Program Chief Engineer

L3Harris Technologies•Herndon, VA

4d•$153,000 - $284,000

About The Position

L3Harris is seeking an experienced Program Chief Engineer (PCE) for its Integrate Sonars & Software (ISS) Business Unit. The PCE leads engineering for assigned Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) programs or program portfolios, serving as the primary engineering representative and working with senior business and customer leadership to deliver technical excellence, cost efficiency, and schedule performance. The role leads engineering teams and drives execution of mission-critical defense technology programs. The position is based in Herndon, Virginia, and follows a 9/80 schedule: employees work 9 out of every 14 days, totaling 80 hours, with every other Friday off. Travel of up to 25% is required for customer engagements, program reviews, and cross-site collaboration. The candidate must be able to obtain a U.S. Secret Clearance.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or a related technical field with at least 12 years of prior related experience, or a graduate degree in Engineering or a related technical field with at least 10 years of prior related experience.
Prior experience in an Integrated Product Team (IPT) environment as a Program Chief Engineer or IPT Lead/Control Account Manager (CAM) on a program or control account with more than $10 million per year of engineering content, excluding material.
Experience with Earned Value (EV) management, including working knowledge of CAM, risk and opportunity management, and using engineering metrics, earned value metrics, and technical inputs to guide program execution decisions.
Experience presenting high-stakes technical briefings to senior internal leadership and external customer stakeholders.
Broad management and leadership knowledge, with demonstrated ability to lead and develop cross-functional teams across disciplines and organizational boundaries.
Experience guiding and reviewing Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) efforts to resolve complex technical challenges.
Mastery-level knowledge in a specific technical area or broad expertise across related engineering disciplines.
Familiarity with Jira or similar agile project management and engineering metrics tracking tools.
Ability to obtain a U.S. Secret Clearance.
Ability to travel up to 25%.

Nice To Haves

Background in undersea or subsea systems engineering, including direct experience in undersea acoustics, sonar systems, or related sensor technologies.
Experience leading complex embedded software-intensive sensor development programs and managing hardware/software co-development, integration, and verification challenges.
Experience leading cross-functional engineering teams through the full program lifecycle, from proposal development through production and sustainment.
Experience using artificial intelligence tools and technologies to accelerate engineering execution, improve deliverable quality, and enhance program performance visibility.
Bid and proposal development experience, including technical volume writing and Basis of Estimate (BOE) review and approval.
Experience transitioning development programs through qualification and into production.
Experience with U.S. Department of Defense and international fixed-price development and qualification program execution.

Responsibilities

Be accountable for technical, cost, and schedule engineering performance for assigned programs or portfolios, aligned with customer commitments and organizational objectives.
Lead and develop Integrated Product Team (IPT) Leads and oversee workforce planning and staffing strategies.
Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse team of 20 to 40 engineers across multiple disciplines, supporting accountability, technical excellence, professional growth, and effective resource allocation.
Establish, maintain, and manage the program technical baseline, milestones, deliverables, and customer commitments; identify, assess, and manage technical risks and opportunities throughout the program lifecycle.
Act as the primary engineering liaison among the Program Manager, functional engineering leadership, senior business leaders, and external customers or vendors.
Conduct briefings and influence acceptance of new concepts, practices, and approaches.
Lead regular engineering program performance reviews covering metrics, challenges, mitigation strategies, risks, and opportunities.
Recommend and implement operational plans, processes, policies, and standards to improve program execution.
Promote innovation, continuous improvement, new technologies, and best practices; apply analytical thinking to complex cross-functional problems.
Develop and maintain engineering staffing demand forecasts to support workforce planning and continuity throughout program phases.