Strategic Project Engineer Jobs in Ohio (NOW HIRING)

Job Title: Project Engineer, Youngstown Innovation Hub About Youngstown Innovation Hub

The Youngstown, Ohio-based Innovation Hub for Aerospace and Defense serves as a national proving ground for advanced and additive manufacturing, accelerating the transformation of ideas from concept to market with speed and scale. The Hub brings together cutting-edge facilities, world-class talent, and strategic partnerships to revolutionize American manufacturing. Its mission is to strengthen U.S. aerospace and defense supply chains, advance next-generation workforce development, and pioneer innovative manufacturing solutions with global impact. Managed by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), in collaboration with America Makes, the Youngstown Innovation Hub is more than a regional resource — it’s a catalyst for national security, global competitiveness, and long-term economic growth.

About the role and team

As a Project Engineer, you will be a valued and trusted member of the Innovation Hub and NCDMM team. You will effectively and efficiently plan, lead, and execute multiple projects for our customers and stakeholders within the defined project scopes and budgetary constraints. You will develop statements of work, cost proposals and project timelines for new business opportunities. The role will be critical to ensure successful execution of the overall Hub objectives.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative and creative team member with a passion for project management and execution while collaborating with team members and customers. The candidate must be detail oriented.

The NCDMM team culture is innovative, creative, and fast paced. Members of the team must be adaptive to thrive in an ambiguous environment. This role is part of a collaborative team, but a candidate with a "self-starter" personality with high-energy will grow and thrive in this role.

Responsibilities of the role include:

• Must be able to coordinate and execute multiple technical projects, which includes:
  
• Time management (both project and non-project)
  
• Project budget management
  
• Developing and managing project costs (pre and post award)
  
• Delegating tasks for timely execution of assignments
  
• Planning and executing tasks within budget and schedule
  
• Expanding customer and partner networks within our advanced manufacturing ecosystem
  
• Developing and maturing customer relationships, and meet/exceed customer expectations
  
• Identifying business opportunities - new and existing customer base.
  
• Traveling (<30% travel is expected)
  
• Working with managers and contract authorities to ensure quality project reporting (budget and progress milestones) subject to internal and external audits
  

On a typical day, you might:

• Interact and engage on a project update meeting with external team members, addressing schedule challenges on a deliverable.
  
• Develop and manage project schedule and spend plan for a 48-month, $26m project on creating and operationalizing an innovation hub for aerospace and defense in northeast Ohio.
  
• Write your own and assist others with reviewing and editing of a final project report.
  
• Interact with regional manufacturers to identify and support their successful integration into the defense supply chain.
  

About our ideal candidate:

• Has a B.S. degree in engineering or a related engineering technical area with 3-5 years relevant experience.
  
  • In lieu of a B.S. degree, an associate degree in engineering or a related engineering technical area with 15 years relevant experience.
    
• Must demonstrate consistent career achievement, including supervising project budgets (material/labor) and proven ability to generate quality reports.
  
• Has a minimum of 3-5 years of experience in leading and managing projects - effective delegation of tasks is a plus.
  
• Has experience working in a manufacturing environment with a generalist perspective and knowledge of manufacturing operations and processes.
  
• Has experience working in DoD project and manufacturing environments.
  
• Has strong oral and written communication skills, with emphasis on technical report writing.
  
• Can communicate on a technical and non-technical level, tailored to the intended audience.
  
• Is interested in professional and personal development.
  
• Is well-versed in Microsoft Office suite of tools, including Microsoft Project.
  

Additional things about you:

• You are self-directed and can prioritize independently to meet deadlines and drive impact.
  
• You are self-directed and accountable, able to prioritize and drive results with minimal supervision.
  
• You enjoy working with cross-functional teams and understand how to turn strategy into action.
  
• You have a passion for serving the nation and improving U.S. manufacturing competitiveness.
  

NCDMM is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Requirements:

NCDMM, as a government contractor, is required to verify all employees through the E-Verify system to confirm eligibility to work in the United States.