AD&D Project Engineer-Aircraft Development Principal

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain the early-phase registers for risks, issues, and opportunities.
• Develop and maintain development plans and work breakdown structures, tailored for high uncertainty, early phase development.
• Develop resource plans to achieve development plan objectives and integrated master schedule milestones.
• Drive cross-functional clarity when priorities, technologies, or assumptions evolve.
• Ensure program and technical decisions are scheduled, documented, resourced, integrated into the program structure, and communicated to all stakeholders.
• Ensure program documentation—including design reviews, requirements, architectures, trade studies, risk updates, and key decisions—is organized and traceable.
• Ensure technical decisions and risks are captured, baselined, and transitioned cleanly.
• Identify key integration or decision points, where multiple stakeholder groups may need to come together before the project or program could continue to progress.
• Identify, schedule, and track all trade studies, ensuring scope, staffing, and timelines support early-phase decision points.
• Maintain early-phase scope, key deliverables, planning baselines, dependencies, and assumption/change logs.
• Own near-, mid-, and long-term planning, schedules, and budgets and highlight confidence intervals appropriate for each.
• Prepare and deliver a complete, structured handoff package for downstream program customers.
• Provide clear weekly program updates, dashboards, leadership summaries, and scenario-based planning views.
• Identify blockers early and coordinate cross-functional resolution paths.
• Quantify programmatic implications of technical outcomes and communicate them to leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Support the receiving program team as needed to ensure continuity.
• Translate technical leadership input and decisions into actionable schedules, deliverables, and baselined assumptions.
• Working with Program Management, build and maintain Integrated master schedules appropriate to phase maturity, including milestones, stage gates, technology maturation points, key integration points, and decision checkpoints.

Qualifications

• 10 years of progressive aerospace experience and a minimum of 3 years of technical project management experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (mechanical, aerospace, electrical, or related technical field). Master's degree preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead planning sessions to gather input from technical contributors.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in early concept, high ambiguity environments.
• Direct experience supporting aircraft development programs, including: requirements and architecture development; design integration and testing (lab, ground, and flight testing); civil aviation type certification Engineering design and/or system integration experience in one or more major aircraft disciplines is required, with demonstrated ability to work effectively across disciplines.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to support both technical discussions and executive-level program reviews.
• Prominent ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Strong proficiency in: work breakdown structure development; integrated program scheduling (MS Project or equivalent); resource and cost modeling; risk management and scenario planning.

Preferred Qualifications

• Multiple full aircraft program lifecycle experiences, including: new aircraft development FAA type certification Production and Entry Into Service (EIS) Major design changes or major upgrade programs
• Experience with research and development, new technology maturation, rapid prototyping, conceptual design, and/or innovation-driven environments.
• Familiarity with new product introduction systems or similar gated product development processes.
• Working knowledge of 14 CFR Part 23, 25, 27, 29 or 33 and related aircraft certification processes and guidance material.
• Working knowledge of ARP4754A, systems engineering fundamentals, and early-phase FAA certification considerations.
• Experience coordinating with ODA units, ACOs, or regulatory authorities during early certification planning.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, vision, dental, with additional dependent coverage options
• Employer-Paid Coverages: Group term life, short- and long-term disability insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts: FSA and HSA offerings with company contributions to HSA
• Well-being: Calm Health, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness incentives through medical provider
• 401(k) Plan: Dollar-for-dollar match up to 5% after 90 days, with 100% vesting at 1 year of service
• PTO: Various PTO plans starting at 100 hours accrued within the first year
• Additional Time off Benefits: Paid holidays, 2 weeks of Paid Parental leave, paid time for funeral leave and jury duty
• Career Development: Tuition reimbursement program and professional growth opportunities
• Exclusive Discounts: Cirrus Store, partner and marketplace discounts available
• Community & Engagement: Company and employee clubs at various locations