External Engineering Manager

Last Energy • Austin, TX

3d

About The Position

Last Energy is seeking an External Engineering Manager to lead and coordinate strategic partnerships with external engineering consulting firms, technical specialists, and third-party service providers.

Last Energy executes engineering work through a network of specialized external partners, often running multiple firms in parallel across disciplines like chemical/process engineering, mechanical, electrical, and process safety (including HAZOP support). This role is responsible for leading that external engineering ecosystem: coordinating scope and interfaces, driving technical alignment, managing schedules and deliverables, and ensuring outside work products integrate cleanly into a single, buildable solution.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Nuclear, Structural, Systems Engineering, or related technical field)
• 5-10 years of experience in technical project leadership, engineering, or engineering services coordination in complex, heavy tech, i.e. aerospace, robotics, or similar industrial/manufacturing environments
• Demonstrated track record of successfully managing external engineering firms and consulting relationships on complex technical projects
• Strong background reviewing and interpreting technical analyses, engineering deliverables, and modeling results
• Excellent project coordination, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with experience aligning external and internal engineering teams
• Experience developing scopes of work, technical requirements, and governance frameworks for external engineering contracts
• Proven ability to drive alignment across cross-functional teams and ensure on-time, high-quality delivery from third-party partners
• Strong organizational skills with a solution-oriented mindset and attention to technical detail

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of engineering analysis tools, document control practices, and technical quality assurance standards is a plus

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary lead for managing external engineering service firms, consultants, and specialist contractors throughout project lifecycles
• Define scopes of work, technical deliverables, schedules, and quality expectations for external partners
• Coordinate and prioritize engineering analysis tasks with third-party firms, including chemical, mechanical, electrical, and safety analysis tasks
• Review, evaluate, and provide technical feedback on engineering work products from external firms to ensure accuracy, completeness, and alignment with internal requirements
• Act as a technical interface between external partners and internal engineering, project delivery, licensing, and operations teams to align work streams and resolve technical issues
• Drive performance management of external partners using metrics, deliverable quality reviews, schedule tracking, and targeted corrective actions where needed
• Lead contract and engagement governance in collaboration with Legal and Project Controls, ensuring deliverables are clearly defined and risks managed
• Establish and maintain governance frameworks for managing external engineering work, including milestones, reporting cadence, quality gates, and change control
• Identify opportunities to improve external engineering engagement processes, documentation standards, and cross-functional coordination
• Support scenario and risk analyses related to external technical dependencies, integration challenges, and multi-discipline engineering interfaces

What This Job Offers

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