Project Engineering Lead

Job Description:

Due to continued growth in the sector, we have a requirement for an additional Project Engineering Lead to deliver the engineering content of our Future Seeker programmes. Our Future Seekers area delivers leading edge research, working with a range of internal and external partners.

Project Engineering Leads are responsible for the total engineering activity undertaken on a project or portfolio of projects and so manage cross-disciplined engineering teams. The Project Engineering Lead is tasked to ensure that the engineering team delivers a solution that is compliant with the customer technical requirements; contractual requirements; and legislative requirements.

Reporting to a Project Engineering Manager, the Project Engineering Lead contributes to the monthly engineering governance cycle through preparation of engineering status reports. Project Engineering Leads build strong relationships with Engineering Functional Leads to ensure the resourcing plans for their projects are realistic and any issues arising are resolved swiftly. Project Engineering Leads play a key role in business winning activities, coordinating the collection of engineering costs, preparation of engineering plans and holding engineering bid reviews.

The role requires a candidate who is self-motivated, proactive and enthusiastic, with strong leadership and communication skills. The ability to foster and develop effective working relationships is key to ensure engineers perform to the levels required of the projects. A strong product design, commercial and business awareness is also essential to ensure that the engineering effort can be managed in the correct context for each given project.

Key Responsibility Areas

Engineering Delivery

• Project Engineering Leads manage multi-disciplined engineering team across multiple projects. Working closely with project managers and project engineering managers, they are responsible for delivery of the overall engineering output against time, cost and performance budgets. They are accountable for engineering decision-making within the project, including leading cross-discipline trade-offs and resolution of complex technical issues. They drive design maturity and lead engineering design reviews.

Planning and Risk Management

• Project Engineering Leads are responsible for generating clear and relevant engineering plans, establishing key milestones and identifying risks, opportunities and inter-dependencies. They are responsible for reviewing the current engineering positions on projects, and adapting plans as required to mitigate risks to either cost, schedule or performance budgets.

Stakeholder Management

• Project Engineering Leads prepare and communicate monthly engineering status reports for each of their assigned projects into their line manager.

Business Winning

• Project Engineering Leads are responsible for the coordination of engineering input into bids as part of the business winning process.

Leadership

• Project Engineering Leads line manage a multi-disciplinary team or engineers, playing an active role in their career development.

Skills, Qualifications & Knowledge Required

The following skills and experience are required:

• Educated to a degree level in an engineering-related subject (essential)
• Previous experience of managing and/or leading multi-disciplined engineering teams (essential)
• Previous experience of managing and/or leading low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) research programmes (essential)
• Strong understanding and proven track record of engineering life cycles and processes (essential)
• Experience of working on the development of hardware electronics, firmware and mechanical based products (desirable)
• Experience of collaborating with external partners on development activities (desirable)
• Expe…