Chief Technology Officer (CTO) / VP Engineering

CONFIDENTIAL RETAINED SEARCH | AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE

Search Reference: TNF-CTO-2026 | Enterprise Technology Leadership Mandate

ABOUT THIS SEARCH

Top Notch Finders has been retained on an exclusive and strictly confidential basis to identify a Chief Technology Officer / VP Engineering for a well-established aerospace and defense organization. To protect the interests of our client and of every candidate who engages with us, the identity of the company and the specific location of the mandate are disclosed only to qualified candidates under a confidentiality agreement. All inquiries and applications are received and managed solely by Top Notch Finders.

POSITION SNAPSHOT

• Reports to: CEO / President.
• Location: Onsite/Hybrid in a major U.S. aerospace hub; specific location disclosed to qualified candidates.
• Clearance: Active TS/SCI preferred; must be clearance-eligible.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The CTO/VP Engineering owns the company’s overall technology strategy and engineering execution, bridging traditional systems engineering with software-defined architecture, AI/ML integration, and digital engineering transformation across the product and program portfolio.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Define and execute the enterprise technology roadmap across hardware, software, and systems engineering functions.
• Lead integration of AI/ML capabilities into legacy and next-generation platforms.
• Oversee an engineering organization spanning design, systems integration, verification and validation, and sustaining engineering.
• Partner with Program Management and Business Development on technical strategy for major captures and proposals.
• Represent the company with customers, regulators (FAA/DoD), and industry standards bodies.
• Manage the engineering budget, staffing, and make/buy/partner technology decisions.
• Drive digital engineering and model-based systems engineering (MBSE) adoption.

 REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 15+ years of progressive engineering leadership in aerospace, defense, or adjacent regulated industries.
• Demonstrated success integrating software/AI capability into hardware-centric programs.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field; Master’s or PhD preferred.
• Experience with DoD acquisition processes, MIL-STD, and airworthiness certification (AS9100, DO-178C).
• Track record leading organizations of 200+ engineers.
• Active or recently held security clearance strongly preferred.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior experience at both a legacy prime and a newer software-native defense/aerospace company.
• Public speaking and thought leadership presence in the AI and autonomy communities.
• Experience with classified program technical leadership.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND HOW TO APPLY

This is a discreet, retained engagement. Your candidacy will never be presented to any organization without your explicit prior authorization, and no application will be visible to the hiring company at this stage. Accomplished technology executives with aerospace and defense credentials are invited to submit a resume in confidence through the Top Notch Finders website. Please reference search code TNF-CTO-2026 in your submission. Do not include classified information of any kind in your application materials. Only candidates whose backgrounds align closely with the mandate will be contacted.