Vice President, Aviation

Job Description

Job Description

Milhouse Engineering & Construction is seeking an accomplished and visionary leader to join our team as Vice President, Aviation. In this pivotal role, the Vice President of Aviation provides technical leadership while planning, organizing, and implementing the development of all projects and initiatives within the aviation group. This leader will bring strategic vision, technical expertise, and exceptional leadership skills to drive the success of their team’s projects and ensure Milhouse consistently meets and exceeds customer expectations.

The Vice President, Aviation spearheads the growth and profit goals of the aviation team by leading a multidisciplinary group specializing in the planning, design, and construction services of diverse engineering projects. This is an exciting opportunity to guide a team of talented engineers while shaping the future of aviation infrastructure with one of the industry’s most innovative and culture-focused firms.

What you will do:

• Develop and implement strategic plans for the Aviation division, aligning with the company's overall mission and vision
• Grow business volume with existing and new clients
• Oversee the planning, design, and execution of Aviation projects, ensuring they meet quality standards, budgets, and timelines.
• Administrative responsibilities include but are not limited to oversight of quality for all work, maintaining a 15% overall profitability for the Group, ensuring that the Project Management Plan is being followed, recovery plan reviews for projects over budget and schedule, invoicing oversight, staffing requirement reviews and goals and performance reviews of direct report subordinates
• Collaborate across the organization to ensure that team utilization goals are met or exceeded
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with clients, stakeholders, and regulatory agencies, particularly FAA
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of multi-disciplined engineers and project managers, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities in the Aviation Industry including major carrier airlines, airside and landside design and Construction Management, including proposal development and presentations
• Cultivate effective relationships with clients, and team members
• Support proposal opportunities that are strategically aligned with your group
• Participates in the RFP/RFQ process including, site visits, client meetings, scope development, preparation of project approach, technical execution plans, schedules, and interviews
• Ensure all projects comply with federal, state, and local regulations, as well as industry standards and best practices

Who you are:

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Electrical or Mechanical Engineering or a related field
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in Illinois required
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in design engineering, with at least 5 years in a leadership role
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in the aviation industry
• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively interact with clients, stakeholders, and team members
• Strong understanding of aviation engineering principles, project management, and regulatory requirements

At Milhouse, we’re more than just a place to work — we’re a place to grow, thrive, and be celebrated. Here’s how we invest in you:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Coverage – Reach out to learn how your deductible could be covered 100% through Garner Health !
• Company Sponsored Life Insurance and Short-Term Disability – We’ve got your back when life takes unexpected turns.
• Voluntary Coverages – Take control of your well-being with added coverage options.
• Discounted Gym Membership – Stay active with wellness options that support your fitness goals.
• Competitive Base Salary – Earn what you're worth in a performance-driven culture.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Build your future with confidence.
• Professional Development Incentives – Get rewarded for growing your skills — including bonuses for earning your P.E. License .
• Milhouse University (Cross-Functional Training) – Expand your expertise with internal training built to elevate your career and receive PDH credits for applicable training towards professional engineering licenses, etc.
• Employee Education & Development Program – Tuition assistance and learning opportunities to keep you moving forward.
• Generous PTO + Paid Holidays – Rest, recharge, and enjoy the moments that matter most.
• Paid Parental Leave – Bond with your new arrival — and yes, we’ll even cover a year of diapers!
• Extracurricular Sports Teams – Join our summer Volleyball and Softball squads for fun off the clock.
• Employee Recognition Program – Be celebrated for the impact you make.
• Employee Referral Bonus – Bring great people on board and get paid for it.
• Transit Benefits Program – Save on your daily commute.
• Charitable Events and Activities offered through non-profit affiliate – Milhouse Charities.

The actual base pay depends upon many factors, such as education, experience, and skills. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

While we provide a range, we'd love to hear from you if you are in or outside of this range as we are always looking to cater roles to the Talent we find!

Milhouse is a pay transparency non-discrimination organization committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. We ensure that all employees are compensated fairly and without bias, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. In compliance with the Illinois Equal Pay Act, effective January 1, 2025, we include pay scales and benefits in all job postings and ensure that all promotion opportunities are communicated to current employees within 14 days of external postings. Additionally, we participate in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility and uphold compliance with federal requirements.

Why join the Aviation team? Here's why:

The Aviation team is a collaborative and multidisciplinary group that strives for the best results daily. As a melting pot of mechanical, civil, and electrical engineers as well as architects this offers our team exposure to many different facets of engineering and the ability to see how it all comes together to support our clients. Our team prides themselves on mentorship and ensures team members are partnered with one another to foster an environment of learning and development. This team in particular likes to connect on a professional and social level; after all we spend 5 days a week at work, so a strong sense of camaraderie is important! If you want to be a part of this synergetic environment, apply today!

Here's a little information on Milhouse Engineering and Construction, Inc.:

Milhouse Engineering and Construction, Inc. was founded in 2001 with the goal of building the best engineering company in the country. It was based on the belief that if we hired great people, fueled their passion while challenging them to excel, and maintained a laser focus on the needs of your clients, success would come- and so it has. Our portfolio of successful projects continues to grow, our family of highly satisfied clients continues to expand, and our staff just gets better and better.

We are a unique, Chicago-based firm whose collective passion, vision and expertise has led to phenomenal growth! With more than 500+ talented professionals and offices across the globe, Milhouse offers a dynamic work environment where there is no limit to what you can achieve if you are willing to go after it.

Our people are the cornerstone of our organization, and key to our success. Join a remarkably talented team that shares a passion for what they do and a vision for improving communities around the world through innovative engineering and construction. Click here to see who we are, and how our people drive our culture each & every day.

Click here to see all of our awards and how many times we've won Chicago’s 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For!

Important Notice to US Applicants

Milhouse Engineering and Construction, Inc. is an at-will employer.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.