Manufacturing Project Engineer Jobs in California

About the Role

Join a growing aerospace and defense engineering organization leading the development and production of mission-critical technologies supporting space, defense, and national security programs. This opportunity is ideal for an experienced Project Engineer Leader who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and enjoys leading cross-functional teams from concept through production.

In this role, you'll own the execution of complex engineering and manufacturing projects, ensuring cost, schedule, technical performance, and customer commitments are achieved. Working closely with Program Management, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and Finance, you'll drive project execution while identifying risks, solving challenges, and delivering successful program outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead cross-functional Integrated Product Teams throughout the full project lifecycle, from development through production
• Own project execution, including scope, schedule, cost, risk, and technical performance
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, schedules, milestones, and execution strategies aligned with customer and business objectives
• Partner closely with Program Managers to align project execution with contractual requirements and customer expectations
• Coordinate engineering, operations, supply chain, quality, and finance teams to ensure on-time project delivery
• Monitor project performance, identify risks, implement mitigation plans, and drive timely resolution of issues
• Manage project budgets, cost forecasts, variance analysis, and recovery plans to meet financial objectives
• Lead technical, cost, and schedule trade studies while providing recommendations to project stakeholders
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives through structured problem-solving and Lean methodologies
• Support proposal development by contributing execution plans, schedules, cost estimates, and risk assessments
• Ensure successful transition of projects from development into production
• Communicate project status, risks, and performance metrics to leadership while driving accountability across cross-functional teams

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline
• 5+ years of experience in engineering, project execution, manufacturing, or operations within the aerospace, defense, or other complex manufacturing industries
• Experience managing project scope, schedules, budgets, and execution across multiple stakeholders
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct reporting authority
• Strong organizational, planning, and project management skills
• Experience identifying project risks and implementing effective mitigation strategies
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret project performance metrics and drive corrective actions
• Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to collaborate across technical and business organizations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting both product development and production programs
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, visual management, and structured problem-solving methodologies
• Experience supporting proposal development, project estimating, and schedule planning
• Knowledge of project financial management, including forecasting, Estimate at Completion (EAC), budgeting, and variance analysis
• Experience working within structured execution or operating systems in aerospace or defense environments

Why Join?

• Lead high-impact aerospace and defense programs supporting critical national security and space missions
• Influence projects from concept development through production and customer delivery
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering and manufacturing teams on complex technical programs
• Join a growing organization that values leadership, accountability, continuous improvement, and innovation
• Expand your technical and program leadership experience while working on cutting-edge aerospace technologies

Interested in learning more? We'd love to connect and discuss this opportunity further.