AD&D Project Engineer-Aircraft Development Principal

Cirrus Aircraft • Duluth, MN

4d • $134,096 - $201,144

About The Position

The AD&D Project Engineer – Aircraft Development reports directly to the Executive Director of Advanced Design & Development and owns the project management of engineering-driven workstreams from Ideation thru Conceptual Design. This may include work breakdown structures, development plans, integrated master schedules, resource and budget forecasting, decision and assumption management, risk/issue/opportunity management, and communication and coordination with other departments. Technical authority remains with the engineering leadership. The AD&D Project Engineer – Aircraft Development ensures the technical work is properly scheduled, resourced, documented, and communicated across the program, with specific focus on key integration points where various efforts have to come together. This role collaborates closely with both program management and engineering leadership (chief engineer(s), technical fellow(s), and subject matter experts, who are responsible for technical strategy and decision making).

Requirements

• 10 years of progressive aerospace experience and a minimum of 3 years of technical project management experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (mechanical, aerospace, electrical, or related technical field). Master's degree preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead planning session to gather input from technical contributors.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in earlyconcept, high ambiguity environments.
• Direct experience supporting aircraft development programs, including: requirements and architecture development; design integration and testing (lab, ground, and flight testing); civil aviation type certification
• Engineering design and/or system integration experience in one or more major aircraft disciplines is required, with demonstrated ability to work effectively across disciplines.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to support both technical discussions and executive level program reviews.
• Proven ability to lead crossfunctional teams without direct authority.
• Strong proficiency in: work breakdown structure development; integrated program scheduling (MS Project or equivalent); resource and cost modeling; risk management and scenario planning

Nice To Haves

• Multiple full aircraft program lifecycle experiences, including: New aircraft development FAA type certification Production and EntryIntoService (EIS) Major design changes or major upgrade programs
• Experience with research and development, new technology maturation, rapid prototyping, conceptual design, and/or innovation driven environments.
• Familiarity with new product introduction systems or similar gated product development processes.
• Working knowledge of 14 CFR Part 23, 25, 27, 29 or 33 and related aircraft certification processes and guidance material.
• Working knowledge of ARP4754A, systems engineering fundamentals, and earlyphase FAA certification considerations.
• Experience coordinating with ODA units, ACOs, or regulatory authorities during early certification planning.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain the earlyphase registers for risks, issues, and opportunities.
• Develop and maintain development plans and work breakdown structures, tailored for high uncertainty, early phase development.
• Develop resource plans to achieve development plan objectives and integrated master schedule milestones.
• Drive cross functional clarity when priorities, technologies, or assumptions evolve.
• Ensure program and technical decisions are scheduled, documented, resourced, integrated into the program structure, and communicated to all stakeholders.
• Ensure program documentation—including design reviews, requirements, architectures, trade studies, risk updates, and key decisions—is organized and traceable.
• Ensure technical decisions and risks are captured, baselined, and transitioned cleanly.
• Identify key integration or decision points, where multiple stakeholder groups may need to come together before the project or program could continue to progress.
• Identify, schedule, and track all trade studies, ensuring scope, staffing, and timelines support earlyphase decision points.
• Maintain early-phase scope, key deliverables, planning baselines, dependencies, and assumption/change logs.
• Own near- and mid- and long-term planning, schedules, and budgets and highlight confidence intervals appropriate for each.
• Prepare and deliver a complete, structured handoff package for downstream program customers.
• Provide clear weekly program updates, dashboards, leadership summaries, and scenariobased planning views. Identify blockers early and coordinate crossfunctional resolution paths.
• Quantify programmatic implications of technical outcomes and communicate them to leadership and crossfunctional teams.
• Support the receiving program team as needed to ensure continuity.
• Translate technical leadership input and decisions into actionable schedules, deliverables, and baselined assumptions.
• Working with Program Management, build and maintain Integrated master schedules appropriate to phase maturity, including milestones, stage gates, technology maturation points, key integration points, and decision checkpoints.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, vision, dental, with additional dependent coverage options
• Employer-Paid Coverages: Group term life, short- and long-term disability insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts: FSA and HSA offerings with company contributions to HSA
• Well-being: Calm Health, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness incentives through medical provider
• 401(k) Plan: Dollar-for-dollar match up to 5% after 90 days, with 100% vesting at 1 year of service
• PTO: Various PTO plans starting at 100 hours accrued within the first year
• Additional Time off Benefits: Paid holidays, 2 weeks of Paid Parental leave, paid time for funeral leave and jury duty
• Career Development: Tuition reimbursement program and professional growth opportunities
• Exclusive Discounts: Cirrus Store, partner and marketplace discounts available
• Community & Engagement: Company and employee clubs at various locations

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal