Technical Project Manager – Aerospace & Avionics
About the Role
We are seeking a technically driven Project Manager to lead complex aerospace and avionics development programs from initial requirements through qualification, production, and delivery.
This position goes beyond traditional schedule tracking. The Project Manager will work directly with electrical, mechanical, software, systems, test, quality, and manufacturing teams to understand technical challenges, drive decisions, manage program execution, and ensure customer requirements are successfully delivered.
Key Responsibilities
Program & Project Leadership
- Lead new product development programs, owning schedule, budget, scope, deliverables, and program risk.
- Manage projects from requirements definition through design, prototype builds, qualification testing, initial production, and customer delivery.
- Develop and maintain integrated schedules across electrical, mechanical, software, systems, test, and manufacturing teams.
- Coordinate major technical milestones and reviews, including PDR, CDR, and TRR.
- Track technical, supply chain, manufacturing, and obsolescence risks and drive mitigation plans.
- Serve as a primary customer interface for program status, technical decisions, schedule changes, and requirements updates.
- Partner with Quality and Certification teams to support compliance with FAA/EASA requirements and AS9100 processes.
- Support development and qualification activities aligned with DO-160, DO-254, and DO-178C.
Technical & Engineering Support
- Participate in technical discussions involving avionics products, system architecture, design tradeoffs, aircraft integration, wiring, connectors, and human-machine interfaces.
- Develop and maintain product/system specifications and requirements verification matrices.
- Review engineering documentation including requirements, schematics, test plans, qualification documentation, reliability data, and non-conformance reports.
- Work with engineering leads to translate customer and regulatory requirements into clear technical tasks and deliverables.
- Identify technical or process issues that could impact cost, quality, or schedule and drive corrective actions.
- Support continuous improvement initiatives across engineering and product development processes.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Computer, Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 5+ years of engineering experience, preferably within aerospace, avionics, defense, or another regulated technical environment.
- 2+ years leading technical projects or programs with responsibility for schedules, budgets, risks, and cross-functional execution.
- Familiarity with aerospace development and qualification standards such as DO-160, DO-254, and DO-178C.
- Ability to understand and review technical documentation including schematics, requirements, test procedures, specifications, and non-conformance reports.
- Experience working across multiple engineering disciplines and manufacturing organizations.
- Strong customer-facing and technical communication skills.
- Ability to communicate program status, technical risks, and project priorities to both engineering teams and executive leadership.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in Engineering or an MBA with a strong technical background.
- Experience with avionics, flight deck systems, cockpit displays/controls, aircraft installations, or human factors.
- PMP or comparable project/program management certification.
- Previous experience mentoring engineers or leading technical teams.
- Experience working with MRP/ERP systems in an engineering or manufacturing environment.
