JOB SUMMARY:

The Technical Manager – Ballistic Helmets will lead the design, development, testing, and qualification of ballistic helmet systems for military and law enforcement applications. This role requires deep technical knowledge in ballistic protection materials, helmet manufacturing processes, and relevant international and military standards. The ideal candidate will drive innovation in helmet design, deep expertise in ballistic materials, helmet system integration, and defense program requirements. The candidate will manage a team of engineers and collaborate with cross-functional departments to deliver innovative, high-performance helmet solutions.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field.
• Minimum of 5–8 years of experience in defense, PPE, or advanced composite product development.
• Strong knowledge of composite materials (aramids, UHMWPE, carbon fiber) and thermoplastics.
• Proficient in CAD software (SolidWorks).
• Familiarity with FEA tools (e.g., ANSYS, Abaqus).
• Demonstrated ability to write technical proposals and interface with customers and vendors.
• Excellent project management, team leadership, communication and problem solving skills.
• Experience with ISO 9001 / AS9100 quality systems is a plus.
• U.S. citizenship or eligible for security clearance (for U.S. defense contractors).

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• Preferred Skills:
• Experience in ballistic helmet design or armor systems.
• Experience with helmet testing standards such as MIL-STD-662F, STANAG 2920, and EN 397/12492.
• Strong knowledge of DoD acquisition processes and technical data package (TDP) preparation.
• Experience working with military or law enforcement end-users.
• Knowledge of human factors and ergonomics in PPE design.
• International experience or multilingual skills (optional but beneficial).

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• Work Conditions:
• Combination of office, lab, and manufacturing floor environments.
• Travel to testing facilities, affiliate facility, suppliers, and client sites.
• Must be able to wear PPE and occasionally lift components and prototypes for testing or evaluation.

EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS:

Vendors & Customers
This job description is not intended, and should not be construed, to be an all-inclusive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with this job. While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the job requirements, management reserved the right to modify, add or remove duties from particular jobs and to assign other duties as necessary.
Responsibilities of this position may include direct and/or indirect physical or logical access to information, systems, technologies subjected to the regulations/compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws.
U.S. Export Control laws and U.S. Government Department of Defense contracts and sub-contracts impose certain restrictions on companies and their ability to share export-controlled and other technology and services with certain “non-U.S. persons” (persons who are not U.S. citizens or nationals, lawful permanent residents of the U.S., refugees, “Temporary Residents” (granted Amnesty or Special Agricultural Worker provisions), or persons granted asylum (but excluding persons in nonimmigrant status such as H-1B, L-1, F-1, etc.) or non-U.S. citizens.
To comply with these laws, and in conjunction with the review of candidates for those positions within Avon that may present access to export controlled technical data, Avon must assess employees’ U.S. person status, as well as citizenship(s).
The questions asked in this application are intended to assess this and will be used for evaluation purposes only. Failure to provide the necessary information in this regard will result in our inability to consider you further for this particular position. The decision whether or not to file or pursue an export license application is at Avon’s sole election.
Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without a sponsorship for employment visa status (e.e. H1B status).
The anticipated salary range for candidates who will work in Salem, NH is $130,000 to $150,000 annually. The final salary offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to the type and years of experience within the job, type and years of experience within the industry, education, etc.

• Lead the full product development lifecycle of ballistic helmets from concept through design, prototyping, testing, validation, and production launch in accordance with defense procurement standards and military specifications.
• Oversee selection and validation of materials, structural design, and integration of modular components (e.g., NVDs, visors, communication systems, rails, padding).
• Ensure compliance with standards such as NIJ 0106.01, NIJ 0101.06/07, MIL-STD-662F, STANAG 2920, VPAM, etc.
• Coordinate ballistic, non- ballistic and environmental testing with internal and/or certified laboratories and oversee failure analysis and design iteration.
• Manage the development and maintenance of CAD models and technical documentation, including drawings, bill of materials (BOMs), and test plans.
• Ensure all design documentation, DFMEA, BOMs, and compliance reports are maintained per defense project protocols and ITAR controls where applicable.
• Supervise prototype development and support production ramp-up, including tooling and process validation.
• Collaborate with supply chain and manufacturing teams to optimize processes, quality, and cost-efficiency.
• Support proposal development and compliance matrices for government tenders and RFPs (e.g., NATO, MoD, DoD).
• Collaborate with Program Management, Quality Assurance, and Manufacturing to ensure project delivery, quality control, and traceability.
• Support failure analysis, root cause investigations, and continuous improvement activities.
• Support product lifecycle management (PLM) and change management processes.
• Monitor industry trends, emerging materials, and competitor products.
• Serve as the technical point of contact for customers, suppliers, third party labs and internal departments.
• Manage and mentor a team of engineers and technicians.