Engineering Project Manager

Applied Engineering•Burnsville, MN

3d•$49 - $72•Onsite

About The Position

Applied Engineering is seeking an Engineering Project Manager to join its Burnsville, Minnesota team. The role leads complex engineering projects in a Research, Development and Engineering (RDE) environment, ensuring delivery on time, within scope, and within budget. The project manager owns full project lifecycles, from planning and execution through tracking, close-out, and lessons learned, and supports consistent project governance and reporting across RDE. The role coordinates engineering requirements, design reviews, verification and validation, engineering change control, and market launch readiness. It involves risk and resource management, stakeholder communication, portfolio and resource planning, and collaboration across functions. The project manager also contributes to governance standards, tools, templates, and continuous improvement while leading through ambiguity, shifting priorities, and evolving business needs in a developing PMO environment. This position is suited to an experienced engineering project leader with technical literacy and the ability to manage complex, high-visibility projects with customer and business impact. The role is based in Burnsville, MN, with domestic and international travel of up to 20%. Applied Engineering is an employee-owned engineering consulting company serving manufacturers across the Midwest and beyond.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree or higher in engineering or a business-related field.
PMP certification issued by PMI or a master’s degree in Project Management.
At least 7 years leading engineering projects in mechanical, electrical, R&D, technology, or product development environments.
Experience building project schedules, charters, financial summaries, RAID logs, and stakeholder communication plans.
Ability to lead projects in environments with immature or evolving PMO processes.
Strong business acumen and experience navigating difficult conversations, aligning priorities, and influencing without authority.
Proficiency with project scheduling and reporting tools, including Microsoft Project, Planner, and related platforms.
Demonstrated success in business process improvement and structured project governance.
Strong communication, organizational, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to calm stakeholders in high-pressure situations.
Experience with Microsoft 365, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Teams, and SharePoint; AI tools such as Copilot or ChatGPT; and mind-mapping tools such as Mindomo.
Ability to lead mechanical and electrical engineers while working in Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid environments.
Ability to travel up to 20% domestically and internationally.
Ability to work independently and as a team member.
Strong work ethic and unwavering integrity.
Excellent interpersonal skills and a learning mindset.
Curiosity, problem-solving, and analytical thinking.
Effective verbal and written communication.
Desire to work on a variety of projects.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States; sponsorship is not offered.

Nice To Haves

Experience driving technology or products to commercialization is strongly preferred.
Experience managing external vendors, suppliers, or development partners is preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead complex engineering projects in a Research, Development and Engineering (RDE) environment, delivering on time, within scope, and within budget.
Manage project lifecycles, including planning, execution, tracking, close-out, and lessons learned.
Build and maintain project schedules, charters, financial summaries, RAID logs, and stakeholder communication plans.
Promote consistent project execution, governance, and reporting practices across RDE.
Onboard, coach, and mentor project team members in risk management, resource planning, scope control, scheduling, and stakeholder communication.
Coordinate project requirements, design reviews, verification and validation activities, engineering change control, and market launch readiness.
Identify project risks and implement mitigation plans that balance technical, financial, and business impacts.
Report project progress, risks, and performance to leadership on established cadences.
Navigate difficult conversations, align cross-functional priorities, and manage stakeholders during high-pressure situations.
Contribute to project governance standards, tools, templates, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Support portfolio reviews, resource balancing, and scenario analysis.
Collaborate across functions to remove barriers, align priorities, and improve execution effectiveness.
Lead projects amid ambiguity, shifting priorities, evolving business needs, and developing PMO processes.
Lead mechanical and electrical engineers in Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid environments.
Manage external vendors, suppliers, or development partners, as applicable.
Travel domestically and internationally up to 20%.