Project Manager - NREC

Carnegie Mellon University•Pittsburgh, PA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

At the National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC), every team member plays a vital role in our collective success. Our project managers work closely with leadership, technical experts, and external sponsors to keep daily operations running smoothly and complex engineering programs progressing efficiently. Whether providing technical or operational leadership, coordinating cross-disciplinary engineering efforts, managing resources, or delivering critical sponsor milestones, each contribution is vital to achieving our shared goals. As part of our versatile team, you will collaborate with world-class robotics professionals who tackle complex industrial and government challenges and deploy innovative technologies into real-world operations. Your efforts will have a direct impact on both the efficiency of our operations and the meaningful projects we advance. We foster a culture grounded in integrity, respect, and collaboration, offering a flexible, supportive environment that promotes work-life balance and empowers you to take control of your career development. We are seeking a dynamic Project Manager to lead cross-functional engineering teams in taking autonomous systems from early-stage concept to production and deployment. In this role, you will sit at the intersection of hardware (mechanical, electrical) and software (autonomy, ROS, embedded systems, cloud). You will be responsible for aligning multi-disciplinary teams, managing complex technical dependencies, and ensuring our robotic systems meet performance, timeline, and safety standards. This exciting opportunity is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, engaging environment. You will play a vital part in advancing successful projects while adding new value for our sponsors, licensing NREC and CMU technologies, and generating follow-on business all while ensuring our team remains ready and motivated for outstanding results.

Requirements

Master’s degree required, preferably in science, engineering, or a related field (A combination of education and relevant experience that demonstrates comparable knowledge and skills may be considered in lieu of the degree requirement)
5+ years of project management experience required in robotics, autonomous systems, mechatronics, aerospace, or automotive sectors
Demonstrated experience leading multi-disciplinary engineering teams (hardware, software, and systems integration)
Hands-on experience navigating both fast-paced software releases and long-lead hardware development cycles
Proficiency with project management platforms (Jira, Confluence, Asana, MS Project) and CAD/hardware visualization tools
Experience managing DoD or government-sponsored research projects is desired but not required
Excellent problem-solving, reasoning, organization, planning, teamwork, interpersonal, and oral/written communication skills required
Successful pre-employment background check
This position will require work on a variety of projects, including projects that involve military/defense applications and/or are funded by military/defense sponsors.

Nice To Haves

PMP or Agile/Scrum Certification (CSM, PMI-ACP)
Experience with ROS / ROS 2 ecosystems, computer vision, or autonomous navigation systems
Familiarity with hardware manufacturing phases (EVT, DVT, PVT) and vendor/supplier management
Experience deploying field-tested autonomous systems in commercial, industrial, or warehouse environments

Responsibilities

Serving as the primary operational contact for sponsors, translating client requirements into clear work breakdown structures (WBS) and actionable project milestones
Managing the end-to-end program lifecycle from initial scoping and prototyping to hardware/software integration, field testing, and site deployment
Coordinating cross-functional engineering teams across mechanical, electrical, software (ROS/ROS 2, perception, autonomy), and system safety disciplines
Developing detailed project schedules, technical milestones, resource allocations, and long-lead hardware procurement plans
Balancing traditional stage-gate project controls (EVT/DVT/PVT milestones, EVM) with rapid, iterative Agile software and hardware development methods
Preparing and presenting formal project progress reports, design reviews (PDR/CDR), and milestone demonstrations to internal leadership and external sponsors
Performing technical risk assessments, maintaining mitigation plans for hardware delays or software bugs, and ensuring compliance with field safety protocols
Managing project financial budgets, critical-path dependencies, scope changes, and resource utilization both internally and externally
Leading proposal efforts, scope definition, resource estimating, and statement of work (SOW) drafting for new initiatives and program extensions