Senior Project Engineer – Antenna Systems (IRAD)

Communications & Power Industries (CPI); Plano (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Communications & Power Industries (CPI) in Plano, TX seeks a Senior Project Engineer to lead IRAD programs for advanced antenna systems. You will guide multidisciplinary teams from concept through prototype to customer-funded transitions, aligning with cost, schedule, and performance goals.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in RF/antenna defense systems, deep systems engineering experience, and DoD clearance.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of engineering experience developing RF, antenna, aerospace, defense, or satellite communication systems.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or closely related engineering discipline.
• U.S. Citizenship is required. This position is not eligible for visa or employment authorization (EAD) sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical execution of multiple IRAD projects involving advanced antenna systems.
• Develop system architectures incorporating RF, electrical, control systems, software, and mechanical subsystems.
• Define, allocate, and manage system and subsystem requirements.
• Perform engineering analysis and contribute directly to system design and technical decision‑making.
• Conduct technical trade studies and evaluate design alternatives.
• Identify technical risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Develop and maintain technical project plans, schedules, budgets, resource plans, and task tracking for multiple concurrent IRAD projects.
• Coordinate cross‑functional engineering teams to achieve milestones and deliver objectives on schedule.
• Monitor progress, labor utilization, budget performance, and resource allocation; implement corrective actions as needed.
• Prepare and present regular project status updates to engineering leadership.
• Support project financial reporting and forecast project costs; provide accurate financial status updates.
• Support transition of IRAD efforts into funded customer development programs.
• Develop verification strategies, test plans, and validation procedures.
• Coordinate integration and system‑level testing.
• Analyze test data and drive corrective actions.
• Ensure engineering documentation is complete and configuration controlled.
• Support product configuration, BOM development, and engineering releases.
• Interface with customers as technical subject matter expert; support proposals and technical presentations.
• Assist with technology roadmaps and future product planning.

Skills

RF technologies

Antenna systems

Systems engineering

Project leadership

DoD security clearance

Multidisciplinary coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering

Job description

Job Details

Posting Details

• Posted on November 9, 2026

Locations

• CPI Antenna Technologies - TX - Plano 1000 Klein Rd Plano, TX 75074, USA
• On-site
• Engineering
• Full-Time
• Requisition #: SENIO002275

Description

We are seeking a technically strong Senior Project Engineer to lead the execution of Internal Research & Development (IRAD) projects focused on advanced antenna systems. This role combines hands‑on engineering with technical project leadership, guiding multidisciplinary development efforts from concept through prototype, validation, and transition into customer‑funded programs.

Working across RF, electrical, mechanical, software, controls, manufacturing, and test engineering disciplines, the Project Engineer establishes system architecture, defines technical requirements, develops project execution plans, and ensures engineering activities remain aligned with cost, schedule, and performance objectives. The ideal candidate brings deep antenna systems knowledge, strong systems engineering capabilities, and the ability to coordinate complex technical projects while remaining actively involved in engineering design and problem solving.

U.S. Citizenship is required. This position is not eligible for visa or employment authorization (EAD) sponsorship.

Key Responsibilities include:

Technical Leadership

• Lead the technical execution of multiple concurrent IRAD projects involving advanced antenna systems.
• Develop system architectures incorporating RF, electrical, control systems, software, and mechanical subsystems.
• Define, allocate, and manage system and subsystem requirements.
• Perform engineering analysis and contribute directly to system design and technical decision‑making.
• Conduct technical trade studies and evaluate design alternatives.
• Identify technical risks and develop mitigation strategies.

Project Execution

• Develop and maintain technical project plans, schedules, budgets, resource plans, and task tracking for multiple concurrent IRAD projects.
• Coordinate cross‑functional engineering teams to achieve technical milestones and deliver project objectives on schedule.
• Monitor project progress, labor utilization, budget performance, and resource allocation, identifying risks and implementing corrective actions as needed.
• Prepare and present regular project status updates, including technical progress, schedule performance, budget status, labor utilization, and financial forecasts to engineering leadership.
• Support project financial reporting by tracking expenditures, forecasting project costs, monitoring budget variances, and providing accurate financial status updates to support informed decision‑making.
• Support transition of successful IRAD efforts into funded customer development programs.

Systems Engineering

• Develop verification strategies, test plans, and validation procedures.
• Coordinate integration and system‑level testing.
• Analyze test data and drive corrective actions.
• Ensure engineering documentation is complete and configuration controlled.
• Support product configuration, Bill of Materials (BOM) development, and engineering releases.

Customer & Business Support

• Interface with customers as technical subject matter expertise is required.
• Support proposal development and technical presentations.
• Assist with technology roadmaps and future product planning.

Required Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship is required. This position is not eligible for visa or employment authorization (EAD) sponsorship.
• Hold active DoD security clearance or able to obtain and maintain a minimum of secret clearance.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or closely related engineering discipline.
• 10+ years of engineering experience developing RF, antenna, aerospace, defense, or satellite communication systems. (is this appropriate number of years of experience?)
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary engineering projects.
• Strong knowledge of antenna systems and RF technologies.
• Experience with systems engineering methodologies, including requirements development and system integration.
• Experience managing engineering schedules, budgets, and technical deliverables.
• Ability to simultaneously manage multiple technical development efforts.
• Excellent technical communication and leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Current DoD security clearance.
• Satellite communications (SATCOM) experience.
• Phased array or tracking antenna experience.
• Experience developing products from concept through production.
• Familiarity with DoD development programs.
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).
• Knowledge of PLM/configuration management processes.
• Experience supporting proposals and customer technical reviews.

SHAPING THE FUTURE THROUGH INNOVATION AND DISCOVERY!

With a history spanning more than seven decades, Communications & Power Industries’ thousands of products have impacted people’s lives in numerous unseen ways every day. Our highly engineered products serve as the backbone of modern‑day commercial and military communications systems, assist in diagnosing medical conditions, empower scientific discoveries and space exploration, and much more.

CPI is headquartered in Plano, Texas and is a global manufacturer of electronic components and subsystems. We have manufacturing locations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. With a heritage of technological excellence, our team serves customers in the communications, defense, medical, industrial, and scientific markets.

WHAT WE OFFER:

Whether you are a seasoned professional or just embarking on your career, CPI is an ideal place to expand your knowledge and expertise. We cultivate a healthy, dynamic, and team‑oriented environment that empowers our employees to develop, create and deliver innovative, reliable technology solutions to power, connect, protect, and support a better tomorrow.

We offer our employees an attractive compensation package with competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, including health and wellness programs, career development, generous retirement savings plan with company match and more!

WHO WE ARE:

We value the unique and diverse skills, qualities, and backgrounds that each employee brings to CPI, and we respect each employee as an integral member of our growing team.

CPI is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all current and prospective employees, as well as to promoting a culture of inclusion and respect for everyone.

We celebrate the innovation that diversity creates in the work environment, and we recognize that each employee brings their own unique capabilities, experiences, and perspectives to the organization.

It is this variety that adds value to our teams, as well as to our stakeholders.

We welcome and encourage applicants to reach their full potential with us.

CPI is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Aff

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.