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Role Description

The Project Engineer VI serves as a senior technical authority and strategic integrator for high-complexity defense and aerospace programs. The individual provides technical direction and programmatic oversight across engineering disciplines, ensuring alignment of design, performance, and risk with mission and contractual requirements. The Level VI engineer represents engineering leadership at the enterprise level, contributing to organizational strategy, process improvement, and technology development initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Serve as chief project engineer or senior technical lead for large, multi-phase, or multi-contract defense and aerospace programs.
• Define and guide system architecture, integration, and verification strategies aligned with customer and mission objectives.
• Oversee engineering execution across multiple Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) and major subcontractors, ensuring technical, cost, and schedule compliance.
• Lead technical baseline definition, configuration management, and system integration planning.
• Chair or provide executive-level support for major design and integration reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) and ensure readiness and compliance with technical performance metrics.
• Serve as the primary engineering interface to executive management and DoD customers, supporting technical interchange meetings and milestone reviews.
• Manage and approve Statements of Work (SOWs), subcontractor technical deliverables, and major supplier design inputs.
• Develop and implement advanced risk and opportunity management frameworks across enterprise-level programs.
• Provide mentorship, coaching, and technical oversight to project engineers and functional leads.
• Support proposal development, cost estimation, and new business capture activities.
• Guide and enforce adherence to systems engineering standards, model-based engineering practices, and configuration control.
• Drive organizational engineering process improvements, knowledge management, and best practices.

Qualifications

• Must have or be able to obtain and maintain an active DoD Secret Clearance.
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale, multi-disciplinary engineering projects through the full lifecycle—from concept development through verification, qualification, and delivery.
• Proven ability to develop and execute technical strategies aligned with business and program objectives.
• Exceptional leadership, influencing, and mentoring abilities across engineering, program management, and customer teams.
• Strong technical depth and judgment to guide architecture-level decisions and complex trade studies.
• Proactive, strategic thinker with a continuous improvement mindset and commitment to technical excellence and mission success.
• Advanced knowledge of DoD acquisition frameworks, contract structures, and customer interface management.

Requirements

• Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in project engineering, systems engineering, or program-level technical leadership.
• Proven experience managing large-scale DoD or MDA programs, including complex system integration and verification activities.
• Demonstrated success as a Control Account Manager (CAM) and technical lead under EVMS-compliant contracts.
• Deep understanding of DoD acquisition lifecycle (DoDI 5000 series) and MIL-STD systems engineering processes.
• Experience overseeing major subcontractors, suppliers, and multi-disciplinary engineering teams.
• Background in propulsion systems, flight vehicle integration, or complex electro-mechanical systems preferred.
• Prior experience leading customer engagements, proposal efforts, and engineering process improvement initiatives.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in systems engineering, aerospace engineering, mechanical, electrical engineering, or related STEM field from an accredited college/university.

Skills

• Advanced technical and organizational leadership skills, with the ability to manage ambiguity and competing priorities.
• Expertise in system integration, verification planning, and risk-based engineering approaches.
• Strong analytical, communication, and presentation skills—capable of engaging executive and customer audiences.
• Proficient with engineering management and project planning tools (Microsoft Project, Primavera, or equivalent).
• Skilled in data-driven decision making, technical trade analysis, and configuration control.
• Strong interpersonal skills for guiding and motivating diverse, high-performing teams.
• Experienced with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Visio.

Others

• Must be able to travel approximately 10% of the time to support program and customer needs.
• Must be comfortable working in secure or classified environments, as required.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven development environment.
• Ability to balance multiple priorities across concurrent workstreams.
• Committed to mission success, technical integrity, and collaborative execution in a national defense environment.

Benefits

• Competitive salary.
• Discretionary annual bonus plan.
• Paid time off (PTO).
• Comprehensive health benefit package.
• Retirement savings.
• Wellness program.
• Various other benefits.