Senior Project Engineer, AD&S

Costa Mesa · Costa Mesa, CA (OC-00) · USD 146,000-194,000 · 7+ years experience · Full-time · Onsite · Posted Oct 8, 2026

At a glance

The Senior Project Engineer for Air Dominance & Strike (AD&S) supports the execution of Manufacturing Development Plan (MDP) and Product Development Process (PDP) stage gate deliverables.
This role involves coordinating across multiple programs to ensure manufacturing engineering milestones are met on time and with technical accuracy.
The position requires a manufacturing engineer who can bridge the gap between design, quality, supply chain, and operations to drive hardware from prototype through production.

Support the execution of MDP and PDP stage gate deliverables for manufacturing engineering across AD&S programs.
Coordinate with PPMs, PMs, Chief Engineers, and ME managers to gather, organize, and prepare stage gate review decks and presentations.
Track stage gate action items, open risks, and manufacturing readiness gaps to drive closure.
Review ME stage gate content for quality and completeness, flagging gaps for program teams.
Coordinate across multiple programs running on different timelines to ensure information and structure for gate success.
Represent Manufacturing Engineering on ad-hoc, cross-functional projects including design trades, quality investigations, and supply chain decisions.
Build and maintain working relationships with design engineering, quality, supply chain, operations, and program management.
Drive assigned projects to completion from problem definition through resolution.
Identify gaps and inconsistencies in stage gate processes and contribute to system improvements.
Contribute to the development and maintenance of stage gate templates, checklists, and standards.

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
7+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, with exposure to product development processes, stage gate reviews, or manufacturing readiness activities.
Solid understanding of manufacturing processes and manufacturing maturity from prototype through production.
Proven ability to work cross-functionally with program management, design engineering, quality, supply chain, and operations.
Experience contributing to or preparing technical review presentations for engineering and program leadership.
Strong organizational and project management skills to track deliverables across multiple concurrent programs.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Personal experience on the production floor building, testing, or supporting hardware manufacturing.
Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities.

Master's degree in engineering, business, or a related field.
Experience in aerospace or defense manufacturing, particularly with qualified or flight-critical hardware programs.
Familiarity with AS9100/AS9102 quality management systems.
Exposure to manufacturing readiness level (MRL) assessments or similar maturity frameworks.
Background in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other process improvement methodologies.
Proficiency in CAD software.
Familiarity with manufacturing technologies including machining, composites, electronics, and assembly.
Appropriate clearance classification.