AD&D Project Engineer - Aircraft Development

Job Description

Job Description

Role Summary

The AD&D Project Engineer – Aircraft Development reports directly to the Executive Director of Advanced Design & Development and owns the project management of engineering-driven workstreams from Ideation thru Conceptual Design. This may include work breakdown structures, development plans, integrated master schedules, resource and budget forecasting, decision and assumption management, risk/issue/opportunity management, and communication and coordination with other departments. Technical authority remains with the engineering leadership.

The AD&D Project Engineer – Aircraft Development ensures the technical work is properly scheduled, resourced, documented, and communicated across the program, with specific focus on key integration points where various efforts have to come together. This role collaborates closely with both program management and engineering leadership (chief engineer(s), technical fellow(s), and subject matter experts, who are responsible for technical strategy and decision making).

As projects mature into Preliminary Design, the AD&D Project Engineer – Aircraft Development leads transition readiness and formal handoff to the downstream customers through defined entry/exit criteria, required artifacts, and overlap support until handoff acceptance is complete.

Key Responsibilities

In addition to direct tasking from the Executive Director of AD&D, the following responsibilities will be expected of this role:

Program Structuring & Early‑Phase Planning

• Develop and maintain Development Plans and Work Breakdown Structures, tailored for high‑uncertainty, early‑phase development.
• 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.
• Develop resource plans to achieve Development Plan objectives and Integrated Master Schedule milestones.
• Translate technical leadership input and decisions into actionable schedules, deliverables, and baselined assumptions.

Cross‑Functional Leadership & Coordination

• Identify key integration or decision points, where multiple stakeholder groups may need to come together after the project or program could continue to progress.
• 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.

Risk, Issue, Opportunity, & Trade Study Management

• Build and maintain the early‑phase registers for risks, issues, and opportunities.
• Identify, schedule, and track all trade studies, ensuring scope, staffing, and timelines support early‑phase decision points.
• Quantify programmatic implications of technical outcomes and communicate them to leadership and cross‑functional teams.

Execution Management & Program Visibility

• Maintain early-phase scope, key deliverables, planning baselines, dependencies, and assumption/change logs.
• Own near- and mid- and long-term planning, schedules, and budgets and highlight confidence intervals appropriate for each.
• Provide clear weekly program updates, dashboards, leadership summaries, and scenario‑based planning views.
• Identify blockers early and coordinate cross‑functional resolution paths.
• Ensure program documentation—including design reviews, requirements, architectures, trade studies, risk updates, and key decisions—is organized and traceable.

Transition to Preliminary Design

• Prepare and deliver a complete, structured handoff package for downstream program customers.
• Ensure technical decisions and risks are captured, baselined, and transitioned cleanly.
• Support the receiving program team as needed to ensure continuity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (mechanical, aerospace, electrical, or related technical field).
• Engineering design and/or system integration experience in one or more major aircraft disciplines is required, with demonstrated ability to work effectively across disciplines.
• 10+ years of progressive aerospace experience.
• 3+ years of project engineering or technical project management experience.
• Direct experience supporting aircraft development programs, including:
• Requirements and architecture development
• Design integration and testing (lab, ground, and flight testing)
• Civil aviation type certification
• Strong proficiency in:
• Work breakdown structure development
• Integrated program scheduling (MS Project or equivalent)
• Resource and cost modeling
• Risk management and scenario planning
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in early‑concept, high‑ambiguity environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead planning session to gather input from technical contributors.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to support both technical discussions and executive‑level program reviews.
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams without direct authority.

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.
• Master’s degree in engineering or systems engineering (preferred).
• Experience coordinating with ODA units, ACOs, or regulatory authorities during early certification planning.

Competencies

• Manages Ambiguity – Thrives in evolving, low‑definition environments.
• Plans & Aligns – Shapes clarity and structure from Ideation through Conceptual Design.
• Collaborates – Builds trust and alignment across a diverse engineering ecosystem.
• Communicates Effectively – Adjusts messaging for technical, cross‑functional, and executive audiences.
• Ensures Accountability – Maintains rigor in early‑phase commitments.
• Drives Results – Creates predictable execution in inherently uncertain development phases.
• Nimble Learning – Learns quickly from trade studies, prototypes, and emergent data.
• Organizational Savvy – Navigates complex technical, organizational, and strategic dynamics.