CEO - Designate (Engine Division)

About the Company

Raghu Vamsi Engines is one of India's first companies developing Micro Turbojet Engines indigenously — designed, engineered, and built in India to power next-gen UAVs, missiles, and aircraft for India and the world. We are backed by the complete manufacturing infrastructure of Raghuvamsi Group, a 1,200-person precision aerospace and defence manufacturing organisation supplying GE Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Honeywell, Safran, and Collins Aerospace. Machining, sheet metal, composites, gears, electronics, and testing — all under one roof, certified to AS9100D and NADCAP standards. The company is led by two industry veterans: our CEO, Mr. Ravindra Naidu (30+ years at Bharat Dynamics Limited) and our CTO (30+ years in design and systems at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited).

The Opportunity

This is not a lateral career move — it is a structured CEO succession mandate. Over 24 months, the CEO-Designate will work directly under our CEO, absorbing the full technical, programmatic, and commercial dimensions of the engine business, executing flagship programmes, and progressively taking on leadership — with a defined path to the top chair.

You will join the founding leadership table of a company writing India's indigenous propulsion story, with equity participation and founder-team recognition.

Candidate Profile

• 10–15+ years of deep, hands-on experience in propulsion, turbomachinery, combustion systems, or gas turbine / engine design and development.
• A demonstrated record of leading engineering programmes end-to-end — from concept to hardware to flight or field delivery.
• The precision and discipline of a programme manager combined with the instincts and depth of a practising engineer.
• Proven ability to build, inspire, and lead high-performance technical teams.
• Leadership that earns respect through competence and character.
• A genuine, career-defining commitment to indigenous engine development — and the ambition to build something India has never built before.

Backgrounds from GTRE/DRDO, HAL, BDL, ISRO, global engine OEMs (GE, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Safran, Honeywell), or advanced UAV/propulsion start-ups are strong fits.

Qualification

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Mechanical/Aerospace/Aeronautical/Propulsion)
• Optional - Master's degree (M.Tech/MS)
• Optional - MBA

Key Responsibilities

• Programme leadership — Own end-to-end delivery of micro turbojet engine development programmes — from concept and design through prototyping, testing, qualification, supply chain management and delivery.
• Engineering depth — Provide hands-on direction across turbomachinery, combustion, engine systems, and integration; personally engage in solving the hardest technical problems.
• Team building — Recruit, build, and mentor a high-performance propulsion engineering team from the ground up; establish design, analysis, test, and quality practices.
• Manufacturing integration — Leverage the Group's AS9100D / NADCAP-certified manufacturing infrastructure to drive design-for-manufacture, rapid iteration, and cost-effective production.
• Succession execution — Work daily with the CEO and CTO in a structured succession programme — progressively assuming P&L, customer, regulatory, and strategic responsibilities.
• External engagement — Represent the company with defence customers, certification bodies, partners, and suppliers as the programme matures toward flight and serial production.

What We Offer

• A structured 24-month CEO succession track — a defined path to leading the company.
• Equity stake in Raghu Vamsi Engines.
• Founder-team designation — a permanent place in the company's founding story.
• Direct mentorship from a CEO with 30+ years at BDL and a CTO with 30+ years at HAL.
• Full access to one of India's most capable aerospace manufacturing platforms.
• A national mission with global relevance — and a legacy that outlasts a career.