Principal Project Engineer

Job description

Principal Project Engineer

Full Time Healdsburg, CA, US

Salary Range: $170,000.00 To $215,000.00 Annually

At Areté, we are on the forefront of utilizing innovative solutions, with great minds from all backgrounds, to help solve the nation’s most complex security challenges. We strive for an inclusive, collaborative team environment that approaches differences as opportunities for innovation and excellence. As an employee‑owned company, we foster an atmosphere that propels diverse career opportunities and professional growth.

We are seeking a dynamic Project Engineer with a passion for bringing products to life in a customer usable configuration. We are looking for a Technical Principal Project Engineer to act as a critical bridge between design engineering, production and Program management. This role supports the Maritime Airborne Systems Sector, providing integrated technical, programmatic, schedule, and risk management across complex defense programs. The selected candidate will contribute across the full program lifecycle, including execution, integrated master scheduling, risk and opportunity management, manpower planning, and proposal development. The role requires familiarity with the Department of Defense acquisition framework, including BAA, RFI, and RFP processes, as well as experience supporting DoD contracts and procurement activities. This position requires strong communication skills and the ability to prepare and deliver technical and programmatic briefings to both internal leadership and external stakeholders, including customers and government representatives. This position will be based at our Healdsburg, CA office and is classified as a full‑time, exempt, non‑supervisory position.

Key Responsibilities

Technical & Program Execution

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

Schedule & Cost Management

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

Risk & Opportunity Management

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)

Technical Leadership & Reviews

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)

Business Development & Proposals

Support technical and cost proposal development

Contribute to capture efforts, including requirements shaping and solution definition

Process Improvement

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

Benefits

Generous PTO and Leave Times

Flextime Scheduling

Bereavement

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Company‑funded 5% contribution to your 401(k) retirement plan

Company‑funded 5% contribution to your Employee Stock Ownership Plan

Continuing Education Assistance

Health, Medical, and Wellness Benefits

Medical Insurance

Life Insurance and Long‑Term Disability (LTD)

Vision Reimbursement

What We Value

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 both 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 secret clearance

Nice to have (Preferred Skills)

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, or related field. Or 10 years of project engineering for a technical engineering team.

Proven experience in design development for electro‑optical systems and gimbals.

Currently hold a Secret or Top Secret clearance

Proficiency in tools and practices. Microsoft Project

Microsoft Excel, Outlook

Jira

CostPoint MES

Other Considerations

Areté is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination, and we believe every person has the right to be treated with fairness, dignity, and equal consideration.

Areté is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

U.S. citizenship is required to meet position eligibility.

Successful passage of a criminal background screen is required to meet position eligibility.

Selected applicants will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

Areté will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

Successful passage of a Department of Transportation (DOT) drug test is required to meet position eligibility.

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Worksite address

healdsburg, CA, 95448, US

Who can apply

Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.