Engineering Project Management Specialist

Canvas II, LLC.; Tennessee; On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Canvas II, LLC. in Tennessee seeks a Project Manager to guide engineering, test, and acquisition efforts from initiation through closeout, coordinating with engineers, contractors, finance, and government stakeholders.

The role emphasizes earned value management, risk mitigation, and clear briefings to leadership; a Bachelor’s in engineering and 3+ years of related experience are required, with a Secret clearance attainable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering.
• 3+ years of relevant experience in project management, engineering, test and analysis support, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to manage or support complex projects across multiple lifecycle phases.
• Ability to understand technical project information and communicate it clearly to technical teams and senior leadership.
• Experience identifying, documenting, and mitigating project risks.
• Strong organization, communication, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
• Experience with EVM, cost/schedule analysis, project controls, or spend-plan development.
• Must be able to acquire and maintain a Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Support engineering and test-related projects through initiation, planning, design, execution, testing, and closeout.
• Develop and maintain project schedules, spend plans, status reports, action-item trackers, and project documentation.
• Conduct project meetings, site visits, and field engagements to validate project status and understand execution challenges.
• Work with engineers, contractors, finance, acquisition personnel, and Government stakeholders to gather and evaluate project information.
• Identify and communicate cost, schedule, technical, and execution risks, issues, dependencies, and opportunities.
• Provide clear project-status briefings and recommendations to customer leadership.
• Support Earned Value Management (EVM) practices, project financial assessments, and funding/spend-plan development.
• Review project and contractor documentation for alignment with project requirements, milestones, and deliverables.
• Support acquisition and project-execution activities, including contract coordination, decision points, and familiarity with Contract Line-Item Numbers (CLINs).
• Support engineering milestone reviews, as applicable, including Integrated Baseline Reviews, Preliminary and Critical Design Reviews, Factory Acceptance Tests, and configuration audits.
• Maintain organized project records and ensure required documentation is stored in designated repositories.

Skills

Project management

Technical communication

EVM experience

Cost/schedule analysis

Secret clearance

MS Office proficiency

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Master’s degree in engineering

PM certification (PMP/CAPM)

DoD/government familiarity

Tools

Microsoft Office

Project controls tools

Job description

Responsibilities

• Support engineering and test-related projects through initiation, planning, design, execution, testing, and closeout.
• Develop and maintain project schedules, spend plans, status reports, action-item trackers, and project documentation.
• Conduct project meetings, site visits, and field engagements to validate project status and understand execution challenges.
• Work with engineers, contractors, finance, acquisition personnel, and Government stakeholders to gather and evaluate project information.
• Identify and communicate cost, schedule, technical, and execution risks, issues, dependencies, and opportunities.
• Provide clear project-status briefings and recommendations to customer leadership.
• Support Earned Value Management (EVM) practices, project financial assessments, and funding/spend-plan development.
• Review project and contractor documentation for alignment with project requirements, milestones, and deliverables.
• Support acquisition and project-execution activities, including contract coordination, decision points, and familiarity with Contract Line-Item Numbers (CLINs).
• Support engineering milestone reviews, as applicable, including Integrated Baseline Reviews, Preliminary and Critical Design Reviews, Factory Acceptance Tests, and configuration audits.
• Maintain organized project records and ensure required documentation is stored in designated repositories.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering discipline
• 3+ years of relevant experience in project management, engineering, test and analysis support, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to manage or support complex projects across multiple lifecycle phases.
• Ability to understand technical project information and communicate it clearly to technical teams and senior leadership.
• Experience identifying, documenting, and mitigating project risks.
• Strong organization, communication, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
• Experience with EVM, cost/schedule analysis, project controls, or spend-plan development.
• Must be able to acquire and maintain a Secret security clearance.

Desired Qualifications

• Masters degree in an engineering or other technical discipline.
• 10+ years’ experience in Department of War, U.S. Air Force, engineering, test and evaluation, or research-and-development programs.
• Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), or comparable certification.
• Familiarity with Government acquisition processes, contract structures, and systems‑engineering milestone reviews.

About Canvas

Canvas was founded by Jami Peyton in 2007 to deliver real-world engineering and technology solutions that strengthen national defense. Since then, we’ve been guided by technical excellence, operational insight, and a shared commitment to the warfighter. Teamwork drives everything we do, enabling close collaboration across programs, customers, and colleagues to solve complex challenges. Our work supports key national security priorities like missile defense, test and evaluation, digital transformation, and warfighter readiness. As an award‑winning company built on integrity, agility, and innovation, Canvas continues to grow and deliver mission‑critical solutions that support the future of national defense.