Project Manager - Applied Photonics - 079QE

Quartus Engineering•San Diego, CA

4h•$104,190 - $160,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Quartus Engineering Incorporated is seeking a Technical Project Manager for their San Diego office. This role involves leading small to mid-sized engineering projects and supporting larger programs as a deputy. The Project Manager will serve as the primary liaison between Quartus and its clients, managing expectations and overseeing projects from inception to completion. The Applied Photonics business unit focuses on the practical application of light, developing innovative products and custom optical and metrology solutions for commercial and industrial applications. The teams work on precision metrology, robotics, machine vision, semiconductor, and emerging photonic technologies. The role requires managing scope, schedule, and budget, delegating tasks, ensuring quality deliverables, mentoring junior team members, and applying strong technical expertise. Success hinges on exceptional communication, leadership, and time management skills in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. The position is based in San Diego with a hybrid schedule, which is subject to change based on business needs.

Requirements

BS in engineering field – Mechanical, Optical, Electrical, Aerospace or similar discipline
8+ years of experience in one or more of the following areas: Applied imaging optical systems (preferred), Opto-Mechanical, Aerospace, Mechanical, Optical, Electrical or similar
Experience managing a team of interdisciplinary engineers on technical development programs, including Mechanical, Opto-Mechanical, Electrical and Software Engineers
Experience defining scope, budget and staffing requirements for projects up to <$1.5M
Schedule development and management
Strong aptitude for customer interaction and communication
Demonstrated understanding of engineering fundamentals
Demonstrates a positive attitude and willingness to learn
Must be a US Person (US Citizen or US Permanent Resident)

Nice To Haves

Applied imaging optical systems
Experience with technical proposal development (lead or assisting)

Responsibilities

Overseeing scope, schedule, and budget
Delegating tasks and ensuring quality deliverables
Mentoring junior team members
Applying strong technical expertise to drive complex, challenging work
Responsible for all phases of project(s) from conception through completion, including proposal/project planning
Managing project performance to ensure quality, business, and financial objectives are met
Participate with engineering to establish engineering technical approach that aligns with project budget and schedule, typically including generation and maintenance of requirements verification/validation strategy and risk mitigation planning
Planning project staffing
Track labor, material, and expense costs against developed cost estimate baselines
Manage bill of material suppliers and subcontractors based on project needs to mitigate impact of cost and schedule constraints
Responsible for handling issues or nonconformances as they occur and reacting quickly towards resolution
Communicate with client and manage their expectations
Organize and lead internal and external weekly project status meetings
May be a key technical contributor on project work. For example, perform engineering tasks such as design, hardware build and test, etc.
Deliver project performance feedback – both directly to engineers and to their respective managers
Foster a collaborative and transparent work environment, encouraging effective communication and knowledge sharing across project teams and departments
May be expected to mentor Junior Project Managers
Work with program managers, engineering, and sales to write effective proposals, which includes defining scope, estimating costs, generating a schedule, and defining technical content for a variety of contract vehicles
Champion a culture of continuous improvement by evaluating and enhancing program management methodologies, tools, and processes