Her Story
About Carmen
Carmen De Leon-Acosta is a Principal Production Engineer in the aerospace and defense industry, currently serving at CHAOS Industries. She brings extensive experience across aerospace manufacturing, production engineering, operations, and engineering leadership, with a career spanning military and civilian environments. Her professional background includes engineering and manufacturing roles with Boeing, Boeing NASA supporting the Space Launch System, Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, Atropos Group, and CHAOS Industries. She has worked across the aerospace lifecycle, from manufacturing and ground operations through launch and emerging autonomous aerospace systems.
Throughout her career, Carmen has developed expertise in production engineering, manufacturing strategy and integration, value stream mapping, change management, Lean Six Sigma, and organizational leadership. She previously served as Manufacturing Operations Assembly Senior Manager at Blue Origin and as a Senior Principal Manufacturing Engineer at Northrop Grumman before joining Atropos Group and subsequently CHAOS Industries. In parallel with her civilian career, she has served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a Rescue Operations First Sergeant since 2020 and brings approximately 25 years of military service. Her academic and professional development includes Executive Business Leadership at Stanford University, systems engineering education through MIT, Stanford Executive Leadership, and Lean Six Sigma training.
Carmen approaches leadership with a strong emphasis on grit, purposeful goals, service, humility, and continuous growth. She believes professional success is strengthened by meaningful relationships, consistent support, and the willingness to persevere through challenges. As a leader and veteran in a rapidly evolving aerospace sector, she encourages the next generation—particularly women—to define their goals, establish healthy boundaries, build strong professional networks, and remain open to unexpected opportunities. Her commitment to service is also reflected in her long-standing support of the Wounded Warrior Project and her involvement with Seacoast Church.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Carmen
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to grit, having meaningful goals, and maintaining a strong desire to take care of others. I keep my mind engaged and continue challenging myself to grow. I also believe in staying humble throughout every role and giving myself grace when I encounter challenges or setbacks along the way.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have received was the encouragement that someone already saw me succeeding and believed in my potential. Just as important was the experience of having someone follow through when I needed support and reached out. That taught me that genuine encouragement is demonstrated not only through words, but through consistent presence and follow-through.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Know what you want and do not allow a simple “no” to define what you can accomplish. Establish healthy boundaries and intentionally build a network of people you can rely on for guidance, encouragement, and professional growth. Most importantly, make sure you have a community around you so that you never feel that you have to navigate your career alone.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I see tremendous opportunities in aerospace and defense. Someone can enter the industry with one career path in mind and discover an entirely different area that they never expected to enjoy. There are also many organizations, communities, and professional groups within the industry that provide opportunities to learn, build relationships, and expand professional networks.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I keep the Lord first and strive to appreciate each moment for what it is while giving my best effort. I also value healthy boundaries and recognizing when it is appropriate to delegate. Over time, I have learned that knowing when to establish boundaries and delegate responsibilities reflects greater wisdom and strengthens both personal well-being and leadership.
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