Director of Design & Engineering
Director of Design & Engineering
Position Overview
The Director of Design & Engineering leads the end-to-end development of complex, high-performance unmanned surface vessels (USV’s) from early concept through production, launch, and lifecycle support. This role integrates industrial design, engineering, manufacturing, and digital systems into a unified product development function, ensuring innovation is both technically sound and commercially viable.
The Director will integrate design, engineering, and production into a single execution-focused function, driving rapid development cycles while maintaining high standards of performance, reliability, and safety.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Product Leadership
· Lead both short- and long-term product strategy, including roadmap development and model planning
· Drive conceptual design of new products, balancing innovation, performance, manufacturability, and cost
· Evaluate emerging technologies and integrate them into future product offerings
Design & Engineering Execution
· Oversee the creation of complete design packages, including systems architecture, construction plans, and production documentation
· Lead multidisciplinary teams across product design, mechanical systems, controls, and manufacturing engineering
· Engage and oversee the engagement of naval architects when required for design or validation
· Ensure rigorous engineering standards, performance validation, and design integrity
Program & Project Management
· Develop project schedules, budgets, and resource plans; track execution against milestones
· Manage multiple concurrent development programs from concept through production
· [Lead sea trials, testing, and product validation efforts]
Manufacturing & Production Integration
· Partner closely with manufacturing leadership to ensure seamless transition from design to production
· Guide manufacturing engineering teams in process development and production optimization
· Support production operations with technical expertise and problem resolution
Tooling & Vendor Management
· Manage tooling development from bid and sourcing through first article production
· Oversee both outsourced and in-house tooling programs
· Act as primary liaison with external vendors, consultants, and design partners
Systems & Controls Development
· Oversee development, integration, and field support of advanced manual control systems
· Coordinate and integrate the manual control systems in the USV’s with Blue Ops ‘tech stack’ team to ensure that the remote control and other autonomy and payload requirements for the USV work seamlessly together
· Ensure reliability, usability, and performance of proprietary systems across product lines
Regulatory & Industry Compliance
· Ensure products are in full compliance with applicable regulatory and industry las and regulations including:
o United States Coast Guard (USCG) Subchapter H (uninspected vessels), 33 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 183–184 (boat safety standards), American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Rules for High-Speed Naval Craft, American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) standards for electrical, stability, and buoyancy systems, Department of Defense (DoD/Department of War) / Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Unmanned Maritime Autonomy Architecture (UMAA) and Military Specifications (MIL-SPEC) requirements,
International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) administered by the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC) communications regulations, forward-looking International Maritime Organization (IMO) Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) guidelines, International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) equivalency for autonomous collision avoidance (remote oversight rules), cybersecurity standards (National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and USCG cyber requirements for vessels), other classification society rules (DNV, Lloyd’s Register ShipRight for MASS, Bureau Veritas, etc.), specific USCG testing/oversight policies (e.g., Captain of the Port (COTP) engagement and Findings of Concern on manning during trials), International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL
Technical Documentation & Manuals
· Direct the creation and validation of complete operator manuals, maintenance manuals, and technical publications for both manual and autonomous configurations, coordinating with the Quality Control team once vessels are built and ready for final sign-off.
· Ensure all manuals meet USCG/ABS/ABYC/DoD/NAVSEA/ITAR/FCC/IMO requirements, customer contract specifications, and usability standards, with documented validation of procedures through live sea-trial testing.
· Implement full document lifecycle management for all validation deliverables, including revision control tied to test report outcomes.
Field Support & Continuous Improvement
· Incorporate real-world performance data into future design iterations
Digital Transformation & Engineering Systems
· Lead implementation and continuous improvement of CAD, PLM, and BOM systems
· Drive standardization and digital integration across engineering workflows
---
Leadership & Organizational Scope
· Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team of engineers, designers, and technicians
· Build a culture of accountability, technical excellence, and cross-functional collaboration
· Align internal teams and external partners toward common product and business goals
---
Qualifications
Required
· Proven leadership experience in product development, engineering, or design within a complex manufacturing environment
· Strong background in mechanical systems, product design, and manufacturing processes
· Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage full product lifecycle development
· Experience with project planning, budgeting, and execution of large-scale programs
· Hands-on experience working with production teams and transitioning designs into manufacturing
Preferred
· Experience with maritime systems, autonomous platforms, or defense-related products
· Experience in marine, transportation, or similarly complex engineered products
· Familiarity with control systems development and integration
· Experience with CAD, PLM, and BOM systems implementation or optimization
· Experience with defense/marine manufacturing environments where testing rigor, compliance with USCG/ABS/ABYC/DoD/NAVSEA/ITAR/FCC/IMO standards, and documentation are mission-critical for scaling autonomous boat programs from prototypes to full-rate production fleets
· OSHA training or equivalent safety certification
What Success Looks Like:
· Products move from concept to fielded systems quickly—and work the first time in demanding environments
· Engineering and production operate as a single, tightly integrated system
· Design decisions reflect real-world operational use, not theoretical assumptions
· The team executes with urgency, accountability, and technical depth
Director of Design & Engineering
Position Overview
The Director of Design & Engineering leads the end-to-end development of complex, high-performance unmanned surface vessels (USV’s) from early concept through production, launch, and lifecycle support. This role integrates industrial design, engineering, manufacturing, and digital systems into a unified product development function, ensuring innovation is both technically sound and commercially viable.
