Project Engineer (SSO Division – Location: Kalamazoo, MI)

At Parker Aerospace, we develop technologies and innovative solutions that enable reliable, efficient and increasingly sustainable flight for the lifecycle of the aircraft, including aftermarket support. Our passionate people with deep engineering expertise, together with our breadth of differentiated technologies, ensure that we make the extraordinary happen and continue to shape the future of aviation in partnership with our customers. As a member of our team, you are instrumental in fulfilling our mission: "Enabling Engineering Breakthroughs that Lead to a Better Tomorrow."

About the role

The Services and Support Operations (SSO) division is a global leader in integrated MRO services and support. We are renowned for our exceptional customer service and expertise at every stage of the aircraft lifecycle, providing innovative OEM-quality service solutions across a comprehensive portfolio. We serve airlines, business jet operators, the military, airframe and engine manufacturers, as well as independent service centers. With our extensive network of service teams worldwide, MRO facilities, proprietary predictive modeling, and advanced systems, we offer 24/7 operational and technical support wherever it's needed.

This position ensures timely and efficient completion of engineering projects to achieve company, customer, and product reliability and cost objectives. You will have overall responsibility for leading technical projects or phases of projects involving the design and development of new or core products and processes. The role involves technical scope, cost, and schedule management of assigned projects/tasks, planning and coordinating efforts of project staff, and serving as a technical advisor on major projects.

Responsibilities

• Develop project objectives by reviewing technical project proposals and plans and conferring with management and related teams.
• Ensure projects meet schedule commitments, cost (non-recurring and recurring) results, and technical expectations through effective project leadership.
• Create project plans and milestones by studying product or system design and customer technical program requirements, completing technical studies, and preparing cost estimates.
• Determine project responsibilities by identifying project phases and elements and assigning staffing and resources.
• Maintain frequent formal and informal customer interface to present project status; determine feasibility of changing customer requirements and propose or negotiate changes in schedules or methodology.
• Control the project plan by reviewing changes in technical requirements or specifications and recommending actions to achieve milestones.
• Control project costs by reviewing non-recurring and recurring costs, monitoring and approving quotes and expenditures; may administer and oversee outsourced contractors.
• Maintain efforts within defined cost and schedule constraints, including statusing and root cause/corrective actions of associated variances.
• May act as Control Account Manager for projects applying Earned Value Management.
• Prepare and review technical project work (e.g., system schematics, layouts, algorithms, transfer functions, and related test plans, procedures, and reports) by applying engineering principles and technical judgment.
• Advise and monitor regulatory and intellectual property concerns.
• Ensure consistent engineering standards, processes, and documentation methods are used in project deliverables.
• Establish and maintain engineering history files, project files, and related information to provide an archive of technical project activities.
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing technical publications, benchmarking best practices, and participating in professional associations.
• Act as point of contact on technical and project-related matters; identify mentoring and development needs and serve as a mentor for other employees.
• Develop engineering estimates in coordination with Program Management and OEM Engineering.
• Coordinate and manage technical manual development, validation, and training in coordination with engineering (approximately 20% travel to various Parker and/or joint venture locations).
• Develop bill of material in support of new repair work scope development and product improvements.
• Track and analyze repair return history to support business case of product improvements, process improvements, and lean initiatives.
• Track and analyze test system performance and make recommendations for improvement.
• Coordinate with program management, contracts, and pricing team in providing estimates for the engineering level of work in establishing repair capability, supporting technical sustainment contracts, and implementing product improvements.
• Manage and coordinate technical deliverables associated with technical sustainment contracts and Parker joint ventures.
• Perform and track Engineering Investigations and be the customer-facing focal point on engineering investigations and associated root cause and corrective action.
• Support technical inquiries, training, troubleshooting, and process improvement initiatives at Parker Joint venture locations (approximately 20% travel).
• Direct customer interface on technical inquiries.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (BS) (or Professional Engineer (PE) certificate) in engineering or a science technical discipline; Master’s degree (MS) or MBA preferred.
• 7-9 years of related experience with demonstrated ability to perform the essential functions of the job.
• Thorough in-depth knowledge of engineering domain principles, concepts, product standards, and techniques, industry practices, regulations, and policies.
• Ability to apply broad knowledge of other related engineering or scientific fields to area of expertise.
• Effective project management and organizational skills; ability to facilitate project team interactions and develop project team member capabilities.
• Proficient with software and specialized data analysis, design, and project management tools following established project/program management protocol.
• Ability to establish and track performance to goals and objectives to complete complex or major projects and provide direction to the team at project milestones.
• Proficient with standard project management tools and practices; ability to apply Earned Value Management (EVM) principles to manage scope, schedule, and cost objectives.
• Experience performing repair data analysis and data correlation.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen to meet U.S. export compliance and/or U.S. Government contracting citizenship eligibility requirements.

Skills

• Ability to effectively communicate and present status, actions, recommendations, and other technical information with clarity and precision.
• Ability to respond to significant inquiries from customers, regulatory agencies, or marketing/sales teams.
• Ability to apply and integrate knowledge of other related engineering areas or experts to own area of expertise.