Digital Engineering Manager, Istari
$145-215k
Digital twin technology
Be an early applicant
Digital twin technology
21-100 employees
Be an early applicant
$145-215k
21-100 employees
Company mission
To level the digital playing field.
Role
Who you are
- 7+ years of experience in engineering (aerospace, systems, mechanical, electrical, or similar)
- 3+ years of experience leading or managing technical teams
- Understanding of software fundamentals (APIs, data pipelines, services, integrations)
- Experience working with engineering tools and ecosystems such as:
- MBSE (e.g., Cameo, SysML)
- CAD/PLM (e.g., CATIA, Teamcenter, similar)
- Document and requirements systems
- Simulations (FEA, CFD, etc)
- Proven ability to balance hands-on technical work with people leadership
- Excellent communication skills—able to explain complex technical concepts clearly
Desirable
- Experience in aerospace, defense, or other complex engineered systems
- Exposure to model extraction, automation, and digital thread concepts
- Experience working in product or platform-based environments
- Comfort operating in ambiguity and shaping roles, processes, and scope as the organization evolves
What the job involves
- We are seeking a Digital Engineering Manager to serve as a key leader within Istari’s Customer Success Digital Engineering organization. This role operates under the Director of Digital Engineering and takes ownership of a portion of day-to-day execution while helping shape strategy, technical direction, and team growth
- You will manage and mentor Forward Deployed Engineers building software with the Istari Platform while remaining deeply engaged in architecture, technical decision-making, and customer-facing problem solving
- Own technical execution for a subset of Digital Engineering initiatives and programs
- Contribute thought leadership around the Istari platform, its applications, and required capabilities
- Help define product scope and technical approach for new digital engineering capabilities
- Review designs, architectures, and implementations to ensure quality, scalability, and alignment with Istari’s platform vision
- Serve as a technical escalation point for complex engineering and integration challenges
- Manage and mentor a team of Forward Deployed Engineers
- Drive execution across multiple concurrent efforts, including planning, prioritization, and delivery
- Provide technical coaching, design and code feedback, and career development guidance
- Help scale lean, effective team processes as the organization grows
- Partner with cross-functional teams to translate customer needs into clear, executable technical plans
- Support customer engagements requiring deep digital engineering expertise
- Communicate technical tradeoffs effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Take on delegated responsibilities from the Director of Digital Engineering
- Help define standards, best practices, and reusable technical patterns
- Identify gaps in tooling, process, and team capabilities and propose improvements
- Serve as a thought partner on the future of digital engineering at Istari—enabling engineers to “conduct the orchestra” of tools, not just play a single instrument
- This role is critical to scaling Istari’s Digital Engineering capability. You won’t just run a team—you’ll help define how digital engineering is practiced at Istari, enabling engineers to move faster, integrate better, and solve harder problems
- You’ll have real ownership, real influence, and a direct partnership with the Director of Digital Engineering to shape the future of the organization
Our take
In the realm of digital engineering, industries like aerospace, defense, and manufacturing face significant challenges. Traditional methods of designing, testing, and certifying complex systems are often time-consuming, costly, and environmentally taxing. These processes typically require physical prototypes and extensive real-world testing, leading to delays and increased resource consumption.
Istari is transforming this landscape by developing a platform that enables the creation, testing, and certification of technologies entirely in the digital real. Its advanced digital twin technology allows for virtual simulations and modeling, reducing the need for physical prototypes. This approach not only accelerates development timelines but also minimizes costs and environmental impact.
Its making major progress too, including the $19M contract with the US Air Force to help develop the world's first digitally certified aircraft. While the use of digital twins in military applications (especially with potential links to autonomous systems) can raise valid ethical concerns, Istari's focus is on safety, precision, and reducing the need for real-world testing that can be risky or wasteful. By improving how complex systems are designed and certified, its aiming to make engineering across industries more efficient and sustainable.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Company
Funding (1 round)
Feb 2023
$13m
SEED
Total funding: $13m
Company HQ
Crystal City, Arlington, VA
Leadership
Will Roper
(CEO)Will is a Distinguished Professor of the Practice at Georgia Institute of Technology as well as an Honorary Group Capital at the RAF.
Christopher Benson
(CTO)Christopher has worked at the United States Air Force since 2014 and currently serves as a Senior System Engineer. Previously founded ELLO, AFWERX, StartLabs, and Ring Theory.
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