Specialist, Project Engineer (Propulsion Controls, Electronics and Software)

Specialist Project Engineer, Propulsion Controls Electronics & Software

L3Harris is the Trusted Disruptor in defense tech. With customers' mission-critical needs always in mind, our employees deliver end-to-end technology solutions connecting the space, air, land, sea and cyber domains in the interest of national security.

Job Location: Canoga Park, CA

Job Schedule: 9/80: Employees work 9 out of every 14 days- totaling 80 hours worked- and have every other Friday off

Job Description:

We are seeking a Level 3 Project Engineer to lead the planning, execution, and delivery of electronics and software development efforts for propulsion controls systems in the defense and aerospace industry. This role is responsible for coordinating cross-functional engineering teams developing mission-critical control solutions for propulsion applications, including embedded electronics, control software, system integration, and verification activities. The ideal candidate brings a strong technical foundation, disciplined program execution skills, and experience working in highly regulated, safety-critical environments.

Essential Functions:

• Lead electronics and software development projects for propulsion control systems from concept through integration, verification, qualification, and production support.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams including electrical, software, systems, mechanical, test, quality, manufacturing, and program management.
• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, technical milestones, risk registers, and action item tracking for propulsion controls programs.
• Manage day-to-day execution of hardware and software development activities to ensure technical, cost, schedule, and quality objectives are met.
• Support requirements decomposition, interface definition, design reviews, and verification planning for propulsion control electronics and embedded software.
• Drive issue resolution across design, integration, and test activities, including root cause and corrective action coordination.
• Monitor project risks and opportunities, identify recovery plans when needed, and communicate status clearly to leadership and customers.
• Ensure compliance with internal engineering processes, customer requirements, contractual obligations, and applicable aerospace and defense standards.
• Facilitate technical reviews, customer meetings, milestone presentations, and decision-making forums.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to junior engineers and project contributors within assigned scope.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical field.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in aerospace, defense, avionics, embedded systems, controls, or propulsion-related programs.
• 5+ year of experience leading or coordinating engineering development projects involving electronics, embedded software, or integrated control systems.
• 5+ years of experience with product development lifecycle activities, including requirements, design, integration, verification, validation, and configuration management.
• 5+ years of experience with propulsion control systems, embedded controllers, sensor/actuator interfaces, or engine control electronics/software.
• 5+ years of experience with managing schedules, technical risks, dependencies, and cross-functional communication in a structured engineering environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including presentation of technical and program status to internal and external stakeholders.

Preferred Additional Skills:

• Experience with engine control systems, thrust vector control, electro-mechanical actuation, ignition control, sensors or other propulsion-related subsystems.
• Experience working in a safety-critical development environment with standards such as DO-178, DO-254, MIL-STD, or equivalent aerospace/defense frameworks.
• Familiarity with requirements and project tools such as DOORS, Jira, Microsoft Project, Earned Value concepts, or similar systems.
• Background in embedded software development, control electronics, hardware/software integration, or system test.
• Master's degree in engineering or technical discipline.

Key Traits for Success

• Strong technical judgment with the ability to bridge engineering detail and program execution.
• Organized, proactive leader who can keep complex development efforts aligned and moving forward.
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, high-accountability, mission-critical defense aerospace environments.
• Collaborative mindset with a focus on disciplined execution, clear communication, and reliable delivery.