Visual Database Engineering Lead
CAE · Altus
Who We Are:
- CAE Vision: Our vision is to be the worldwide partner of choice in defense and security, and civil aviation by revolutionizing our customers’ training and critical operations with digitally immersive solutions to elevate safety, efficiency and readiness.
- CAE Defense & Security Mission: CAE's Defense and Security business unit focuses on helping prepare military customers to develop and maintain the highest levels of mission readiness.
- CAE Values: Empowerment, Innovation, Excellence, Integrity and OneCAE make us who we are and we strive to make a difference in the world while helping each other succeed.
What We Have to Offer:
- Comprehensive and competitive benefits package and flexibility that promotes work-life balance
- A work environment where all employees are valued, respected and safe
- Freedom to succeed by enabling team members to deliver, take initiatives and make decisions
- Recognition, professional development, advancement and having fun!
Summary
The Lead Visual Database Engineer serves as the working technical lead for the Visual Database Engineering function supporting C-17 Training Systems (TS). This position supervises the day-to-day work of assigned Visual Database Engineers while providing hands-on expertise in the design, development, testing, integration, and maintenance of real-time visual, RADAR, and 3-D databases used in simulation and mission rehearsal applications.
The Lead establishes work priorities, assigns and monitors tasks, reviews technical quality, coaches team members, and helps ensure milestones, customer commitments, and engineering standards are met. The role leads full-lifecycle development of 3-D models and terrain environments, coordinates implementation with the Training System Support Center (TSSC) Engineering group, and partners with Test Engineers, Pilot Instructors, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), management, and customers to validate accuracy, performance, reliability, and seamless integration within the training system.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Lead and supervise the day-to-day activities of assigned Visual Database Engineers, including establishing priorities, distributing work, monitoring progress, and helping remove technical or operational obstacles.
- Provide hands-on technical leadership for the design, modification, development, implementation, and maintenance of visual and radar database applications used for simulation and training.
- Serve as the primary technical resource for complex visual database issues, design decisions, troubleshooting, and integration activities.
- Review team deliverables, preliminary and detailed designs, technical documentation, and implementation artifacts for quality, completeness, accuracy, and compliance with established engineering standards.
- Mentor and coach team members; share technical knowledge, reinforce consistent processes, and identify opportunities to strengthen individual and team capability.
- Coordinate schedules, dependencies, resource needs, risks, and competing priorities with Engineering management to support on-time delivery of visual database projects and enhancements.
- Lead the interpretation of technical and customer requirements and translate them into executable database designs, work plans, assignments, and acceptance criteria.
- Direct and participate in software installation and operating-system support required for database integration.
- Lead and participate in testing activities, including review, analysis, witnessing, troubleshooting, and certification of software and database products.
- Apply and reinforce commonly used engineering and development concepts, standards, processes, procedures, and configuration-control practices across the team.
- Coordinate closely with the TSSC Engineering group to support effective implementation throughout all phases of visual database development.
- Lead collaboration with Test Engineers, Pilot Instructors, and SMEs to analyze, evaluate, and validate database design accuracy, performance, and usability.
- Track team progress and communicate project status, technical risks, resource constraints, and recommended actions to management and customers through weekly and monthly meetings and teleconferences.
- Promote a positive, accountable, and team-oriented work environment and maintain effective communication with team members, internal stakeholders, and external customers.
- Provide input to management regarding team performance, development needs, workload capacity, process improvements, and recognition opportunities.
- Provide technical support related to C-17 visual database systems and associated tools, including timely escalation and coordination of high-impact issues.
- Perform other duties and lead special assignments as required to support program and organizational objectives.
Supervisory Responsibilities
Provides direct day-to-day work supervision and technical leadership to assigned Visual Database Engineers. Responsibilities include assigning and prioritizing work, monitoring quality and completion, coaching and mentoring employees, supporting onboarding and knowledge transfer, and providing performance and development input to management. Formal employment actions remain subject to the organization's established approval processes and delegated authority.
Qualifications and Education Requirements
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience, including a minimum of eight years of related experience.
- Minimum of six years of experience in visual database development, simulation systems, or a related technical field.
- Demonstrated experience leading technical work, coordinating projects, mentoring engineers, or supervising technical employees.
- Working knowledge of engineering development lifecycles, technical documentation, integration, testing, and configuration-control practices.
- Demonstrated ability to organize work, set priorities, address technical challenges, and communicate status and risk to management and customers.
- Due to U.S. Government contract requirements, only U.S. citizens are eligible for this role.
Preferred Skills
- Experience leading the design and delivery of visual databases for simulation, training, or mission rehearsal applications.
- Experience supporting C-17 or comparable military training systems.
- Proficiency with terrain-generation tools, 3-D modeling techniques, visual database toolsets, and radar database development.
- Strong technical judgment and analytical capability for evaluating design alternatives, resolving complex problems, and identifying optimization opportunities.
- Ability to translate technical and customer requirements into detailed designs, team assignments, schedules, and measurable outcomes.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce technical design artifacts, implementation notes, status reports, and customer briefings.
- Demonstrated ability to build team capability through coaching, constructive feedback, knowledge sharing, and consistent accountability.
- Ability to collaborate effectively across Engineering, Test, Operations, instruction, program management, and customer teams.
Security Responsibilities
Must comply with all company security and data protection / usage policies and procedures. Personally responsible for proper marking and handling of all information and materials, in any form. Shall not divulge any information, or afford access, to other employees not having a need-to-know. Shall not divulge information outside company without management approval. All government and proprietary information will be accessed and stored electronically on company provided resources.
- Incumbent must be eligible for DoD Personal Security Clearance.
Due to U.S. Government contract requirements, only U.S. citizens are eligible for this role.
Work Environment
- Work is performed primarily in an engineering lab or office setting within a training system development environment.
- Regular collaboration with engineers, project managers, program leads, and cross‑functional teams.
- May require occasional onsite support at customer locations or training facilities.
- Fast‑paced environment with shifting priorities and multiple concurrent projects.
- Use of computers, engineering tools, simulators, and technical equipment on a daily basis.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while operating computers or performing technical tasks.
- Ability to walk through engineering labs, simulator bays, or training areas as needed.
- May occasionally be required to lift or move equipment, components, or materials up to 25 lbs.
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for their job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
CAE USA Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to any protected characteristic, including disability and protected veteran status, as defined under federal, state, or local laws.
Applicants needing reasonable accommodations should contact their recruiter at any point in the recruitment process. If you need assistance to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at hrops@caemilusa.com
About CAE
At CAE, our mission is clear: to help make the world a safer place. For nearly 80 years, we’ve driven innovation in simulation, training, and mission readiness to support critical operations worldwide. By leveraging advanced technologies, we empower our customers to operate smarter, faster, and more sustainably. Join a purpose-driven organization where bold ideas are encouraged, collaboration drives progress, and your growth fuels our shared success.
Position Type
RegularEqual Opportunity Employer
CAE is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. At CAE, everyone is welcome to contribute to our success. Applicants needing reasonable accommodations should contact their recruiter at any point in the recruitment process. If you need assistance to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at CAECarrieres-Careers@cae.com.
Data Privacy
As part of our process, we may use AI‑supported tools to help review applications, with human decision‑making at every step. CAE thanks all applicants for their interest. However, only those whose background and experience match the requirements of the role will be contacted.