Lead Project Engineer

Acron Aviation; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Acron Aviation is seeking a Lead Project Engineer to drive surveillance programs from pursuit through production and post-delivery support. You will coordinate engineering resources, lead technical decisions, and manage risks while collaborating with Program Management and customers to meet technical and schedule commitments.

The role requires effective leadership across IPTs, strong communication, and a deep understanding of avionics development processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and a minimum of 9 years of relevant project engineering experience; or
• Graduate Degree and a minimum of 7 years of related project engineering experience.
• Strong knowledge of engineering development processes and product lifecycle management.
• Proficient understanding of project management principles, including earned value, risk, and scope management.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Program Managers and IPTs to ensure successful program execution against objectives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional leadership to advocate for program priorities.
• Interface with customers regarding technical and contractual requirements.
• Support WBS, BOE, IMS planning, and risk assessment activities.
• Lead requirements definition, architecture development, and engineering execution.
• Coordinate system integration, testing, qualification, and production transition activities.
• Maintain proactive communication with stakeholders and management.

Skills

Project management

Engineering leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Graduate Degree

Tools

Microsoft Project

Job description

About Acron Aviation (Avionics - Surveillance)

Acron Aviation designs, engineers, and manufactures certified avionics systems that support safety-critical flight operations across commercial and military aviation. Within Avionics, the Surveillance product line develops and sustains systems that enable aircraft awareness, collision avoidance, and airspace interoperability. Our portfolio includes TCAS, Mode S transponders, ADS-B, and integrated surveillance solutions deployed across commercial, military, and rotorcraft platforms. This work is performed in highly regulated environments and demands deep expertise across systems, hardware, software, certification, and program execution throughout the full product lifecycle.

Job Title

Lead Project Engineer - Surveillance

Position Summary

Acron Aviation is seeking an experienced Project Engineer to join our engineering team within the Surveillance product line.

The Project Engineer (PE) manages the technical aspects of assigned projects and ensures technical, schedule, and cost objectives are achieved. The PE serves as both a technical leader and project leader, partnering closely with Program Management while maintaining responsibility for engineering execution.

This role spans multiple phases of the product lifecycle, including pursuit, development, production, and post-delivery support. The Project Engineer coordinates and leads engineering development activities, plans and directs engineering resources, manages technical risks, and ensures successful execution against program commitments.

The successful candidate will work closely with Program Managers, customers, suppliers, and engineering leadership to deliver quality technical solutions within budget and schedule constraints while maintaining strong communication across all stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with Program Managers and Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) to ensure successful program execution against technical, schedule, and cost objectives
• Collaborate with cross-functional leadership to advocate for program priorities while balancing competing business demands
• Interface directly with customers regarding technical and contractual requirements and support successful customer outcomes
• Support proposal development activities, including Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) development, Basis of Estimate (BOE) creation, Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) planning, and risk assessment
• Lead requirements definition, verification planning, technical baseline development, resource identification, and engineering execution activities
• Support system architecture development, design trade studies, preliminary and detailed design efforts, system integration, testing, qualification, and production transition activities
• Ensure technical deliverables support successful Entry-Into-Service objectives
• Serve as the focal point for engineering development, product definition, resource allocation, task assignment, technical decisions, and problem resolution
• Lead engineering teams in a matrixed environment to ensure successful completion of program objectives
• Maintain proactive communication with Program Management, engineering leadership, suppliers, customers, and project stakeholders
• Support program reviews, leadership reviews, customer meetings, and technical milestone activities
• Contribute to risk identification, mitigation planning, and issue resolution activities throughout the program lifecycle

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and a minimum of 9 years of relevant project engineering experience; or
• Graduate Degree and a minimum of 7 years of related project engineering experience
• Strong knowledge of engineering development processes and product lifecycle management
• Proficient understanding of project management principles, including earned value management, risk management, and scope management
• Experience leading technical teams within complex engineering development programs
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary organizations
• Experience managing technical execution across multiple stakeholders and priorities

Preferred Additional Skills

• Working knowledge of resource-loaded scheduling and Microsoft Project
• Experience with DO-178, DO-254, DO-160, and ARP4754A product development environments
• Experience supporting surveillance, avionics, aerospace, or safety-critical product development programs
• Experience working directly with customers, suppliers, and certification authorities
• Understanding of systems engineering, software development, hardware development, and product integration activities
• Experience supporting certification, qualification, and production transition activities
• Strong leadership and organizational skills within matrixed engineering environments

Equal Opportunity Statement

Acron Aviation is proud to be an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. We are committed to treating all employees and applicants with respect and dignity and to maintaining a workplace free from unlawful discrimination. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or other related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Additional Information

Acron Aviation maintains a drug-free workplace and conducts pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where allowed by law. Acron Aviation is an E-Verify employer. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.