Director, Engineering - Aerospace and Defense

We are seeking a Director of Engineering to lead and modernize a multi-disciplinary engineering organization within a complex, engineered-to-order environment supporting defense and naval applications. This position reports to the VP / GM of the Business Unit and is a member of the Senior Leadership Team for the site.

This role requires more than technical expertise. We are looking for a leader who brings strong business acumen, operational awareness, professional presence, and the ability to drive disciplined execution across engineering and cross-functional teams.

Location: Mississauga, ON

Salary: $175,000 - $210,000

Please note that the salary range information provided is a general guideline only, reflecting a position based in Ontario. Criteria such as the candidate’s qualifications and relevant experience, the scope of the specific position, as well as market and business considerations will be evaluated when extending an offer.

We Take Care of Our People

RRSP with Employer Match I Health and Wellness Benefits I Learning and Development Opportunities I Competitive Pay I Referral Program I Recognition I I

Curtiss-Wright invests in the development, recruitment, and retention of critical skills as part of its model for business success. We offer a competitive wage, a comprehensive benefit package, RRSP, tuition reimbursement, and paid vacation/holidays.

Your Challenge

• Lead a team of 40–50 engineers and technologists across design and systems engineering
• Drive execution across new product development and legacy product support
• Establish and strengthen systems engineering practices, including requirements management and verification alignment
• Align engineering outputs with manufacturing realities, cost targets, and program requirements
• Partner closely with Operations, Business Development, Supply Chain, and Program Management
• Improve design-for-manufacture and overall product performance
• Break down silos and improve cross-functional execution
• Elevate engineering communication, documentation, and technical rigor

What You Bring:

• Proven experience transforming and leading large engineering teams in complex environments
• Strong systems engineering foundation with demonstrated ability to improve execution discipline
• Experience working closely with manufacturing or operations in a defense or aerospace environment is a strong asset
• Ability to connect engineering decisions to business outcomes (cost, schedule, margin)
• Decisive leader who can drive clarity, accountability, and change
• Strong communication skills, including structured technical writing and executive-level communication

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (required) (EO, design, software preferred)
• Professional Engineer (P.Eng) designation (required)
• 10+ years of progressive engineering leadership experience (required)
• Proven experience leading large, multi-disciplinary engineering teams (required)

Required Competencies

• Strong business and financial acumen (budgeting, forecasting, financial levers)
• Deep understanding of operations, and manufacturing environments
• Systems thinking and structured problem-solving
• Decisive leadership and bias for action
• Strong communication and technical writing capability
• Ability to manage complexity and ambiguity
• High standards for accountability and execution

Preferred Credentials and Experience

• MBA in operations, finance, or strategy
• Defense, aerospace, or naval systems environment, military background preferred
• Experience working within engineered-to-order (ETO) or complex product environments
• Demonstrated experience working closely with manufacturing, Sales and operations teams
• Experience/expertise in welding and associated regulations (WCB, Lloyds)

Who We Are

Curtiss-Wright's Indal Technologies specializes in helicopter securing and traversing systems, marine hangar doors, sonar handling systems, towed line array handling systems, sonar domes, towed bodies and fairings, and aviation support systems including horizon reference, pilot cues, and helicopter tie-down fittings for the world's navies. For more information:

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