Engineering Lead

Company Overview Metrea delivers effects-as-a-service to national security partners across five domains and more than a dozen mission areas. These include airborne ISR, electronic warfare, secure communications, aerial refueling, special air missions, aerial firefighting, and advanced simulation. We own the whole stack: designing, building, and operating turnkey capabilities that give our partners decisive, asymmetric advantage against rapidly evolving threats. Our operating model is built around three interlocking pillars. The Support Groups provide a global shared-service – spanning people, finance, platform, operations, legal, and engagement. This frees up our Core Groups, who develop and own mission capabilities end-to-end, to focus entirely on delivery. The Market Groups apply a regional lens, ensuring that our agile and adaptable capabilities remain aligned to the wicked problems that matter most to our partners across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific. At the heart of our model is a simple but powerful idea: be a true partner with skin in the game. Our partners need effects, not just equipment. By owning the full stack – from the lab to the field – we are able to drive a continuous cycle of innovation that keeps our partners ahead. It's a fast-moving, intellectually demanding environment where talented people are given real responsibility, work on problems that matter, and contribute to an enterprise that is growing quickly and deliberately. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with facilities across the United States, the United Kingdom, as well as Continental Europe and Asia-Pacific. Group Overview Digital and Synthetic (D&S) Group is committed to providing mission-driven information solutions that seamlessly bridge the digital and physical realms. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies and advanced platforms, we empower operational readiness and elevate situational awareness across diverse domains—including air, maritime, and space. Position Summary We are looking for an Engineering Lead to provide leadership for our flight simulation product as part of a Product-led cross-functional team. Candidates should have solid knowledge and experience of best practices across the software development lifecycle, as well as People Management skills; they can be relied upon to build and maintain an engineering culture which is sustainably professional and positive, in which high-performing engineers can grow and thrive. Metrea is a people-first organisation, and candidates should have strong communication skills and the desire to proactively elevate their team through continuous knowledge sharing, collaboration, feedback, and mentorship.  What You'll Do Own delivery outcomes for the team; not writing code yourself but driving the team to meet delivery timelines whilst balancing sustainability, quality and team well-being Mentoring, coaching and leading a team of highly talented engineers, taking responsibility for both their career and personal development Supporting product management and technical leadership in refining requirements and shaping the deliverables the team will work Helping to align team efforts with the broader strategic goals of the organization, helping to plan for future resource requirements and technology adoption Developing and maintaining a deep relationship with the team’s Tech Lead and Product Manager to ensure alignment and support delivery Collaborate with other Engineering Leaders across the business, to improve engineering processes, code quality, release management and documentation Supporting the recruitment process and taking responsibility for onboarding and integrating new teammates What You Bring Experience in engineering management, having previously mentored and helped to develop the careers of software engineers  Great interpersonal skills, a servant-leadership mindset and the ability to confidently communicate with others, conveying technical content clearly and articulately to non-technical team members Experience in employing agile methodologies in software development processes whilst working in a matrix organization to help support the team establish and develop their ways of working Experience leading teams in fast-growing companies where you play a part in shaping ways of working rather than follow pre-defined ones A deep passion for personal development with a drive to be constantly learning and furthering your professional knowledge Strong organizational skills with an ability to work independently whilst planning, prioritizing and managing your workload Additional Eligibility Qualifications A passion for aviation and flight simulation  Prior experience in working with defence contracts is a plus  Benefits Comprehensive medical plan options  HSA/FSA accounts  Dental and vision coverage  6% employer 401(k) match  Fully paid parental leave for all new parents  Generous PTO  Life and disability insurance  Long-term and Short-term disability coverage  AD&D Coverage  Pet Insurance  Employee Assistance Program  Subsided gym membership / plans through Wellhub   Work Authorization / Security Clearance Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and must be a U.S. citizen. Role may require adherence to export control regulations (ITAR/EAR).  AAP/EEO Statement The company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. Position Type and Expected Hours of Work This is a full-time position with typical working hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hours and work shifts may change in accordance with department and business needs.   Work Environment This position is available on a hybrid working basis, with an expectation of three days per week in the office.  Travel This role may require occasional travel to other Metrea offices. Base Pay Range The compensation range shown below is a good faith estimate and reflects the expected base pay for this position upon hire. This is just one component of Metrea's overall approach to total rewards and final compensation decisions, including the ultimate salary or hourly rate agreed upon, may vary depending on factors such as job location, job-specific knowledge, skills, experience, and the overall negotiated compensation package. Eligible full-time employees also receive a comprehensive benefits package designed to support their health, wellbeing, and long-term success. Pay Range $155,000 — $200,000 USD Our Firmware At Metrea, our single core value is Rooted in Humility, and our four cornerstone attributes are Entrepreneurial, Systematic, Discerning, and Over-Deliver. These form what we call our Teammate Firmware. Just like technical firmware connects software and hardware, our Firmware is the constant interface between our mission and our people. It defines how we show up, how we work together, and how we solve complex problems. Our team Firmware creates a web-like, hyper-collaborative, dynamically hierarchical way of working that helps us adapt quickly, communicate openly, and distribute decision-making to where expertise actually lives. It enables groups to self-organize around hard problems, shift fluidly as priorities evolve, and operate with the trust, curiosity, and discipline required in a complex mission space. This foundation allows us to deliver elegant, effective solutions and uphold our purpose: protecting our precious inheritance.