Project Engineer

Leonardo DRS NPS has an immediate need for a Project Engineer to lead challenging and innovative technical projects, with the ability to be an effective bridge between engineering personnel and management. This broad technical role is responsible for the successful execution of technical projects involving system-level engineering, component design, and advanced analyses. This role demands a strong focus on providing our customers with robust engineering solutions that meet their requirements and exceed their expectations.

This highly-visible leadership position includes estimating, planning, and driving technical execution of U.S. military and niche commercial projects ranging from < $2M - $150M+. The day-to-day focus entails organizing, leading, and encouraging multidisciplinary project team(s) ranging from 5-10+ engineers, as well as direct individual contributions to project work. Critical to success in the role is the ability to organize & construct technical project plans, inspire the engineering team to find innovative solutions to design challenges, and clearly document / present project status within the team, to project leadership, and to other functions (including executive management). Significant supplier and customer interaction is required to drive project execution.

This position requires direct involvement in and total ownership of assigned projects and tasks, independently and confidently working within a matrix organization. It requires that the individual develops and maintains an in-depth knowledge of DRS products, systems, and services. He or she must use this knowledge to understand, coordinate, and constantly evaluate the engineering work scope to ensure value-added activities are meeting project goals.

The ideal candidate is an individual possessing strong mechanical and/or electrical engineering skills, combined with engineering team leadership skills. The ability to set a technical vision for a project and influence its adoption, while motivating the team, is a key skillset.

• Contribute directly to project execution through individual technical contributions, as required
• Comprehend and bridge the detailed technical activities of the Engineering team with other functions to ensure overall project success.
• Organize large or loosely defined issues / problems and break them down into workable plans / task lists.
• Develop detailed project plans and pre-contract proposal estimates based on:
• Ability to understand the overall project scope down to the critical details
• Generating robust and clearly documented basis of estimates
• Establishment of a comprehensive design verification plan
• Facilitating of effective technical reviews
• Contribute to quantifiable risk/opportunity management and mitigation plans
• Understand detailed project tasking / critical path activities and advocate for key resources required to execute engineering efforts
• Organize, lead, and motivate technical teams in the design and development of challenging products and systems
• Confidently and competently represent DRS in front of customers, including the US Navy, and key suppliers / partners.
• Clearly communicate, orally and in writing, technical and programmatic information to technical and non-technical individuals
• Review, analyze, and status project milestones and provide quantifiable estimates to complete for assigned projects/tasks
• Manage drawing, schematic, bill of material, and software releases to support technical projects
• Collaborate with other departments, DRS locations, and suppliers to solve problems and develop cost-effective, high quality solutions

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree from a 4 year accredited college or university in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering with a minimum of 8 years of experience as an individual contributor
• 8+ years of experience and demonstrated success in an engineering leadership role
• Proven experience individually driving the product development / product design cycle from concept to qualified / fielded systems
• Experience with system-level thinking and system engineering principles/methods
• US citizen

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong sense of ownership and high level of accountability for assigned projects
• Experience with execution of projects for the US military or foreign navies
• Familiarity with industrial and military design specifications
• Experience with the development of electro-mechanical systems or other power machinery
• Experience with marine steam turbines, gas turbines, and/or diesel engines
• Experience designing/developing marine-pedigree equipment
• Experience with agile project management tools and/or using Jira
• Experience of leading the successful integration of multiple sub-systems
• Demonstrated focus on designing to cost targets, while meeting key performance requirements
• Proven track record of being able to stretch outside one's comfort zone, as needed, to get the job done
• Active security clearance