The Director will integrate design, engineering, and production into a single execution-focused function, driving rapid development cycles while maintaining high standards of performance, reliability, and safety.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Product Leadership
· Lead both short- and long-term product strategy, including roadmap development and model planning
· Drive conceptual design of new products, balancing innovation, performance, manufacturability, and cost
· Evaluate emerging technologies and integrate them into future product offerings
Design & Engineering Execution
· Oversee the creation of complete design packages, including systems architecture, construction plans, and production documentation
· Lead multidisciplinary teams across product design, mechanical systems, controls, and manufacturing engineering
· Engage and oversee the engagement of naval architects when required for design or validation
· Ensure rigorous engineering standards, performance validation, and design integrity
Program & Project Management
· Develop project schedules, budgets, and resource plans; track execution against milestones
· Manage multiple concurrent development programs from concept through production
· [Lead sea trials, testing, and product validation efforts]
Manufacturing & Production Integration
· Partner closely with manufacturing leadership to ensure seamless transition from design to production
· Guide manufacturing engineering teams in process development and production optimization
· Support production operations with technical expertise and problem resolution
Tooling & Vendor Management
· Manage tooling development from bid and sourcing through first article production
· Oversee both outsourced and in-house tooling programs
· Act as primary liaison with external vendors, consultants, and design partners
Systems & Controls Development
· Oversee development, integration, and field support of advanced manual control systems
· Coordinate and integrate the manual control systems in the USV’s with Blue Ops ‘tech stack’ team to ensure that the remote control and other autonomy and payload requirements for the USV work seamlessly together
· Ensure reliability, usability, and performance of proprietary systems across product lines
Regulatory & Industry Compliance
· Ensure products are in full compliance with applicable regulatory and industry las and regulations including:
o United States Coast Guard (USCG) Subchapter H (uninspected vessels), 33 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 183–184 (boat safety standards), American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Rules for High-Speed Naval Craft, American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) standards for electrical, stability, and buoyancy systems, Department of Defense (DoD/Department of War) / Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Unmanned Maritime Autonomy Architecture (UMAA) and Military Specifications (MIL-SPEC) requirements,
International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) administered by the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC) communications regulations, forward-looking International Maritime Organization (IMO) Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) guidelines, International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) equivalency for autonomous collision avoidance (remote oversight rules), cybersecurity standards (National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and USCG cyber requirements for vessels), other classification society rules (DNV, Lloyd’s Register ShipRight for MASS, Bureau Veritas, etc.), specific USCG testing/oversight policies (e.g., Captain of the Port (COTP) engagement and Findings of Concern on manning during trials), International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL
Technical Documentation & Manuals
· Direct the creation and validation of complete operator manuals, maintenance manuals, and technical publications for both manual and autonomous configurations, coordinating with the Quality Control team once vessels are built and ready for final sign-off.
· Ensure all manuals meet USCG/ABS/ABYC/DoD/NAVSEA/ITAR/FCC/IMO requirements, customer contract specifications, and usability standards, with documented validation of procedures through live sea-trial testing.
· Implement full document lifecycle management for all validation deliverables, including revision control tied to test report outcomes.
Field Support & Continuous Improvement
· Incorporate real-world performance data into future design iterations
Digital Transformation & Engineering Systems
· Lead implementation and continuous improvement of CAD, PLM, and BOM systems
· Drive standardization and digital integration across engineering workflows
---
Leadership & Organizational Scope
· Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team of engineers, designers, and technicians
· Build a culture of accountability, technical excellence, and cross-functional collaboration
· Align internal teams and external partners toward common product and business goals
---
Qualifications
Required
· Proven leadership experience in product development, engineering, or design within a complex manufacturing environment
· Strong background in mechanical systems, product design, and manufacturing processes
· Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage full product lifecycle development
· Experience with project planning, budgeting, and execution of large-scale programs
· Hands-on experience working with production teams and transitioning designs into manufacturing
Preferred
· Experience with maritime systems, autonomous platforms, or defense-related products
· Experience in marine, transportation, or similarly complex engineered products
· Familiarity with control systems development and integration
· Experience with CAD, PLM, and BOM systems implementation or optimization
· Experience with defense/marine manufacturing environments where testing rigor, compliance with USCG/ABS/ABYC/DoD/NAVSEA/ITAR/FCC/IMO standards, and documentation are mission-critical for scaling autonomous boat programs from prototypes to full-rate production fleets
· OSHA training or equivalent safety certification
What Success Looks Like:
· Products move from concept to fielded systems quickly—and work the first time in demanding environments
· Engineering and production operate as a single, tightly integrated system
· Design decisions reflect real-world operational use, not theoretical assumptions
· The team executes with urgency, accountability, and technical depth