Principal Project Engineer

Thales; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 166,000 - 276,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Thales in Irvine, CA is seeking a Principal Project Engineer to lead the engineering execution of complex in-flight entertainment, aircraft connectivity, and supporting product and system projects. You will coordinate across disciplines and ensure delivery meets technical, customer, quality, cost, and schedule commitments.

You will develop execution strategies, resolve major technical issues, and guide projects from requirements definition through design, integration, qualification,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical discipline and 7+ years of progressive engineering leadership.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams through development lifecycles and coordinating cross-functional dependencies.
• Ability to apply systems engineering across requirements, design, integration, verification, validation and certification.

Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary teams in development, integration, qualification, and fielding of entertainment and connectivity products.
• Own engineering execution plans, milestones, resources, budgets, risks, and work packages.
• Partner with leaders to align technical decisions with customer requirements and project commitments.
• Define development strategy and SEMPs, lead PDR/CDR, validation, and certification activities.
• Lead engineering reviews, document decisions, analyze performance, and drive improvements.
• Identify staffing needs, mentor engineers, and share best practices across teams.

Skills

Technical leadership

Systems engineering

Cross-disciplinary coordination

Engineering planning

Customer interface

Mentoring engineers

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

Engineering tools and processes

Job description

Location: Irvine, United States of America

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.

Principal Project Engineer

Irvine, CA (Onsite)

Position Summary

Thales is looking for a Principal Project Engineer to lead the engineering execution of complex in-flight entertainment, aircraft connectivity, and supporting product and system projects. Working with the Program or Project Leader and the Project Design Authority, you will be accountable for integrating engineering activities across disciplines and delivering solutions that meet technical, customer, quality, cost, and schedule requirements.

In this position, you will also develop engineering execution strategies, resolve significant technical and delivery issues, and guide projects from requirements definition through design, integration, qualification, certification support, and acceptance. You will be expected to exercise independent judgment in ambiguous situations, influences decisions across functions and organizational levels, and provide technical leadership and guidance to other engineers.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Lead multidisciplinary engineering teams in the development, integration, qualification, and fielding of aircraft entertainment and connectivity products and systems. Coordinate hardware, software, systems, test, quality, and other engineering functions to resolve complex technical issues and manage interfaces between solution elements.
• Own the engineering execution plan for assigned projects, including technical scope, milestones, resources, risks, dependencies, and engineering budgets. Monitor performance and take corrective action when needed. Serve as Work Package Manager when assigned, with accountability for the work package’s defined scope, budget, schedule, risks, and deliverables.
• Partner with the Program or Project Leader and Project Design Authority to align technical decisions with customer requirements and project cost, schedule, and quality commitments. Serve as a primary engineering interface with customers, key subcontractors, and internal stakeholders on assigned projects.
• Define and tailor the development strategy and Systems Engineering Management Plan (SEMP) for assigned solutions. Lead requirements definition and solution design, including preparation for preliminary design reviews (PDR), critical design reviews (CDR), validation, qualification, certification support, and final acceptance.
• Lead engineering reviews and ensure technical decisions, risks, actions, and design changes are documented and addressed. Analyze engineering performance measures and recurring issues, determine root causes, and lead improvements to project execution, product performance, or engineering processes.
• Identify engineering resource and skill needs and work with functional leaders to secure appropriate staffing for bids, projects, and product delivery. Mentor engineers, share technical and project execution practices across teams, and perform other duties as assigned by the employee’s manager.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline; 7+ years of progressively responsible engineering experience, including demonstrated technical leadership and accountability for engineering execution on complex, multidisciplinary projects.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams through the development lifecycle, coordinating technical dependencies, and resolving complex issues across engineering disciplines.
• Demonstrated ability to apply systems engineering and development processes across requirements definition, design, integration, verification, validation, and applicable qualification and certification activities.
• Experience developing and managing engineering execution plans, resource requirements, schedules, budgets, and work packages, including addressing deviations that affect project commitments.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent technical judgment, evaluate solution trade-offs, manage engineering risks, and lead resolution of complex technical problems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical reviews, communicate recommendations to customers and leadership, and influence decisions across functional boundaries; Proficiency with tools used for engineering planning, analysis, documentation, and reporting.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer at the time of hire. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or for assuming sponsorship of an employment visa now or in the future.

Special Position Requirements

• Schedule: Core business hours Monday – Friday. 9/80 eligible.
• Travel: This position may require domestic and/or international travel, 20%.
• Regulatory Compliance Requirements: None.

If you need an accommodation or assistance in order to apply for a position with Thales, please contact us at [e-mail].

The reference Total Target Compensation (TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between Total Target Cash (TTC) 165,834.00 - 276,390.00 USD Annual

Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:

• Elective Health, Dental, Vision, FSA/HSA, Voluntary Life and AD&D, Whole Group Life w/LTC, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Legal Plan, Identity Theft, and Pet Insurance
• Retirement Savings Plan after 30 days of employment with a company contribution and a match, and with no vesting period
• Company paid holidays and Paid Time Off
• Company provided Life Insurance, AD&D, Disability, Employee Assistance Plan, and Well-being Program