Project Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Position: Project Engineer

Location: West Palm Beach, FL Area

About the Role

Smart Structures is seeking a Project Engineer to oversee the development, quality assurance, and field deployment of embedded monitoring solutions used to track the structural health of concrete piles, bridges, high-rise buildings, dams, and other critical infrastructure. This role blends hands-on product troubleshooting, vendor and supply chain management, IT/workstation operations, and field installation support — serving as the operational backbone between engineering, manufacturing, vendors, and customers.

Key Responsibilities

Product Development & Process Improvement

• Develop and implement new wireless concrete Embedded Data Collection (EDC) solutions for structural monitoring applications.
  
• Screen and troubleshoot defective products, components, and processes.
  
• Apply Poka-Yoke (error-proofing) methods and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles to streamline and improve assembly processes.
  

Product & Board Assembly

• Oversee assembly of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and embedded sensor units, ensuring adherence to build specifications and quality standards.
  
• Perform and support hands-on board-level assembly, rework, and testing to identify and correct defects prior to deployment.
  
• Develop and maintain assembly work instructions, build documentation, and quality checklists.
  
• Partner with engineering to translate product design changes into updated assembly procedures.
  

Vendor & Supply Chain Management

• Identify and resolve vendor quality issues by initiating and tracking corrective actions.
  
• Maintain and update product part drawings.
  
• Establish and manage a barcode-based inventory system.
  
• Negotiate supplier pricing and lead first-article evaluation and approval processes.
  

Field Installation & Technical Support

• Coordinate and participate in field installations, including unit preparation, radio connectivity troubleshooting, software debugging, and gauge installation into concrete structures.
  
• Serve as the technical point of contact for on-site installation issues.
  

Team & Administrative Leadership

• Manage direct reports, including performance reviews, timecard approval, daily activity tracking, and expense management.
  

Requirements

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related field (MBA a plus).
  
• 5+ years of experience in operations, product development, or field engineering, ideally within structural monitoring, IoT/sensor hardware, or related industries.
  
• Hands-on experience with embedded systems, wireless data collection, or sensor/monitoring hardware.
  
• Familiarity with Poka-Yoke, DFA, and lean manufacturing/process improvement principles.
  
• Experience managing vendor relationships, including corrective action processes and pricing negotiations.
  
• Working knowledge of PCB/board-level assembly, rework, and testing processes.
  
• Willingness to travel for field installations, including work at active construction/infrastructure sites.
  

Preferred

• Experience with barcode inventory systems or similar asset tracking tools.
  
• Prior people-management experience (direct reports, timecards, performance reviews).
  
• Background in civil/structural engineering environments (bridges, high-rises, dams, concrete infrastructure).