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Engineering Manager - Air to Air Refueling

5 days ago Rock Island, IL

Eaton's AER MSD Mission System Division division is currently seeking a Engineering Manager - Air to Air Refueling. This role is based in Davenport, IA. Relocation assistance will be provided to candidates within the hiring country.

The expected annual salary range for this role is $130000 - $190000 a year. This position is also eligible for a variable incentive program.

Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

Primary Function:

Eaton Aerospace Group Mission Systems Division (MSD) has an opening for a Engineering Manager leading the Air-to-Air Refueling (AAR) team in Davenport, IA. The Engineering Manager - AAR Lead - position reports to the Senior Engineering Manager - Wimborne. The primary function of this position is to lead the development of AAR systems and products as part of the Davenport portfolio including hose and drogue systems, fuel tanks, and refueling probes.

The primary responsibilities of the role include organizational capability development, global Aerospace alignment, improved program execution using disciplined engineering processes, risk management and portfolio/resource planning using leading indicators & metrics. Additional areas of focus will be the implementation of organizational performance measures, the development of best cost country (BCC) engineering capabilities, the refinement and implementation of technology strategy for specific business units, and advancement of engineering capabilities to support the development of next generation products and systems.

What you'll do:

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Lead a global team of up to 40 highly professional & technical engineering staff to develop AAR systems and components. This team is responsible for initial customer engagement, bid and proposal activities, product development through qualification, and support, as required, to the sustaining engineering team.
• Lead the development program execution using robust design practices, implementation of efficient methods,
• Organize and build talent base within the AAR engineering team, create, opportunities for growth and development of the engineering team. Provide functional leadership for engineering managers and engineering teams.
• Assure that efforts to improve the efficiency of the Engineering functions are emphasized through creative organizational management, effective use of engineering tools, appropriate training and continuous improvement.

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• Drive consistency and best practices across the organization with respect to product documentation, design standards, and related material specifications. This is accomplished on a cooperative global basis to improve efficiency by avoiding duplication and to provide a basis for product strategy and enhanced corporate image as a global supplier.
• Assure that product designs are competitive on a global basis with respect to quality, reliability and cost.
• Establish customer relationships to enable successful product execution
• Collaborate with Sr. Manager - AAR Wimborne on development projects, innovation, and processes
• Collaborate with peers across MSD to build skill depth, share best practices, and provide assistance in achieving Site and Divisional goals.
• Use best practices of robust design (Design for Six Sigma, DFSS) & promote the "analysis first" mindset.
• Build capability in the AAR team utilizing the digital processes aligned to the Aerospace Group strategy, examples include MBD and MBSE.
• Assure that proprietary rights and product liability concerns of Aerospace Group are addressed by interacting with corporate legal staff members.
• Establish an engineering strategy and implement tactical measures to ensure implementation is realized.
• Lead the team efforts supporting the continued growth and productivity of the Pune, India engineering center.
• Identify key engineering metrics, monitor performance and implement improvements accordingly.
• Maintain close liaison with the Operational Excellence organization to ensure high quality and year over year manufacturing cost reductions.
• Establish and maintain contacts with Universities to develop advanced products and potential new hires.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Basic Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering from an accredited institution is required.
  • 10 years of experience within aerospace or a high-tech industry with new product development and sustaining support.
  • 5 years of experience leading or managing people (direct or indirect)
  • Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1 to H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, I-485 job portability, etc.
  • You must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible and considered for this position pursuant to applicable U.S. Federal Government contract requirements

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Advanced engineering degree or MBA preferred.
  • 15 years of experience within the aerospace industry including experience in Air-to-Air Refueling and Systems Engineering
  • Experience in MBSE
  • 6 years of experience leading or managing people (direct or indirect)
  • Experience in leading or managing a global team
  • Key role in an aerospace related professional organization
  • Demonstrated leadership skills, experience with design processes, portfolio and program management skills, knowledge of customer strategies, successful new product introduction experience, creative/innovative thinking.
  • Proven track record of driving change and ability to develop and execute technology development plans.
  • DFSS Greenbelt Certification

Skills:

Position Criteria

  • Familiarity with Aerospace industry processes and standards is preferred
  • Familiarity with Aerospace AAR, Actuation, or Environmental systems and products is preferred.
  • Demonstrated leadership skills, experience with design processes, portfolio and program management skills, knowledge of customer strategies, successful new product introduction experience, creative/innovative thinking.
  • Proven track record of driving change and ability to develop and execute technology development plans.

Additional Information:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Work in a matrix organization within a global virtual engineering organization
• Network divisional resources
• Develop productive working relationships with functions and organizations outside of Engineering
• Develop working relationships within the Aerospace engineering community
• Develop working relationships with customers
• Up to 40% travel may be required at times

We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

Eaton believes in second chance employment. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction history will be considered regardless of their arrest or conviction history, consistent with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and other local laws.

You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

To request a disability-related reasonable accommodation to assist you in your job search, application, or interview process, please call us at 1-800-836-6345 to discuss your specific need. Only accommodation requests will be accepted by this phone number.

We know that good benefit programs are important to employees and their families. Eaton provides various Health and Welfare benefits as well as Retirement benefits, and several programs that provide for paid and unpaid time away from work. Click here for more detail: Eaton Benefits Overview. Please note that specific programs and options available to an employee may depend on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.

Client-provided location(s): Rock Island, IL
Job ID: Eaton-63881Davenport
Employment Type: OTHER
Posted: 2026-05-02T18:43:46

Perks and Benefits

  • Health and Wellness

    • Health Insurance
    • Health Reimbursement Account
    • Dental Insurance
    • Vision Insurance
    • Life Insurance
    • Short-Term Disability
    • Long-Term Disability
    • FSA
    • HSA With Employer Contribution
    • Fitness Subsidies
    • On-Site Gym
    • Pet Insurance
    • Mental Health Benefits
    • Virtual Fitness Classes
  • Parental Benefits

    • Birth Parent or Maternity Leave
    • Adoption Assistance Program
  • Work Flexibility

    • Flexible Work Hours
    • Remote Work Opportunities
    • Hybrid Work Opportunities
  • Office Life and Perks

    • Casual Dress
    • On-Site Cafeteria
  • Vacation and Time Off

    • Paid Vacation
    • Paid Holidays
    • Personal/Sick Days
    • Leave of Absence
    • Summer Fridays
  • Financial and Retirement

    • 401(K) With Company Matching
    • Performance Bonus
    • Relocation Assistance
    • Financial Counseling
  • Professional Development

    • Tuition Reimbursement
    • Promote From Within
    • Mentor Program
    • Shadowing Opportunities
    • Access to Online Courses
    • Internship Program
    • Work Visa Sponsorship
    • Leadership Training Program
    • Associate or Rotational Training Program
  • Diversity and Inclusion

    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program
    • Employee Resource Groups (ERG)