Head of Vehicle Engineering - Millennium Space Systems
Boeing · El Segundo, CA
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Base pay
- $175k–$260k
- Experience asked
- 14+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 9 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level manufacturing role at Boeing (aerospace & defense) in El Segundo, CA. As Director of Vehicle Engineering, you will inspire, coordinate, and lead the vehicle engineering team to deliver the technical work products, schedules, and budgets.
- They ask for
- 14+ years
- Base pay
- $175k–$260k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $114k–$167k. This one lists $175k–$260k.
Median of the low and high ends of 117 live postings that list pay, out of 320 manufacturing engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 319 other live manufacturing postings in California.
- Base pay
- About 63% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (14+ vs 5+)
Typical $111k–$157k, from 105 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Tooling 53%
- ✓ New product launch 51%
- Root cause 40%
- Automation 35%
- Machining 29%
- CATIA / NX 29%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
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- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at Boeing
We found 9 people at this company and state: 9 in this kind of role. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
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Write to Blair → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
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- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Boeing in El Segundo
13 other open roles at this site · 9 people we found in manufacturing roles at Boeing.
- Associate Manufacturing Engineer - Electrical · Reliability
- Mission Operations Manager - Millennium Space Systems · Production · Manager
- Mechanical Technician Senior Second Shift – Millennium Space Systems · Reliability · Technician
- Electro-Mechanical Technician B Second Shift - Millennium Space Systems · Reliability · Technician
- Electro-Mechanical Technician Senior Second Shift – Millennium Space Systems · Reliability · Technician
- Electro-Mechanical Technician Senior First Shift – Millennium Space Systems · Reliability · Technician
Full description from BoeingAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Job Summary
As Director of Vehicle Engineering, you will inspire, coordinate, and lead the vehicle engineering team to deliver the technical work products, schedules, and budgets. The director is the advocate for the functional engineering team to ensure they have the required resources to exceed customer expectations. You will work with the other directors and the VP of engineering as a team representing the companies’ engineering leaders. You will develop and sustain a vision for continued growth and improved efficiency for the vehicle engineering team. The vehicle engineering teams own design integration, vehicle performance, and subsystem program execution for scope across; mechanical, thermal, structural, harness, propulsion and mechanical ground support engineering teams.
Position
(Required Skills/Experience)
- ✓Minimum of 14 years of experience as an engineering professional in the aerospace and/or defense industry
- ✓4 years’ experience as a functional manager
- ✓Experience having served as or currently serving as a Project Lead, and/or functional manager in spacecraft development
- ✓Demonstrated knowledge of satellite systems and components
- ✓Demonstrated ability in vehicle engineering design integration, and analysis for spacecraft bus/structure products.
- ✓Experience in the following fields:
- ✓Structural Design and Analysis (static, dynamic, loads, FEM)
- ✓Thermal Design and Analysis
- ✓Mechanical Systems and Mechanisms
- ✓Propulsion Systems
- ✓Harness and Cable Design
- ✓Design for Manufacturability and Sustainment
- ✓Integration, Assembly, and Test (AI&T) flow
- ✓This position requires the ability to obtain a U.S. Security Clearance for which the U.S. Government requires U.S. Citizenship. A Final Post-Start Top Secret Clearance is required.
(Desired Skills/Experience)
- ✓Experience with iterative and/or agile
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Head of Vehicle Engineering - Millennium Space Systems
Company
Millennium Space Systems
Millennium Space Systems, a part of Boeing Defense, Space and Security (BDS), is a fast, agile small satellite company focused on national security space. Our missions have direct impact to global security, like missile warning and Earth observation.
Our team is curious, bold and innovative. We take risks, innovate and explore new techniques and technologies. We influence change because we challenge the status quo. And when we watch our satellites launch, we know each one of us made it happen.
Engineering Communication & Strategic Alignment
- •Communication with Engineering Teams:
- •Provide overall company happenings and provide context to get ahead of swirl. Explain situations in context of the employee, the team, and Millennium
- •Provide rationale and background for higher level decisions Sets the technical direction and standards for mechanical, thermal, structural, harness, propulsion and mechanical ground support engineering teams
- •Establish and maintain the standardization of project management tools to drive commonality in how we implement our design (e.g. template IMS and WBS)
- •Establish Objectives and KPIs that align with company goals and measure engineering performance across the organization
- •Implement organizational initiatives and corrective actions to meet and improve upon performance targets
Program Execution & Technical Oversight
- •Functional Oversight and Support of Program Execution
- •Coordinates risk management across teams; escalates and prioritizes critical risks
- •Oversee program-level schedules, ensure resource balancing, and approve staffing plans
- •Review and approves proposal labor estimates and technical baselines; manages bid efforts
- •Manages communication with program directors and PMs regarding technical work products and performance, as well as communicating impacts due to corporate prioritization
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- •Cross-team collaboration to enforce commonality of tools, analysis, processes, and standards
- •Partner closely with Quality and Safety team to ensure risk posture is well understood, and standards are up to date with your team's processes
- •Work closely with Manufacturing leadership teams to provide support in designing for manufacturability and resolution of complex non-conformance resolution during all working shifts
- •Work with Manufacturing team to scale design as required across program portfolios – establish processes and standards within your team to support this effort
- •Work in conjunction with Program Management to meet execution milestones and address blockers/help needed
Process Improvement & Operational Efficiency
- •Process Improvement: look for cross-team relationships and help set priorities on what team managers recommend Establish & maintain interview processes and staffing plans
- •Approves tools/software for efficient use across engineering teams; manages associated costs
- •Manage OH budget across engineering teams (managers, meetings, software, training, tools & equipment), including approval of software with means for efficient use across teams
Talent Development & Leadership
- •Mentoring and Performance Reviews of Front-Line Managers ETLs and any other direct reports:
- •Providing regular 1:1 meeting with direct reports
- •Providing formal feedback and raising requests per company guidelines
- •Identification of talent for Technical Fellow positions and career growth paths
- •Sponsors cross-team initiatives to drive innovation; identifies and supports transformational technologies
This position’s internal job code is Mech & Structural Engr Mgr. Our team is currently hiring for level L.
This position is expected to be 100% onsite. The selected candidate will be required to work onsite at one of the listed locations.
This position requires the ability to obtain a U.S. Security Clearance for which the U.S. Government requires U.S. Citizenship. A Final U.S. Top Secret Security Clearance is required post start.
Basic
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