Position Title: Senior Manager, Project Engineering
Requisition ID: 1901
Position Location: Sterling, VA
Position Reports To: Director, Systems Engineering, Integration & Test
Supervises Others: Yes
Position SummaryThe Project Engineering Manager leads and develops the project engineering team, whose members serve as the integrating technical execution leads on Trident's space electronics programs. The team owns the engineering execution baseline: scope and work breakdown structure, integrated master schedule, cost account performance and estimate-to-complete, technical risk, configuration management, and the technical review cadence.
The ideal candidate has delivered complex hardware and software programs from concept through delivery, commands both EVMS program control and Agile development methods, and has a demonstrated ability to develop engineers and hold a team accountable to its commitments.
Duties and ResponsibilitiesTechnical and Project Leadership
- Lead the project engineering team across multiple concurrent programs, serving as the integrating technical lead in partnership with Program Managers, who hold program accountability, and Chief Engineers, who hold design authority.
- Own definition of system and product scope and the engineering work breakdown structure and establish and execute program governance and the technical review cadence (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, ORR, FRR).
- Ensure internal design reviews and customer technical reviews are completed to achieve program milestones.
People Management and Development
- Manage and develop the project engineering team, including performance management, goal setting, coaching, and career development.
- Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, mid-year and annual performance reviews, and provide candid feedback and guidance.
- Identify training, mentoring, and cross training opportunities, support succession planning for critical skills, and foster a collaborative, transparent, and accountable team culture aligned with Trident's values.
Cost, Schedule, and Program Control- Oversee cost account management across programs, holding the team accountable for cost and schedule compliance within an Earned Value Management System (EVMS) framework.
- Provide technical oversight across programs to ensure weekly cost and schedule variance analysis, root cause identification, and corrective action, and ensure Estimates at Completion (EAC) reflect actual engineering progress and remaining work.
- Partner with Program Managers and schedulers to maintain realistic, logic-driven Integrated Master Schedules (IMS) and program milestones.
- Ensure Agile engineering metrics (sprints, velocity) are translated into traditional milestone and earned value reporting and forecast engineering staffing needs across programs.
- Support travel or off-site work as needed and perform other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science/Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline (or equivalent relevant experience), plus 12+ years of professional engineering and development experience, OR 10+ years with a graduate degree, including experience in the aerospace and defense industry.
- Prior experience as a Technical Project Manager (TPM) or Cost Account Manager (CAM), or working intimately within an Earned Value Management System (EVMS) framework, owning cost and schedule on complex hardware development programs - including WBS development, integrated scheduling, variance analysis, and EAC/ETC.
- Solid understanding of the full systems engineering development lifecycle, hardware/software integration, and Agile methodologies using JIRA.
- Experience planning and leading formal technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR), and with requirements traceability and configuration management / change control.
- Prior experience providing technical direction or leading engineering teams or projects, with strong organizational skills and the ability to clearly explain technical and programmatic status to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications- Master's degree in a STEM field or engineering management.
- Prior line-management experience (hiring, performance reviews, salary planning).
- Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), SAFe Agilist/Scrum Master, or equivalent project management or Agile certification.
Pay InformationFull-Time Salary Range: $167,000 - $226,000
Please Note: Actual compensation offered will be determined based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, skills, education, certifications, internal equity, business considerations, and geographic location where applicable.
Benefits Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits including but not limited to:
- Health benefits
- Medical
- Dental
- Vision
- Basic life with AD&D
- Short term disability
- Long term disability
- Ancillary (Voluntary life with AD&D, accident, critical illness, hospital, and pet)
- Spending accounts (HSA, FSA, and DCFSA)
- Paid time off
- Holidays
- 401(k) (including company match)
- Tuition reimbursement
- Leaves (Parental, maternity, and military)
- Annual discretionary bonus (for eligible roles)
Trident Systems reserves the right to change or assign other duties to this position.
