Project Engineer

Your greatest work is ahead!

Leidos’ Defense Sensor Business Area is seeking a highly motivated and organized Project Engineer to support execution of a complex, fast-paced defense development and production program.

This position will serve as a key execution partner to Program Management and Integrated Product Team (IPT) leadership, helping translate technical scope into executable cost and schedule plans and ensuring actual program performance is accurately reflected in the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS), Earned Value Management (EVM) data, forecasts, and program status.

The successful candidate will work directly with IPT leads, engineers, manufacturing, supply chain, finance, scheduling, and Program Management to maintain alignment between technical execution, schedule performance, and cost performance. The role will provide hands-on support to IPTs in developing and maintaining IMS activities, evaluating schedule logic and dependencies, developing Estimates to Complete (ETCs), analyzing earned value performance, preparing variance explanations, and executing Control Account Manager responsibilities.

This position requires someone who is comfortable getting into the details of program execution—not simply reporting status. The ideal candidate will proactively identify schedule, cost, resource, and technical execution issues; work with IPT leadership to develop recovery plans; and ensure program forecasts accurately represent the work remaining.

If this sounds like the kind of environment where you can thrive, keep reading!

Primary Responsibilities

• Partner with IPT Leads, Program Scheduling, Finance, Engineering leadership, and Program Management to integrate technical execution with program cost, schedule, resource, and performance objectives.
• Provide direct Control Account Manager (CAM) and Earned Value Management (EVM) support, including scope and budget planning, performance measurement, variance analysis, ETC/EAC development, forecasting, baseline changes, and identification of cost and schedule performance drivers.
• Work with IPT Leads and Program Scheduling to develop, maintain, and status the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS), including task development, schedule logic, milestones, cross-IPT dependencies, critical/driving paths, forecast dates, and identification of late or at-risk activities.
• Coordinate cross-functional execution and dependencies across engineering, manufacturing, integration, test, suppliers, and other IPTs; identify risks and issues, assess downstream impacts, and develop and track corrective or recovery actions.
• Prepare and communicate IPT and program execution status by integrating technical progress, IMS performance, earned value metrics, financial forecasts, risks, and milestone readiness; support program reviews and proactively elevate emerging issues requiring leadership attention.
• Perform additional program execution, project engineering, and CAM-related duties as assigned to support evolving program priorities and objectives.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Business, Program Management, or a related discipline with 4-8 years of relevant experience; or a Master's degree with 2-6 years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience supporting the execution of complex engineering development, production, integration, or defense programs in a cross-functional environment.
• Experience with Integrated Master Scheduling (IMS), Earned Value Management (EVM), Control Account Management (CAM), or program cost and schedule management, or demonstrated ability and willingness to learn Earned Value Management and CAM processes.
• Demonstrated ability to translate technical scope into executable schedule activities, milestones, resource requirements, ETCs/EACs, staffing forecasts, budgets, or other program forecasts.
• Ability to analyze cost and schedule performance, identify underlying variance drivers, assess downstream impacts, and develop actionable recovery plans.
• Strong analytical, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively across engineering, finance, scheduling, and Program Management organizations.
• Must be a resident of Huntsville, AL or willing to relocate to the Huntsville, AL area.
• Must be a US citizen, possess and able to maintain a current active Secret clearance to be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience serving as a Control Account Manager (CAM) or Project Engineer on a DoD program operating under EVMS or EV-lite processes.
• Working knowledge of SPI, CPI, SV, CV, BAC, ETC, EAC, TCPI, variance analysis, and earned value forecasting concepts.
• Experience developing and maintaining an Integrated Master Schedule, including critical/driving path analysis, total float, schedule logic, schedule health, and cross-IPT dependencies.
• Experience with Microsoft Project and EVMS/program management tools, including baseline establishment and Baseline Change Requests (BCRs).
• Experience supporting complex defense systems involving engineering development, hardware procurement, manufacturing, assembly, software development, system integration, and test.
• Experience coordinating program execution across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, suppliers/subcontractors, finance, scheduling, and Program Management.
• Experience developing variance narratives, corrective action/recovery plans, risk and opportunity assessments, and executive-level program status.
• Experience supporting radar, missile defense, integrated air and missile defense, sensors, or similar complex defense systems.
• PMP, EVMS, scheduling, CAM, or related program management training/certification is a plus.

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

October 13, 2026

Pay Range:

Pay Range $73,450.00 - $132,775.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.