Director of Engineering, Battery Systems

WORK LOCATION: Ann Arbor, Michigan

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

SALARY RANGE: The anticipated salary range for this role is $185,000 to $210,000 annually. This range reflects a good faith estimate based on the targeted level for the role and typical compensation benchmarks across U.S. locations. Actual compensation may vary depending on the selected candidate’s qualifications, experience, geographical location, and internal alignment. 

SUMMARY

The Director of Engineering, Battery Systems is the senior technical and operational leader at Redwire Defense Tech (RDT) responsible for defining and executing the full lifecycle delivery of battery systems for Redwire’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs). Working in close partnership with the CTO and UAS product owners, this role has full responsibility for the development, test, production, and sustainment of battery systems for Redwire’s autonomous aircraft. The Director will lead a multidisciplinary engineering organization composed of hardware, software, and manufacturing engineers.  This leader is accountable not only for innovation, but also for predictable program execution (cost, schedule, and quality), systems engineering rigor, production scalability, certification, safety, and customer satisfaction in an aerospace and defense environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The following job functions are a basic requirement but are not limited to and may be assigned other duties.

• Serve as the product owner and technical authority for battery systems at RDT
• Lead an engineering team to design and integrate emerging battery technologies into production end-user battery products, including battery cells, battery management system hardware and software, lightweight battery packaging, and battery chargers.
• Own the battery R&D budget, including forecasting, resource planning, and cost control.
• Lead engineering delivery across the full lifecycle: concept development, requirements definition, system architecture, design, integration, verification & validation (V&V), certification, production, and sustainment.
• Define and execute a multi-year battery technology and product roadmap aligned with business objectives, production quantity, technical performance requirements, and emerging market opportunities in the UAS domain.
• Act as a senior technical interface with customers, partners, and government stakeholders.
• Collaborate with product management, sales, and program management to define requirements, value propositions, and product strategies.
• Establish and monitor engineering KPIs and metrics, including quality, productivity, reliability, and delivery performance.
• Ensure adherence to safety, quality, and environmental standards.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulatory and industry standards (FAA, DoD, STANAG, UN 38.3, etc.).
• Drive workforce planning, hiring, and succession development aligned with business growth.

REQURIED QUALIFICATIONS

The following are a non-exhaustive list of qualifications for the position:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical field.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in technology leadership roles, including experience in battery systems, UAS, defense, and/or robotics industries.
• Deep understanding of integrated battery systems for UAS applications including:
  • Battery cell technologies (e.g. lithium ion and lithium polymer)
  • Battery management systems (BMS), both hardware and software components.
  • Battery packaging approaches to minimize weight while meeting certification requirements and safely surviving end-user abuse.
  • Battery certification and safety requirements (e.g. FAA, DoD, UN38.3)
  • Battery charger technologies, integration and packaging approaches, technical tradeoffs, and requirements
• A functional understanding of drone systems and their associated battery constraints and operating requirements.
• Experience delivering real battery products to end users in a production environment.

REDWIRE DEFENSE TECH