Project Engineer

EPITEC; Long Beach (CA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work (4 days in office)

Job summary

EPITEC seeks an early-career Technical Program Manager (or Project Engineer) to lead next-generation EV seating programs in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

You will drive hardware programs from concept through industrialization, partnering with engineering, supply chain, and strategy teams to meet SOP targets and quality goals. This role emphasizes ownership, clear communication, and systems thinking in a hybrid in-office setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related technical field or equivalent experience.
• 2–5 years in technical program management or hardware development.
• Solid understanding of product development lifecycle.
• Familiarity with automotive interiors or seating materials and processes.

Responsibilities

• Drive complex engineering programs from concept to SOP and beyond.
• Coordinate with engineering, supply chain, finance, and strategy for scope and budgets.
• Manage design reviews, virtual builds, and build events to protect schedules.
• Identify risks and surface issues early for containment and resolution.
• Monitor system integration opportunities and cross-team collaboration.
• Maintain supplier relationships to ensure timely parts for build events.
• Prepare focused meeting agendas and drive decision making.
• Promote transparency by tracking risks and mitigation plans.

Skills

Program Manage PMs & Projects

Program Management

Mechanical Engineering

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Excel

Job description

About the Role We’re looking for a motivated early-career Technical Program Manager (or Project Engineer) to join our high-performing automotive seating team. You’ll play a critical role in delivering next-generation EV seating systems that hit aggressive targets for cost, weight, efficiency, performance, and quality. Working in a small, collaborative, technically deep team, you’ll gain hands-on experience driving complex hardware programs from concept through industrialization while learning directly from seasoned engineering leaders. This is a fast-paced environment that rewards ownership, technical curiosity, clear communication, and a systems-level mindset. It’s not for everyone — but it offers the chance to do some of the best work of your career and make a visible impact on future vehicles.

What You’ll Do

• Use your technical background to holistically drive complex engineering challenges to resolution, ensuring programs stay on track for Start of Production (SOP) and beyond.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, supply chain, finance, and strategy teams to scope work, define requirements, identify risks, estimate budgets, and deliver clear, actionable program updates.
• Support the full engineering lifecycle — from ideation and design through validation, integration, and efficient industrialization — for fully integrated seating and interior systems.
• Proactively surface issues from design reviews, virtual builds, and physical build events, then drive containment and resolution across teams to protect the program schedule and quality.
• Monitor deliverables for system compatibility, integration opportunities, and ways to increase velocity and collaboration.
• Maintain strong supplier relationships (in partnership with Supply Chain) to secure timely parts and support for build events.
• Prepare focused meeting agendas that drive decisions, eliminate bottlenecks, and retire risks.
• Champion transparency: make problems visible early and ensure risk-mitigation plans are actively executed.

Skills Required

Program Manage PM's & Projects, Program Management, Mechanical Engineering

Skills Preferred

AIAG APQP, PPAP processes , Testing - Performance

Experience Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience).
• 2–5 years of experience in technical program management, project engineering, or a similar role supporting hardware development (early-career candidates with strong internships or co-op experience are encouraged to apply).
• Solid understanding of the product development lifecycle (design, development, validation, integration, and launch).
• Familiarity with materials, manufacturing processes, and technologies commonly used in automotive interiors or seating.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities across teams and timelines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Experience Preferred

• Experience with automotive seating, interiors, or EV systems.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (especially Excel and PowerPoint), Jira, Confluence, or similar tools.
• Experience working in a cross-functional, matrixed environment.
• A systems-oriented mindset with natural curiosity and drive for exceptional execution and continuous improvement.
• Passion for automotive innovation and delivering high-quality, customer-focused products.

Education Required

Bachelor's Degree

Education Preferred

Master's Degree

Additional Information

• HYBRID / 4 days per week in office
• Drive engineering teams to resolve issues identified in reviews, virtual builds, and physical events.
• Track and manage program deliverables while flagging potential incompatibilities or synergies across vehicle systems.
• Facilitate cross-functional decision-making with engineering, finance, and strategy stakeholders.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of processes, tools, and team execution.