Advanced Arresting Gear Chief Engineer
General Atomics
San Diego, CA · Posted October 28, 2026
Just laid off? Start here: a plan for the first weeks
See every open role at General Atomics
More in California job market · Aerospace & Defense · Engineering jobs
More roles at General Atomics
- Sr. Program Director · Poway, CA
- Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System Chief Engineer · San Diego, CA
- Chief Engineer · Poway, CA
- Chief Engineer Optical Space Payloads · Acton, MA
- Space Mechanical Chief Engineer · Englewood, CO
- Lithium Processing Chief Engineer · Tupelo, MS
Similar jobs
- Sr. Director of Data Center Networking Infrastructure Product Marketing · Cisco Systems · San Jose, CA
- Director - Technology Solutions · Marsh USA · San Diego, CA
- Sr. Director - Engineering · Qualcomm Inc/De · San Diego, CA
- Director, Technical Program Management · Docusign · San Francisco, CA
- Director, Autonomous Systems · Long Wall · Long Beach, CA
- Alliance Director, AWS & Technology Partners · Antithesis · San Francisco, CA
Where San Diego, CA ranks
Where San Diego, CA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Cities hosting the most business conferences in the West Coast78 conferences · of 17
- #2Cities hosting the most human resources conferences6 conferences · of 10
- #3Best cities for life sciences and biotech jobs454 openings · of 41
- #3Best cities for aerospace and defense jobs377 openings · of 67
- #3Cities hosting the most legal services conferences7 conferences · of 17
- #3Cities hosting the most staffing & human capital conferences6 conferences · of 8
Rankings about engineering jobs
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs #1 San Francisco (3,412 openings)
- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
- Most requested AI skills in engineering jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (6.1%)
- AI tools named most often in engineering jobs #1 Claude (1.7%)
- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
Skills this job asks for
Say which you have and which you want to build. We use it to match you to jobs like this one.
About the job
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) designs and manufactures first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA-EMS' expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system solutions support critical fleet, space systems and satellites, missile defense, power and energy, and process and monitoring applications for defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide. The Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) Chief Engineer provides technical leadership and engineering direction for the development, integration, qualification, production, and sustainment of AAG and its associated subsystems. This position establishes and maintains the technical baseline, leads resolution of complex engineering issues, and ensures that program products meet customer, contractual, safety, quality, cost, and schedule requirements. The Chief Engineer serves as the primary technical authority for the program and works across engineering disciplines, program management, manufacturing, test, quality, supply chain, customers, and external partners. The role requires strong systems-engineering judgment, effective communication with senior leadership and customers, and the ability to make sound technical decisions in a complex, highly regulated environment. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Serve as the senior technical authority for the AAG program and provide overall engineering leadership. The candidate may also act as a Deputy Chief Engineer for the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) system. Establish, maintain, and control the system technical baseline, including requirements, architecture, interfaces, analyses, verification methods, and configuration. Lead multidisciplinary engineering teams across areas such as: Systems engineering Power electronics and energy storage Controls and software Electromagnetics and linear motor technology Mechanical and structural systems Thermal management Safety and reliability Manufacturing and maintainability Test and evaluation Direct the development and execution of technical plans, including design reviews, qualification activities, verification and validation, and system integration. Provide technical direction for resolving complex problems involving system performance, reliability, safety, producibility, maintainability, and operational effectiveness. Assess technical risks, develop mitigation plans, and communicate status and recommendations to program and company leadership. Ensure engineering work complies with applicable customer requirements, contractual commitments, company processes, quality standards, and regulatory requirements. Lead technical interchange meetings and communicate system performance, risks, decisions, and recommendations to customers and senior stakeholders. Review and approve key engineering products, analyses, specifications, test procedures, reports, and technical dispositions. Coordinate system-level interfaces with aircraft, shipboard, electrical, control, launch, and support systems. Support proposal development, technology planning, cost and schedule estimates, make-or-buy decisions, and business development activities. Partner with manufacturing and operations to ensure designs are producible, supportable, and suitable for transition to production. Promote disciplined systems engineering, configuration management, risk management, and lessons-learned practices. Mentor engineers and technical leaders and help develop the organization’s engineering capability. Perform other related duties as assigned. We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.