Principal Project Engineer

Overview

At Arete, we are at the forefront of innovative solutions, bringing together diverse minds to solve complex security challenges. We strive for an inclusive, collaborative environment and operate as an employee-owned company that supports diverse career opportunities and professional growth. We are seeking a dynamic Project Engineer to help bring products to life in a customer-useable configuration. This role is a Technical Principal Project Engineer bridge between design engineering, production, and program management, and supports the Maritime Airborne Systems Sector with integrated technical, programmatic, schedule, and risk management across complex defense programs.

The selected candidate will contribute across the full program lifecycle, including program execution, integrated master scheduling, risk and opportunity management, manpower planning, and proposal development. Familiarity with the DoD acquisition framework (BAA, RFI, RFP processes) and experience supporting DoD contracts and procurement activities are required. The position will be based in Healdsburg, CA and is full-time, exempt, and non-supervisory.

• Drive planning, execution, and delivery of engineering programs across design, development, and production teams.
• Collaborate with technical leads to define scope, requirements, deliverables, and success criteria.
• Lead cross-functional execution to meet cost, schedule, and technical performance objectives.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) and production build activities.

• Develop and maintain Integrated Master Schedules (IMS) using MS Project.
• Support Estimate-to-Complete (ETC) development and ongoing financial tracking.
• Utilize financial and labor-tracking tools (e.g., Cognos, Costpoint) to monitor program performance.

• Identify, track, and mitigate program risks, issues, and opportunities.
• Develop and maintain risk registers, mitigation plans, and supporting analysis (e.g., risk cubes, burn-down/waterfall views).

• Provide technical direction to engineering teams.
• Lead and support internal and external gate reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, etc.).
• Prepare and deliver program reviews, audits, and customer briefings (PowerPoint-based).

• Support technical and cost proposal development.
• Contribute to capture efforts, including requirements shaping and solution definition.

• Champion continuous improvement across program execution processes, tools, and team collaboration.

• Generous PTO and Leave Times (Flextime Scheduling, Bereavement, PTO, Paid Parental Leave).
• Financial Benefits:
  
  Company-funded 5% contribution to 401(k) and to Employee Stock Ownership Plan, Continuing Education Assistance.
• Health, Medical, and Wellness:
  Medical, Dental & Vision, Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability, Vision Reimbursement.

• Creativity and innovation in solving challenges.
• Integrity and responsibility in all actions.
• Collaboration across teams and specialties.
• Responsiveness in fast-paced environments.
• Passion for national security and excellence.

Experiences And Background We Look For (Required Skills) -

• Experience running an engineering technical team.
• Technical direction to the engineering team.
• Lead engineering team through design reviews with internal and external customers.
• Schedule creation and maintenance.
• Work with team to create an estimate to complete.
• Risk creation and updates.
• New production introduction or production build experience.
• Documentation of the product and process.
• Ability to obtain a security clearance (secret).

Nice To Have (Preferred Skills) -

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering, or 10 years of project engineering experience.
• Proven experience in design development for electro-optical systems and gimbals.
• Currently hold a Secret or Top Secret clearance.
• Proficiency with tools and practices:
  Microsoft Project, Microsoft Excel/Outlook, Jira, CostPoint MES.

The salary range for this role is $195,000 to $215,000. Arete considers several factors when extending an offer, including position responsibilities, candidate experience, education/training, and key skills. U.S. citizenship is required to meet position eligibility. Successful passage of a criminal background screen and a government security investigation may be required. Successful completion of a Department of Transportation drug test may be required.

Equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination policies apply. Arete is an Equal Opportunity employer. Selected applicants will be subject to security investigations and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in accordance with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring. If you require an accommodation due to a disability or disabled veteran, you may request it during the application…