Sr. Manager of Engineering

About Loft Federal Loft Federal is committed to delivering the U.S. national security space community a fast, affordable, and streamlined pathway to orbit. As a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Loft Orbital Solutions, Inc., we specialize in providing mission-ready space infrastructure with unmatched efficiency. At Loft, we empower our team with autonomy, ownership, and bold problem-solving opportunities while fostering a tight-knit, supportive environment. We believe that diversity, inclusivity, and community are the foundation of an open and innovative culture. We value kind, collaborative, and mission-driven teammates who excel in problem-solving and communication—because great solutions come from great teams. Are you ready to embark on this exciting journey with us? As the Senior Manager of Engineering, you will be the cornerstone of our engineering organization’s growth and execution. You won't just oversee projects—you will build the teams that deliver them. Your primary focus will be on functional employee management, driving our hiring strategy, and leading programmatic staffing to ensure our engineering teams are optimally resourced to meet aggressive mission milestones. If you are passionate about mentoring engineers, scaling high-performing teams, and aligning technical talent with complex programmatic needs in the aerospace sector, this is the role for you. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Strategic Leadership & Functional Management Own the functional management and strategic direction for a cross-functional engineering team spanning systems, mechanical, electrical, and RF engineering. Provide ongoing mentorship, career development, and performance management. Coach engineers and technical leads, helping them gain the skills needed to architect complex systems, mentor junior staff, and lead through the entire program development lifecycle from requirements definition to integration and test. Define goals within team meetings to ensure your teams are executing on short-term deliverables week-over-week while providing them the vision for the future. Hiring & Team Growth Partner closely with talent acquisition and executive leadership to define the engineering hiring roadmap for the next 6-12+ months. Write and refine job descriptions, design effective technical interview panels, and directly participate in the interviewing and closing of top-tier engineering talent. Build a robust pipeline of aerospace and engineering professionals, championing diversity and inclusion within our engineering ranks. Programmatic Staffing & Resource Allocation Collaborate with Program Managers and technical leads to dynamically allocate engineering resources across multiple concurrent projects to attain business goals consistent with cost, high quality, and reliability. Identify critical skills gaps within the organization and strategically deploy personnel to mitigate programmatic risks. Balance the immediate tactical needs of aerospace programs with the long-term career growth and functional development of individual engineers. QUALIFICATIONS 10 years of professional engineering experience, with at least 3+ years in a direct engineering management or leadership role, preferably within the aerospace, defense, or hardware-tech startup industries. Strong understanding of complex systems integration, hardware/software development lifecycles, and performance analysis Exceptional cross-functional communication skills, with the ability to bridge the gap between technical engineering teams, program management, and executive leadership. <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","4697