Project Manager

Cambium; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision benefits

401(k) matching

Professional development reimbursement

Equity for most full-time positions

Job summary

Cambium in El Segundo, CA, is seeking an experienced Project Manager for advanced materials R&D programs from concept through closeout. You will own cost, schedule, scope, and margin, and coordinate with chemists, engineers, executives, sales, and finance.

You’ll translate research goals into actionable plans, set milestones, manage vendor relationships, and ensure deliverables meet specifications while maintaining audit-ready records.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or business or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years managing technical research and development projects.
• Experience with government contracts or funded programs is a plus.
• MBA or PMP certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own cost, schedule, scope, and margin for each project from kickoff through closeout.
• Turn research goals into action plans: work breakdown, schedules, resourcing, and spend plans.
• Work with scientists and engineers to scope tasks, set milestones, and decide direction.
• Coordinate scale-up, process development, testing, and handoff to manufacturing.
• Track spend and forecast project financials.
• Own deliverables: reports, reviews, data packages, and deadlines.
• Proactively manage customer relationships and communicate risks.

Skills

Project management

R&D program management

Stakeholder communication

Budgeting & forecasting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or business

MBA or PMP certification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Reporting/Visualization tools

Job description

Cambium is a global company building the advanced materials base for reindustrialization — from AI-driven molecular design to agile domestic manufacturing. Defense, aerospace, and other high-performance applications demand materials that are stronger, lighter, and more resilient, delivered at unprecedented speed and scale. Our team of world-class scientists and engineers was assembled specifically to take on those challenges. Whether enabling hypersonic flight or protecting critical systems, our solutions solve mission-critical problems and push the limits of what's possible. Come join us and revolutionize advanced materials for defense, aerospace, and beyond.

THE ROLE

Your projects are yours; from first concept and funding through delivery and closeout. You’re accountable for each project’s execution, cost, schedule, scope, and margin. You’ll work daily with all core functions of the company - chemists, materials engineers, executives, sales, and finance, and you’ll be the main point of contact for the customer.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own cost, schedule, scope, and margin for each project from kickoff through closeout.
• Turn research goals into action plans: work breakdown, schedules, resourcing, and spend plans that hold up when experiments drift or fail.
• Work with scientists and engineers to scope technical tasks, set realistic milestones, and decide when to push forward, change direction, or stop.
• Manage the path from lab to production: coordinate scale-up, process development, testing, and handoff to our manufacturing teams.
• Track spend and forecast where each project will land.
• Own deliverables: technical reports, milestone reviews, test data packages, and the deadlines tied to them.
• Proactively manage customer relationships.
• Brief status, risks, and decisions candidly and cross-functionally.
• Write full proposal packages and statements of work to win funding government and commercial sources.
• Manage outside test labs, suppliers, and consultants: scope, purchase orders, schedule, change orders, and quality of work.
• Keep cost tracking and project records accurate and audit-ready.
• Capture lessons learned are incorporated into future program planning and execution.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or business, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years managing technical research and development projects.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• 10+ years managing research, development, and testing programs, including multi-year, multi-million-dollar projects.
• Technical background in materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, or aerospace engineering.
• Experience taking a new material or technology from lab scale to manufacturing.
• A record of writing proposals that won, then running those projects.
• Experience managing Government projects or Contracts.
• Experience in a dynamic, fast paced manufacturing environment.
• Master of Business Administration or Project Management Professional certification.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel); experience with reporting and visualization tools.

You’ll Do Well Here If

• You’re comfortable planning work where the answer isn’t known yet.
• You give executives and customers bad news early, with a recovery plan attached.
• You can dig into test data with a chemist in the morning and rebuild a budget forecast in the afternoon.
• You’re comfortable on a lean team and will build some of the tools and templates you use.
• You lean on AI to enhance and expand your capabilities, not as a crutch.

Additional Requirements

BENEFITS: Cambium offers a highly competitive compensation and benefits plan. This includes excellent medical/dental/vision benefits, and a matching 401(k) plan, professional development reimbursement, and an opportunity for equity for most full-time positions

• This includes excellent medical/dental/vision benefits
• a matching 401(k) plan
• professional development reimbursement
• an opportunity for equity for most full-time positions