{"id":3351835,"url":"https://alion.io/job/hypersonica-principal-engineer-technical-lead","title":"Principal Engineer & Technical Lead","company":{"id":678356,"name":"Hypersonica","domain":"hypersonica.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/hypersonica","size_band":"501-1000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Lever","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":95,"open_postings":52,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":121,"computed_at":"2026-10-28T05:59:10Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Ottawa, Canada"],"countries":["CA"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":73000,"max_usd":134000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":107},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-07-22T19:43:33Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-07-22","last_verified_at":"2026-10-29T02:19:44Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":98,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":97},"description":"Hypersonica is building sovereign hypersonic capability in Europe and Canada.\nWe move quickly, work directly with governments and end users, and take complex systems from clean-sheet design through integration, test and flight at a pace that is unusual in traditional aerospace and defence.\nAs we build Hypersonica Canada, we are looking for a Principal Engineer & Technical Lead to become the senior technical owner in-country and help build the Canadian engineering organisation from the ground up.\nThis is not a role where you inherit a mature team, established processes or a finished product.\nYou will help define how Hypersonica engineers, integrates, tests and delivers capability in Canada. You will work directly with our CTO, founders and wider engineering leadership, while having significant autonomy to shape the Canadian technical organisation, make major engineering decisions and build the team around you.\nYou will be close to the hardware, close to the customer and accountable for turning ambitious technical objectives into systems that can be assembled, tested and flown.\nFor the right person, this is an opportunity to do something much bigger than lead an existing engineering team.\nIt is an opportunity to help build one.\nWhat you'll do\nOwn and lead technical delivery across Hypersonica’s Canadian projects and programmes, from early concept through integration, test and flight. \nAct as the senior technical authority in Canada, setting engineering direction and owning major technical decisions, trade-offs and risks. \nLead the Canadian engineering team across systems, mechanical, avionics, GNC, AIT, test and other disciplines as the organisation grows. \nWork closely with the CTO and wider Hypersonica engineering organisation to ensure Canadian development aligns with overall vehicle architecture and technical strategy. \nDrive system architecture, requirements, interfaces and verification, ensuring the complete vehicle and ground system work as a coherent whole. \nLead key technical reviews and ensure engineering maturity and evidence support progression towards integration, test and flight. \nProvide hands-on technical leadership on the most challenging multidisciplinary engineering problems and remove roadblocks to programme delivery. \nWork closely with the Head of Test Site Canada to take vehicles through assembly, integration, ground test, flight readiness and flight campaigns. \nBuild, mentor and develop a highly capable Canadian engineering team, setting expectations for technical quality, ownership and pace. \nWho you are\nA Principal Engineer, Chief Engineer or senior technical leader with significant experience delivering complex aerospace, launch-vehicle, missile or similarly demanding systems. \nExperienced leading multidisciplinary engineering teams and owning technical delivery at vehicle or system level, rather than within a single discipline. \nTechnically broad across systems engineering, mechanical, avionics, software/GNC, AIT and test, with the depth to challenge specialists and make informed decisions. \nExperienced taking complex hardware from design and analysis through integration, verification and real-world testing. \nAble to operate as both a hands-on Principal Engineer and people leader, setting direction while remaining deeply engaged in the engineering. \nStrong in systems thinking, technical reviews, requirements, interfaces, verification and engineering risk management. \nCalm and decisive under pressure, with the technical credibility to make difficult trade-offs when performance, schedule and risk compete. \nMotivated by building both a world-class Canadian engineering team and sovereign flight capability from the ground up. \nWhat we offer\nThe opportunity to help build Hypersonica Canada from the very beginning\nA senior technical role with real authority over engineering direction, architecture and delivery\nDirect access to the CTO, founders and senior engineering leadership\nSignificant autonomy to shape the Canadian engineering team, technical organisation and ways of working\nThe chance to work across the complete system rather than being confined to a single discipline\nClose involvement in real hardware, integration, ground testing and flight campaigns\nThe opportunity to work directly with government customers and translate real mission needs into delivered capability\nA small, talent-dense engineering environment with short decision paths and minimal bureaucracy\nClear objectives, high accountability and the freedom to make decisions\nCompetitive compensation and meaningful participation in the long-term success of the 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