What is a Head of Aerostructure?

The Head of Aerostructure is a key technical and managerial leader in the aerospace and space industries.
They oversee the design, production, and quality of aircraft structures: fuselage, wings, tail unit, landing gear, doors, and more.
Their role is to guarantee mechanical performance, safety, and production cost optimization for these critical components.

What is their role in the company?

The Head of Aerostructure leads the entire value chain related to aircraft structures, from design to assembly, including certification.
They act as the interface between engineering, production, quality, and program teams, with a dual mission:

• guaranteeing the technical robustness of parts,
• ensuring schedule and industrial cost adherence.

They can work at OEMs (Airbus, Dassault, Embraer, etc.), suppliers, or specialized engineering firms.

Main missions of the Head of Aerostructure

• Oversee the design and validation of aerospace structures (calculations, materials, assemblies, tolerances).
• Coordinate R&D, design, and production teams to ensure product compliance.
• Manage subcontractors and industrial partners (composite manufacturing, metallurgy, assembly, maintenance).
• Optimize manufacturing processes: automation, digitalization, quality, cost reduction.
• Ensure certification and regulatory compliance (EASA, FAA, DOA/POA).
• Manage technical teams: structure engineers, stress engineers, design engineers, quality, and production.
• Track industrial performance and the innovation roadmap.

Key skills

Technical skills:

• In-depth knowledge of composite and metallic materials
• Mastery of CAD/CAM tools (CATIA, Siemens NX, etc.)
• Expertise in structural calculation and material strength
• Strong understanding of aerospace industrial processes
• Knowledge of aerospace certification standards

Soft skills:

• Leadership and cross-functional management
• Strategic vision and industrial sense
• Ability to arbitrate technical and budget trade-offs
• Excellent communication across business teams

What tools & environments do they use?

• CAD / CAM: CATIA V5, Siemens NX, SolidWorks
• Simulation tools: NASTRAN, ANSYS, HyperWorks
• PLM / ERP: Windchill, 3DEXPERIENCE, SAP
• Project management tools: Jira, MS Project, Confluence
• Lean, Six Sigma, APQP, DOA/POA methodologies

Training to become a Head of Aerostructure

The Head of Aerostructure typically holds an engineering degree with a specialization in:

• Mechanical or aerospace engineering
• Composite materials or structures
• Industrial production / quality

Typical paths: ISAE-SUPAERO, ENSMA, INSA, Arts et Métiers, Centrale, Polytech, ESTACA, and more.
Significant experience (10 to 15 years) in aerospace design or production is essential.

Compensation

The Head of Aerostructure's salary varies by company size and geographic location:

• Mid-level profile (8–12 years of experience): 85K€ – 110K€
• Senior profile / team manager: 110K€ – 150K€
• Aerostructures / industry director: 150K€ – 200K€+

Possible career paths

• Director of Engineering
• Head of Manufacturing / Industrial Director
• Program Manager (aerospace / space)