Engineering Project Manager (onsite)

Palomar Products Inc.•Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Engineering Project Manager plays a critical role in planning, coordinating, and driving engineering activities in support of Palomar’s development programs. Acting as the right hand to the Vice President of Engineering, this role ensures that engineering schedules, resources, and capital projects are well organized and aligned with business priorities. The EPM partners closely with Technical Program Managers, Functional Managers, and Technical Leads to optimize engineering efficiency, ensure project visibility, and support proposal and capital planning and execution activities. This position is designed to strengthen coordination within Engineering, improving predictability, accountability, and overall execution performance across all active and proposed projects.

Requirements

Project Management Expertise: In-depth knowledge and practical experience in applying Project Management Professional (PMP) principles, techniques, and methodologies to complex, multi-faceted design and development programs.
Avionics Industry Knowledge Preferred: Proven experience with military avionics systems development, particularly in systems with hardware, firmware and software development, and a strong understanding of industry standards and practices, including DO-178, DO-254, and DO-160.
Leadership & Collaboration: Strong leadership abilities, with a track record of effectively managing and mentoring cross-functional teams. Demonstrated skill in building and maintaining relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, and regulatory bodies.
Cost & Budget Management: Exceptional budgeting and financial management skills, with a proven ability to drive cost containment and optimize program financials while ensuring that all deliverables meet customer requirements.
Communication Skills: Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey complex technical information to diverse audiences, including customers, senior management, and cross-functional teams.
Risk & Opportunity Management: Experienced in the proactive management of program risks and opportunities, ensuring the program remains on track and that any potential issues are mitigated before they impact deliverables.
Compliance & Regulatory Knowledge: In-depth understanding of industry compliance standards and regulations, including military standards, as well as the ability to manage customer and FAA audits effectively.
Technical Expertise: Familiarity with engineering and avionics development, including software, firmware, mechanical, and electronic subsystems, and systems integration.
Tool Proficiency: Proficient in MS Project, MS Office Suite, and other project management tools to effectively track and report project performance.

Nice To Haves

Active security clearance is preferred, or ability to obtain and maintain clearance.

Responsibilities

Project Planning & Scheduling
Develop, maintain, and track integrated engineering schedules across multiple projects in collaboration with Technical Program Managers and technical leads.
Partner with Technical Program Managers and Functional Managers to ensure resources are allocated effectively and project milestones are achievable.
Coordinate schedule integration between Engineering and Program Management for all programs requiring engineering support.
Engineering Resource & Workload Management
Manage and track engineering tasking, ensuring alignment between functional resource availability and project demand.
Provide the VP of Engineering with regular visibility into resource utilization and workload distribution.
Help identify capacity gaps and facilitate prioritization discussions across business units.
Engineering Capital Projects (CapEx)
Support the creation, planning, and execution of Engineering CapEx projects, including business cases, cost tracking, and procurement coordination.
Work closely with Finance and Operations to monitor budgets, purchase orders, and invoices related to engineering investments.
Proposal & Business Development Support
Support the development of proposals by helping generate engineering schedules, work estimates, and labor forecasts.
Collaborate with Technical Program Managers and engineering staff to refine technical tasking and ensure proposal inputs are consistent with capacity and capability.
Third-Party and Vendor Coordination
Assist the VP of Engineering in overseeing third-party engineering resources, including managing hours, tracking progress, and processing purchase orders.
Ensure vendor performance aligns with schedule, budget, and deliverable expectations.
Reporting & Communication
Provide periodic reports and presentations to Engineering leadership on project and resource status, risks, and metrics.
Promote transparency and communication between Engineering, Program Management, and other departments (Finance, Operations, and Sales).
Continuous Improvement
Identify process inefficiencies and propose improvements to project planning, scheduling, and resource tracking practices.
Support implementation of standard work practices, tools, and templates to improve Engineering department performance.
Other
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Vice President of Engineering, contributing to continuous improvement and the overall success of the engineering department.