Project Engineer III

Panasonic • Lake Forest, CA

52d • Hybrid

About The Position

Panasonic Avionics Corporation is a leader in delivering inflight products and services such as movies, games, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth headphone connectivity. This role is responsible for managing engineering efforts for In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity (IFEC) systems on aircraft from initiation to delivery. This includes managing work scope, integration engineering solutions, design requirements, and interfaces with both internal and external customers. The position ensures customer requirements are adequately defined, understood, and planned for. Additionally, the role involves mentoring, training, and assisting junior team members.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience leading and managing projects.
• Proven confident leader who demonstrates technical competencies of engineering principles, project management methodologies, and industry standards.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing engineering designs and building integration plans to meet design requirements.
• Proven experience in learning, adapting, and functioning across multiple different engineering disciplines.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to act in a professional manner.
• Demonstrated experience interacting with multiple levels in an organization, as well as suppliers and customers.
• Self-motivated, well organized, and detailed oriented.
• Excellent time management skills combined with a skilled ability to multiplex across different tasks/programs while tracking and maintaining issues.
• Proven ability to identify risks and mitigations to avoid potential problems before they occur.
• Creative problem-solving skills and ability to resolve conflicts and filter conflicting agendas to determine path forward.
• Proven experience demonstrating independent judgment to ensure projects are completed accurately and on-time and ensures work of cross-functional project team is completed in a timely manner.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite as well as project management software (e.g., MS Project, Primavera, Jira, SAFe (Agile), Jama, etc.).
• Proven knowledge of AS9100 standards, as well as all industry and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to guide and mentor colleagues and junior staff.
• Bachelor’s Degree (B.S.) in Engineering (Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or related engineering field) or 9+ years of engineering/project engineering experience in lieu of degree.
• 5+ years experience in engineering or project engineering (electrical, mechanical, and/or systems engineering preferred).
• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time to both domestic and international locations.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in engineering or project engineering in commercial aviation industry.
• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop multiple integration engineering solutions for installing IFEC in various aircraft areas, including cabin seats, monuments, external fuselage, and empennage modifications.
• Create and manage the statement of work (SOW) for IFEC integration on an aircraft.
• Conduct technical evaluations and analyses to ensure the feasibility and efficiency of engineering solutions.
• Provide technical guidance and support to internal and external teams, leading Technical Kickoff meetings by establishing the engineering plan for integrated system delivery.
• Troubleshoot engineering problems and identify effective solutions during design, testing, and implementation phases.
• Review integration engineering designs, drawings, and specifications to ensure compliance with design requirements.
• Identify and manage engineering risks throughout development activities and build mitigation strategies.
• Ensure compliance with engineering standards and regulatory requirements.
• Execute quality control processes to verify the integrity and performance of engineering designs and deliverables.
• Develop detailed project schedules, including key milestones, deliverables, and timelines.
• Coordinate with department teams to establish task durations, dependencies, and resource allocation.
• Facilitate regular design review meetings to evaluate progress, risks, and adherence to project schedules.
• Review technical aspects of vendor proposals and select appropriate suppliers based on engineering requirements.
• Manage relationships with external partners to ensure engineering deliverables meet quality and schedule expectations.
• Integrate project schedules with the master Program Management schedule and ensure alignment across all stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Program teams to ensure alignment on program priorities and build plans to shift resources based on customer demands.
• Prepare communications defining the status of project work scope, including Initial Technical Coordination Meeting (ITCM), Preliminary Design Review (PDR), and Critical Design Review (CDR) communications for program stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Sales departments to develop commercial proposals, including the definition of engineering services and identification of assumptions and caveats.
• Manage project costs and reconcile between quote and actual expenditures.
• Act as the liaison between design engineers and internal/external stakeholders.
• Mentor, train, and assist junior members of the team.
• Assist with departmental and new employee training.

Benefits

• Flexible-hybrid work opportunities
• Unlimited PTO for Exempt Salaried employees
• 14 vacation days per year + 7 sick days + 3 personal days for Non-exempt hourly employees (accrual rate increases with tenure)
• 11 company paid holidays per year
• Paid company-wide shut down in the U.S. between Christmas and New Year
• Medical insurance offerings from Aetna and Kaiser (CA &HI)
• Dental PPO and DMO options
• Vision insurance through EyeMed or VSP
• 401K with 50% match on up to 8% contribution, full vested from day 1
• Wellness Program
• Counseling services
• FSA & HSA
• Life Insurance for employee, spouse and child
• AD&D Insurance
• Long-term and Short-term disability
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Accident Insurance
• Legal Assistance
• Pet Insurance
• Identity Theft Protection
• Dependent Care FLSA
• Education Assistance
• Commuter Program
• Employee Purchase Program
• Service Award Program

What This Job Offers

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