issued. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as job responsibilities, education, experience, skills, internal equity, market data, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and relevant laws.
Benefits Overview:
Our health and welfare benefits are designed to support you and your priorities. Offerings include:
Health, dental, and vision insurance
Paid time off and holidays
Retirement benefits (including 401(k) matching)
Educational reimbursement
Parental leave
Employee stock purchase plan
Tax-saving options
Disability and life insurance
Pet insurance
Note: Benefits may vary based on employment type, location, and applicable agreements. Positions governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), or other employment contracts may include different provisions/benefits.
Original Posting:
09/11/2026 - Until FilledAmentum anticipates this job requisition will remain open for at least three days, with a closing date no earlier than three days after the original posting. This timeline may change based on business needs.
Amentum is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, ancestry, United States military or veteran status, color, religion, creed, marital or domestic partner status, medical condition, genetic information, national origin, citizenship status, low-income status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law. Learn more about your rights under Federal laws and supplemental language at Labor Laws Posters.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, such as mechanical, electrical, civil, aerospace, systems, or a related field
- Master's degree or relevant advanced education
- At least 15 years of engineering experience, including significant senior leadership and management experience
- Experience overseeing complex, large-scale engineering projects with demonstrated technical and operational success
- Comprehensive knowledge of industry standards, regulations, and best practices
- Strong leadership, communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills, including the ability to lead diverse teams
- Strong understanding of the full systems engineering lifecycle and technology readiness level frameworks
- Proficiency with engineering software, tools, and technologies specific to Counter Unmanned Systems
- Experience with budget planning, cost estimation, and financial management for engineering projects
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret Clearance
- U.S. citizenship required to obtain the security clearance
- Active Top Secret security clearance or ability to obtain one
- Professional Engineer license or equivalent certification
- Experience with Counter Unmanned Systems, GPS denial, electronic warfare resilience, swarm autonomy, or communications degradation
- Track record of driving organizational innovation and implementing emerging technologies
- Knowledge of compliance and quality management systems, such as ISO, Six Sigma, or LEED
Amentum Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Amentum and has not been reviewed or approved by Amentum.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare offerings are described as comprehensive, with medical, dental, and vision plans and multiple PPO/HSA options. Mental health support via an employee assistance program and other wellness resources is also included in the benefits mix.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support is positioned as a meaningful part of total rewards through a 401(k) plan with employer matching. Profit-sharing contributions and immediate or near-term vesting in some cases further strengthen the retirement value proposition.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time-off benefits are presented as solid for the sector, including tiered PTO accrual by tenure and a set of paid holidays. Role-dependent flexible or remote work options and leave programs add to perceived work-life support.
Amentum Insights
What We Do
Amentum is a premier global technical and engineering services partner supporting critical programs of national significance across defense, security, intelligence, energy, and environment. We draw from a century-old heritage of operational excellence, mission focus, and successful execution underpinned by a strong culture of safety and ethics. Headquartered in Germantown, Md., we employ more than 20,000 people in 48 states and 28 foreign countries and territories. Visit us at amentum.com to explore how we deliver excellence for our customers’ most vital missions.
