Engineering Operations Administrator

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. • San Luis Obispo, CA

13d • $74,000 - $89,997 • Onsite

About The Position

The Engineering Operations Administrator provides strategic administrative, operational, and organizational support directly to the Director of Engineering and the broader engineering leadership team. Rather than managing individual product projects, this role focuses on the overall efficiency, operational cadences, and administrative health of the Engineering department. Exercising high independent judgment, the Engineering Operations Administrator acts as a primary operational liaison across Engineering, Operations, Quality, Finance, and Executive Leadership. This position manages departmental workflows, tracks department-level action items, optimizes engineering tools/processes, oversees administrative compliance, and assists with resource and capacity planning for the engineering organization.

Requirements

• BA/BS degree or minimum 3+ years of experience in engineering administration, operations management, or executive support within a technical environment.
• Experience supporting technical/engineering teams or senior technical leadership required.
• Demonstrated proficiency in administrative workflow optimization and data tracking tools (e.g., MS Office Suite, SharePoint, Jira/Confluence, MS Teams, Excel).
• Exceptional organizational, critical-thinking, and time-management skills with high attention to detail.
• Strong analytical capabilities with the ability to compile departmental data into executive summaries and visual dashboards.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; proven ability to interact effectively with executives, engineers, suppliers, and external partners.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment, maintain confidentiality, and execute processes with minimal supervision.

Nice To Haves

• Aerospace or manufacturing industry experience preferred.
• Basic familiarity with engineering change processes and ISO9001/AS9100 quality standards is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-level operational and administrative support to the Director of Engineering, managing executive reporting, department-wide communication, meeting cadences, and tracking high-priority leadership action items.
• Develop, maintain, and optimize departmental administrative tools, intake frameworks, and tracking systems to ensure consistent operational performance across all engineering teams.
• Assist in tracking overall engineering headcount, resource availability, and capacity planning to ensure engineering groups are effectively supported.
• Drive alignment between Engineering and cross-functional partners (Operations, Quality, Finance, Supply Chain, and HR), ensuring smooth communication and timely resolution of operational bottlenecks.
• Collect and analyze departmental metrics (e.g., engineering throughput, resource utilization, compliance tracking), turning data into actionable insights and executive presentations for leadership decisions.
• Support departmental compliance initiatives (e.g., documentation retention, audit readiness, engineering standards adoption) in alignment with industry certifications and internal quality management systems.
• Assist engineering leadership with departmental budget tracking, software license oversight, engineering tool procurement, and travel/expense administrative reviews.
• Proactively identify operational risks, resource bottlenecks, or administrative constraints across the engineering department, recommending and implementing process improvements.

Benefits

• Choose from three health, dental, and vision plans - including a 100% employer-paid option covering both employees and their families.
• 120 hours of PTO, 80 hours accrued plus an additional 40 hours of holiday break pay in addition to Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day off.
• $25,000 employer-paid life insurance policy, with the option to purchase additional coverage for employees and their families.
• Access optional benefits such as Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, and Critical Illness with Skin Cancer coverage.
• Take advantage of a tax-advantaged HSA to manage medical expenses.
• 401(k) with a company match to support your financial future.
• 9 paid holidays throughout the year.
• A casual dress code, complimentary snacks, and a welcoming company culture.

What This Job Offers

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