Worker Type

Regular

Job Description

 

Summary

The Product Line Director designs, develops and leads activities for a specific group of products for AeroVironment, including planning through production release and end of product life. This position communicates and facilitates relationships with customers, socializes roadmaps with internal teams, partners with executive and strategy teams, and works daily with Program Management and Engineering. Will define creative, high quality, simple roadmaps for missions, products, and capabilities to achieve the company’s strategic goals.

Position Responsibilities

• Holds complete responsibility, accountability, and authority for multiple LMS product lines.
• Leads specific product lines through entire lifecycle, sunrise to sunset.
• Provides leadership on new product introduction activities with engineering and operations and ensures alignment with the Go-to-Market plans
• Manages and leads existing product sustainment activities with engineering, supply chain, and operations to ensure alignment with product lifecycle
• Interfaces with FSRs to facilitate resolution of product line FIRs and PRs
• Effectively balances customer and business needs when planning and retiring products
• Trains, coaches, mentor’s other product line managers
• Establishes, communicates, and achieves buy-in for product line strategies
• Works with customer programs to manage new pursuits and contract negotiations
• Able to provide guidance and direction for new business pursuits and proposal efforts 
• Collaborates with Marketing and Business Development to define product pricing, promotion, placement, and preferred features
• Collaborates with stakeholders to develop Product Requirements
• Consults with CTO office and/or engineering on latest technologies and their inclusion within LMS product roadmap(s)
• Manages prioritization and trade-offs among projects to effectively lead the LMS portfolio, achieve a balance of products, and address resource needs
• Interfaces and collaborates with customers to understand concept of operations and problem
• Creates buy-in for the product vision both internally and with key customers
• Leads fiscal year budgeting for product line R&D and sustainment activities and holds budget accountability for their respective product lines
• Evaluates addressable markets, risks, opportunities, and competitors to support current and future business pursuits
• Provides leadership guidance to the execution teams working within the product line
• Establishes, tracks, and analyzes product line performance metrics and takes action to address issues and/or opportunities
• Ensures project and customer data is protected in accordance with ITAR, security classification guides and company proprietary information procedures
• Manages organizational and/or customer conflicts, finds a win-win for the business and the customer
• Acts independently to determine methods and procedures on new or special assignments. May supervise the activities of others.
• Evaluates and establishes efficient policy and procedures for the Product Line team, consistent with AeroVironment’s Quality Management Systems
• Change leader and drives efforts to improve product development, manufacturing, cost and quality.
• Active listener who can effectively communicate with internal and external stakeholders
• Anticipates world events and can develop solutions, or mitigations, to address possible scenarios
• Other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related is required or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Minimum of 15+ years’ relevant experience
• Experience taking 3 major systems to market in a low rate or full rate production environment
• Proven track record of taking ownership and driving results – is a self-starter and self-directed
• Demonstrated experience managing profit and loss in a technology company
• 5+ years experience managing development budgets
• Experienced in, and is comfortable with, presenting to executive leadership
• Experienced in product road mapping, R&D, and product sustainment activities
• Knowledge of UAS systems and products, with a track record of managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Experience managing a departmental budget
• Experience with delivering mature systems to Domestic and International customers
• Experience managing the work of others and job tasking
• Familiarity with managing Profit/Loss
• Demonstrated computer skills and proficiency with office productivity software
• Experience creating and building teams through the use of leadership attributes

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Advanced degree preferred

• Leads with rapid agility to deal with shifting priorities, demands, and timelines
• Leads by example and fosters a culture of leadership and teamwork
• Displays strong critical thinking skills, demonstrated ability to analyze and break down problems into components
• Exhibits exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
• Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties
• Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives
• Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company
• Focuses on teamwork and puts the success of the team above one's own interests

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office and R&D environment (Constant)
• Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)

Special Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required with the ability to obtain government security clearance
• Occasionally may be required to travel within the Continental U.S. or Internationally

The salary range for this role is:

$176,000 - $249,480

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement:

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits:  AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown.  For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit:  http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

Principals only need apply.  NO agencies please.

Who We Are

Based in California, AeroVironment (AVAV) is a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Founded in 1971 by celebrated physicist and engineer, Dr. Paul MacCready, we’ve been at the leading edge of technical innovation for more than 45 years. Be a part of the team that developed the world’s most widely used military drones and created the first submarine-launched reconnaissance drone, and has seven innovative vehicles that are part of the Smithsonian Institution’s permanent collection in Washington, DC.

Join us today in developing the next generation of small UAS and tactical missile systems that will deliver more actionable intelligence to our customers so they can proceed with certainty – and succeed.

What We Do

Building on a history of technological innovation, AeroVironment designs, develops, produces, and supports an advanced portfolio of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems.  Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company’s hand-launched UAS to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR

U.S. Citizenship required. Must be willing to work on government contracts and have the ability to obtain a security clearance.