Manager, Engineering Project Leader

Manager, Engineering Project Leader
Who We Are
Kymeta revolutionizes satellite communications through Intelligent Communications Platforms (ICPs). Our electronically steered flat panel antennas enable seamless communications on-the-move. Kymeta solutions serve government, military, maritime, transport, and public safety clients worldwide, providing uninterrupted connectivity and spatial intelligence anywhere, anytime. With over 150 patents, Kymeta is shaping the future of global communications. For more information, visit kymetacorp.com.
What We Need
Kymeta is seeking a Manager, Engineering Project Leader who knows how to turn ambitious technology into products that ship. This is a player-coach role: you will personally own and drive one or more high-priority development programs end-to-end, while also leading, mentoring, and setting standards for a small team of Engineering Project Leaders (EPLs) across the portfolio. You'll partner closely with all disciplines of Engineering and interface with Supply Chain and suppliers to plan, coordinate, and drive execution — and you'll be the person other EPLs look to when a program needs to get unstuck.
We’re looking for someone who thrives where the problems are complex, the path isn’t always obvious and the outcomes matter. The successful candidate combines the hands-on instincts of someone who has personally run complex hardware/software programs with the judgment and presence to coach, unblock, and elevate a team of project leaders. You are most successful in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment and bring strong communication, organization, and follow-through — for your own programs and for the team's.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Own project planning, scoping, and execution of one or more cross-functional development programs from concept through qualification and release
Act as a driving force in defining project scope and objectives, involving all relevant stakeholders and ensuring technical feasibility
Own creation and resolution of complex cross-functional tradeoff decisions to drive program progress
Work with teams to develop project milestones and estimates
Lead risk management processes and mitigations
Manage engineering program budget creation, tracking, and budget exceptions
Lead and coordinate interdisciplinary brainstorms and root cause analysis efforts
Ensure steady progress of tasks; identify and remove stalled or blocked items
Coordinate internal resources and third parties/vendors for project execution
Ensure projects are delivered on-time, within scope, and within budget
Manage vendor execution to schedule, budget, and statement of work
Manage strategic supplier and development partner relationships
Provide day-to-day leadership, mentorship, and coaching to a team of Engineering Project Leaders, helping them grow in scope, judgment, and effectiveness
Set and evangelize consistent project management standards, tools, and best practices across all engineering programs
Review and challenge other EPLs' project plans, risk registers, and tradeoff decisions; step in directly on programs that are off-track
Aggregate and report on the health, status, and resourcing of the full program portfolio to leadership — not just your own program(s)
Ensure resource availability and allocation across the team's portfolio, resolving cross-program conflicts and prioritization calls
Partner with functional leaders on hiring, onboarding, and development planning for the EPL team
Create and maintain comprehensive project documentation standards across the team
Report to management with detailed status updates and estimation tracking across the portfolio, escalating proactively as needed
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
10+ years of Project Management experience developing and launching integrated Hardware and Software technical products, including experience personally running large, complex programs end-to-end
2+ years leading, mentoring, or managing other project managers/leads — comfortable operating as both an individual contributor on your own program and a leader/coach to peers
Proven ability to manage large-scale projects and teams that deliver new products to market on schedule and within budget
Experience managing all phases of the product development life cycle
Demonstrated ability to lead collaborative, multi-disciplinary development teams within a matrix organization
Experience driving efficiencies and reducing operational or manufacturing costs associated with technical programs
Experience building or scaling project management processes, standards, or tools across a broader engineering organization
Thrives in a dynamic, highly ambiguous, entrepreneurial enviro