Technical Director

MISTRAS Group

Technical Director responsible for leading technical teams in Aerospace & Defense operations. Driving performance, compliance, and continuous improvement across lab locations in the U.S.

Posted 6/24/2026full-timeEllabell • Arizona, Massachusetts, Ohio, Texas • 🇺🇸 United StatesLeadWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Reporting to the SVP, Aerospace & Defense, you are an essential member of the In-Lab regional operations leadership team and responsible for the technical group’s overall performance as a value-adding internal consulting function.
Ensure operational, quality and technical expertise and excellence.
Lead and develop a distributed team of ~7–9 technical experts including Level 3 NDT specialists (RT, UT, PT, ET), chemical engineers, project leaders, and engineering support.
Manage performance, alignment, and communication across a remote, geographically dispersed team.
Act as the primary liaison between laboratory operations and quality teams, supporting audits, nonconformance investigations, and root cause analysis.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives across all lab locations, identifying and implementing best practices.
Standardize technical procedures, administrative processes, and operational workflows across the network.
Lead and project-manage strategic, high-impact initiatives including lab consolidations, relocations, and capacity expansions.
Lead 5S program standards across all in-house laboratories, driving continuous improvement in workplace organization, safety, and operational efficiency while ensuring full compliance with aerospace and defense regulatory requirements, including AS9100, ITAR, and company quality standards.
Support capital investment projects including budgeting, scheduling, vendor coordination, and execution.
Support sales and business development efforts through high-level technical engagement with customers.
Serve as a technical subject matter expert for both internal and external stakeholders.
Maintain oversight of NDT procedures, certifications, and compliance frameworks (AS, ISO, NADCAP).

Requirements

What you’ll need

Minimum 3-5 years’ leadership experience within the Aerospace or Space sectors and Nadcap for NDT inspection and materials testing or a related environment.
Proven experience leading and managing remote, distributed teams.
Strong background in project and program management, including capital projects support, budgets, and timelines.
Demonstrated experience scaling operations (e.g. expanding facilities, increasing capacity, improving throughput).
Background in regulated, quality-driven environments such as testing, inspection, manufacturing, or industrial services.
Proven working knowledge of ISO/IEC 17025 and NADCAP requirements in relation to materials testing.
Effective organizational and time management skills with the ability prioritize activities.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills including presentations with customers and internal leadership stakeholders (e.g. GMs, Regional Operations Leaders).

Benefits

Comp & perks

Health insurance
Retirement plans
Paid time off
Flexible work arrangements
Professional development
Capital investment project support

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

NDTRTUTPTETproject managementcapital projectsISO/IEC 17025NADCAP5S

Soft Skills

leadershipcommunicationorganizational skillstime managementteam managementcontinuous improvementproblem-solvingcollaborationpresentation skillsstrategic thinking

Certifications

AS9100ITARNADCAP certificationISO/IEC 17025 certification