Project Management Specialist

Quest Defense Systems & Solutions•Cincinnati, OH

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Quest Defense is seeking a Project Management Specialist to lead daily stand-ups, develop and track engineering project schedules, and manage the delivery of critical engine hardware. This role involves tracking schedule commitments, communicating action items, preparing schedule variance and recovery plans, and providing weekly progress updates. The specialist will also review issue logs, manage due dates, and participate in internal team calls to resolve issues. Interaction with multiple organizations and management levels is expected, leveraging internal contacts to drive issues to closure. The role requires preparing and presenting weekly and monthly reports. Due to the nature of the role, applicants must be US Citizens, Permanent Residents, or Green Card Holders. This position is 100% onsite in Cincinnati, OH.

Requirements

Associate or bachelor’s degree or significant relevant experience
2 years of experience leading (project management) of engineering or technically driven projects
2 years of experience with Aerospace/Aircraft Engines
Working knowledge of Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or other scheduling software
Knowledge of engineering processes: Engineering change process, Customer gated review process, Design reviews process
US Citizen, Permanent Resident or Green Card Holder

Nice To Haves

Aerospace or defense industry experience
Experience working in classified engineering or program environments
Experience supporting engineering design teams or advanced technology programs
Experience with Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, Smartsheet, Open Plan, or similar scheduling tools
Familiarity with critical-path analysis, schedule recovery, and dependency management
Experience with Lean, FLIGHT DECK, Daily Management, or structured problem-solving methods
Experience preparing weekly, monthly, or executive operating-review inputs
Experience with Power BI, Tableau, Spotfire, or similar visualization tools
Experience in adoption and/or integration of emerging technologies (e.g., generative AI, automation platforms, digital assistants) into day-to-day operations for continuous improvement

Responsibilities

Lead daily stand-ups, Project/Line of balance (LOB) meetings
Develop and track engineering project schedules
Track schedule, commit dates & delivery of critical engine hardware
Track/communication of action items
Prepare project schedule variance and recovery plan
Provide weekly progress updates on existing issues until items are closed
Review issue logs on a daily basis and acknowledge and process new issues
Manage/coordinate due dates on a weekly basis to prevent issues from becoming overdue
Participate in internal team calls to engage help where needed to resolve issues
Interact with multiple organizations and management levels
Leverage internal contacts to drive issues to closure
Prepare & present weekly & monthly reports