Head of Vehicle Engineering

Long Wall Company was created in 2024 to accelerate missile defense technology for the U.S. and our allies. We specialize in ballistic missile defense and are developing Cyclops, a low-cost, mass-producible interceptor. We also produce containerized launchers and offer low-cost targets for threat replication. The future of global security depends on defensive technology that redefines cost, magazine depth, and distribution to deter and defend against evolving threats. Join us.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR

Mission-Driven Problem Solvers – The problems in missile defense demand ingenuity. We want engineers who approach challenges with curiosity, embrace failure as a learning opportunity, and stay focused on delivering the best solution for the mission.

Total Ownership – We seek engineers who take full responsibility for delivering flight-ready work while recognizing that no one succeeds alone. The best engineers make their teammates better, knowing that complementary skills create force multiplication and drive mission success.

Head of Vehicle Engineering

DESCRIPTION

Long Wall is hiring a Head of Vehicle to lead the multidisciplinary team responsible for taking missile defense hardware from concept through flight. This leader owns the engineering vision, technical execution, and hiring, across the flight hardware design disciplines (e.g., structures, fluid systems, mechanisms), and coaches a team of engineers. They drive technical decisions across product lines and partner closely with propulsion, avionics, manufacturing, and mission assurance leadership to ensure flight-ready delivery on aggressive timelines. The role is hands-on enough to maintain technical credibility, but the principal contribution is multiplying the output of the team in a fast-moving, evolving-priorities environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Own end-to-end engineering delivery of hardware products - structures, fluid systems, mechanisms, primary structure, avionics enclosures - from concept through manufacturing, qualification, and field support
• Lead, hire, develop, and mentor a team of engineers; set the bar for technical excellence and total ownership across the department
• Define and execute the technical roadmap for the Vehicle Engineering department, balancing flight-ready execution with the build-out of containerized, mass-producible product lines
• Own department headcount, schedule and planning; allocate resources to maximize mission impact per dollar
• Drive design reviews, qualification plans, and risk-based decision-making; serve as the senior technical authority on hardware architecture and major trade studies
• Partner cross-functionally with propulsion, avionics, GNC, manufacturing, supply chain, and test/launch leadership to integrate hardware into flight-ready systems on aggressive schedules
• Represent Long Wall hardware capabilities to executive leadership, customers, and program partners, including the U.S. Government and allied defense organizations

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering discipline from an accredited university
• Experience: 8–12 years of progressive industry experience in hardware design and development, including direct people-management responsibility for multiple engineers, disciplines, or sub-teams

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information protected under US export control laws, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and/or the Export Administration Regulations.  As such, US person status (including US citizens, U.S. permanent residents, individuals granted U.S. asylum status, or individuals admitted in U.S. refugee status) is a required qualification for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, genetics, or citizenship status (when otherwise legally authorized to work and access export-controlled data) and will not be discriminated against on the basis of such characteristics or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We encourage applicants of all ages.