Staff Project Engineer / Onsite / Chandler AZ

Motion Recruitment; Chandler (AZ); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Motion Recruitment is recruiting a Staff Project Engineer for an onsite role in Chandler, AZ, within a leading global telecommunications and satellite company. You will oversee multi-discipline engineering programs spanning software, FPGA, hardware, and manufacturing, driving milestones from design through production.

Role emphasizes collaboration with senior engineering leaders, optimizing cross-functional execution, and implementing structured project planning tools.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional engineering experience with 4+ years driving technical execution or schedules for multidisciplinary hardware/software programs
• Strong technical background in software engineering, systems engineering, or complex hardware/software development
• Experience coordinating technical execution across software, FPGA, hardware, and manufacturing engineering teams
• Developed integrated engineering schedules, managed dependencies, identified risks, and drove milestones
• Experience with senior engineers and technical leads to evaluate architecture, estimates, and integration challenges
• Experience managing external vendors or subcontractors against technical deliverables and schedules
• Knowledge of waterfall or stage-gate development methodologies, critical path scheduling, and Agile practices
• Experience with MS Project, Smartsheet, or comparable engineering planning tools
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline

Responsibilities

• Oversee technical execution across software, FPGA, hardware, and manufacturing programs
• Develop and maintain integrated schedules, manage dependencies, and drive critical milestones
• Collaborate with senior engineers and leads to evaluate architecture and estimates
• Coordinate with external vendors/subcontractors to deliver against schedules
• Apply waterfall/stage-gate and Agile practices to engineering programs
• Support production release planning and manufacturing integration

Skills

Engineering leadership

Schedule management

Systems integration

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical milestone tracking

Architecture evaluation

Waterfall/Agile familiarity

MS Project/Smartsheet

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related

Tools

MS Project

Smartsheet

Job description

A leading global telecommunications and satellite communications company is hiring a Staff Project Engineer for a full-time opportunity onsite in Chandler, Arizona. This organization develops advanced communications technology supporting commercial, government, and defense applications. This position will oversee technical execution across complex engineering programs involving software, FPGA development, hardware systems, and manufacturing, ensuring projects move successfully from initial design through production.

This is a great opportunity for an experienced engineering professional who enjoys solving complicated technical challenges and bringing structure to projects with multiple moving pieces. Rather than focusing strictly on traditional project management, this individual will work closely with engineering leadership to drive execution, manage technical dependencies, and influence how engineering teams deliver their work. The position offers significant ownership, direct interaction with senior engineering leadership, and the opportunity to improve engineering processes across multiple disciplines.

Required Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of professional engineering experience, including 4+ years driving technical execution or schedules for multidisciplinary hardware/software programs.

• Strong technical background in software engineering, systems engineering, or complex hardware/software development.

• Experience coordinating technical execution across software, FPGA, hardware, and manufacturing engineering teams.

• Demonstrated ability to develop integrated engineering schedules, manage dependencies, identify risks, and drive technical milestones.

• Experience working directly with senior engineers and technical leads to evaluate architecture, engineering estimates, and integration challenges.

• Experience managing external vendors or subcontractors against technical deliverables and schedules.

• Knowledge of waterfall or stage-gate development methodologies, critical path scheduling, and Agile practices.

• Experience with MS Project, Smartsheet, or comparable engineering planning tools.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.

Desired Skills & Experience

• Experience with satellite communications, RF systems, FPGA development, embedded systems, or hardware/software integration.

• Background in aerospace, defense, or regulated manufacturing environments.

• Familiarity with ITAR, DFARS, AS9100, or manufacturing release requirements.

• Previous experience as a Software Engineer, Systems Engineer, or Technical Lead.

• Experience developing automated dashboards, reporting tools, or AI-assisted project tracking systems.

• PMP certification or Master's degree in a related field.

What You Will Be Doing

Tech Breakdown

• 35% Software and Systems Engineering Programs

• 30% FPGA and Hardware Engineering Coordination

• 20% Manufacturing Integration and Release Planning

• 15% Engineering Planning Tools and Automation

Daily Responsibilities

• 45% Technical Program Execution and Scheduling

• 35% Cross-Functional Engineering Collaboration

• 20% Risk Management, Reporting, and Process Improvement

The Offer

• Full-time employment

• Onsite in Chandler, Arizona, five days per week

• Competitive base salary based on experience

• Opportunity to work directly with senior engineering leadership

Benefits and bonus eligibility to be confirmed.