Project Engineer

About the role

CFD Research, founded in 1987, delivers innovative technology solutions in Aerospace & Defense, Biomedical & Life Sciences, Intelligence & Sensing, and Energy & Materials. The company is an ISO9001:AS9100D registered firm, CMMI Level II appraised for Services, a 100% ESOP (employee‑owned) business recognized in Inc. Magazine's Inc5000 as a top growing company for four of the last five years, with headquarters and laboratory facilities in Huntsville, Alabama, additional offices in Dayton, Ohio, Hollywood, Alabama, and Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Position Overview: The Project Engineer drives project controls, cost/schedule management, and operational execution for assigned Integrated Product Teams (IPTs). Working alongside IPT technical leadership, this role owns the management of work packages, ensuring schedules, budgets, contractual deliverables, and risk matrices remain on track. The Project Engineer serves as the functional interface between the IPT, program management, and business operations. Location: This role is based in the Huntsville, AL area, and is 100% onsite.

Responsibilities

• IPT Work Package Execution: Drive non-technical execution and operational rigor across assigned IPTs. Maintain accountability for schedules, scope boundaries, action items, and cross-functional commitments.
• Contractual Deliverable Management (CDRL/SDRL): Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of IPT contractual deliverables (CDRLs/SDRLs), ensuring timely review cycles, cross-functional alignment, and customer submission.
• Cost, Schedule & Variance Analysis: Monitor financial performance, budget execution, and baseline schedule milestones for IPT work packages. Identify root causes for cost/schedule variances and drive recovery planning.
• Risk & Opportunity (R&O) Facilitation: Lead the IPT Risk & Opportunity management process. Maintain risk registers, quantify financial and schedule impacts, and track mitigation and realization strategies.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Serve as the primary integration bridge connecting the IPT with Finance, Contracts, Procurement, Supply Chain, and Quality to resolve operational roadblocks and streamline communication.
• Program Health & Executive Reporting: Synthesize technical progress, financial status, and risk profiles into actionable metrics and dashboards for Program Management Reviews (PMRs) and customer meetings.
• Data Governance & Configuration Control: Maintain standardized tracking tools, action item logs, and version control for all IPT management artifacts and execution metrics.

Requirements

• Basic Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business or a related field; 2+ years of experience in a related field; Working knowledge of integrated master schedules, budget variance analysis, and deliverable tracking; Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (e.g., PivotTables, formulas, data validation); Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance; Candidate must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Preferred Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in an Engineering or STEM discipline with strong technical literacy; Experience in DoD, aerospace, defense, or highly regulated government contracting environments; Experience in a AS9100 manufacturing environment; Hands-on experience managing CDRL/SDRL deliverables and Risk & Opportunity (R&O) tracking systems; Experience utilizing Power BI, Power Query, MS Project, or other data visualization and scheduling software; Active U.S. Government Security Clearance.

Benefits

• Competitive salaries and excellent employee benefits, including an employer matching 401(k) and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
• Highly competitive insurance package for full‑time permanent employee‑owners: medical, vision, and dental insurance.
• Company paid leave, compensation time, parental leave, long‑term and short‑term disability, accidental death and dismemberment, and life insurance.
• Part‑time and temporary employee‑owners may receive partial or reduced benefits and leave time based on employment status level.
• Performance appraisals occur twice a year; annual pay increases based on corporate goals, personal development, performance, and outstanding achievements.
• Group and individual bonuses awarded for exceptional performance.