Project Engineer

Responsibility and
Applications
October 15, 2009

Essential Skills for Project Engineering

(PE/EPM)
Description
To lead technical projects, drive innovation, and influence others.

What is Project Engineering responsibility:

1. Become more influential
2. Improve your ability to effectively lead projects and teams
3. Identify leadership development goals specific to your individual needs
4. Build relation with your boss and your peers

PE/EPM Manage Many areas?

System Design

Tradeoff Studies
Key Characteristics
Cost as an Independent Variable (CAIV)
Performance Analysis & Simulation
Requirements Development/Management

Hardware Product Design

Electrical Design
Mechanical Design
Materials Selection
Producibility/ Reliability/Maintainability/Testability
Design to Cost (DTUPC)

Software Product Design

Requirements Analysis and Design

SW Implementation
S/W Integration & Test

System Integration & Test

H/W & S/W Integration

System Performance

Product Delivery Support

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The PE Manages
Many Activities

Characteristics of a Successful
Project Team

Effective Leader

Group of interdependent individuals

Complementary skills

Shared, meaningful purpose

Specific goals

Well-defined roles and responsibilities

Mutual accountability

Collaborative approach

Confidence

Desire for continuous improvement

Big M, Little e

PEs first and foremost responsibility is:

Management of the engineering teams effort

Effective Project Engineers:

Are effective team leaders and team builders
Display commitment and passion
Employ right to left thinking andplanning
Show a sense of urgency
Are results oriented
Are detail focused
Have strong communication skills

The PE is responsible for program performance

Establishing and getting the program off to a good start
Managing engineering activities on a program
Keeping the program out of trouble
Reporting accurate program status (technical performance, cost & schedule)

The PE/EPM Drives the

Engineering
Effort
a Program
The on
Project
Engineer is Responsible for

all Engineering Execution on the Program

Engineering Cost
Performance
Cost

Engineering
Schedule
Performance
Schedule

Performance

Engineering Technical
Performance

PE/EPM is Key To Program

Leadership
Program Manager,
XYZ Program

Business
Management

System
Engineering

Operations
Program
Management

Project
Engineering

Mission
Assurance

Software
Engineering

Electrical
Engineering

Mechanical
Engineering

Systems Test

Test
Engineering

Configuration
Management

Material
Management

Optical
Engineering

Reliability &
F/A

PE is Responsible for the Entire Engineering Team

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The PE/EPM Interacts With Various

Teams and Functions
Engineering
Engineering
Management
Management

PMO
PMO

Business
Business
Management
Management

Procurement
Procurement
Project Engineer
Project Engineer

Operations
Operations
Engineering
Engineering
Team
Team
Facilities
Facilities

Security
Security
Export Management
Export Management

Quality
Quality

The PE/EPM, with the PM, Leads the

Team
Developing Plans
& Tracking
Progress

Balancing Priorities:
Cost
Schedule
Technical

Preparing/Reviewing Presentations & Reports

Solving Problems
Leading,
Assisting &
Mentoring
the
Team

Clearly Communicating:
Roles & Responsibilities
Objectives/Direction
Providing Feedback

Role of the Project Engineer

The PROJECT ENGINEER is responsible for the technical performance,
cost, and schedule for the assigned program(s). This includes the
following:
Organizing the engineering work to support the program schedule/plan
Provide leadership and guidance
Providing day-to-day direction of the assigned personnel
Responsible for the Engineering schedule
Ensure Group Leader, Functional Managers and Program Managers are
aware of program performance issues (e.g., technical scope, schedule,
staffing, etc..) through efficient communications

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Additional Roles
Recognize and support the Program Manager as the person ultimately
responsible for the program.
Provide timely input when the PE perceives the directed course of
action will not achieve the divisions goals and if necessary, elevate the
problem until it is resolved.
Get the job done!

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The PE Role in the Engineering

Organization is an Extension of
Management
Program
Extension of program
management
Interface with Customer PMO
Interface with Executive Mgmt

Adopts extended teams

Business Management
Manufacturing operations
Procurement
Quality Assurance
Associate Contractors

Manages Sub-Contracts
Scheduling Issues
Technical performance
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Project Engineer Objectives

There is an obligation for Project Engineer to:
Keep functional managers informed when there are problems in the functional
area (personnel, facilities, or equipment) affecting the success of the program
Provide periodic feedback on how assigned staff are performing.
Raise issues for resolution when program direction or performance seem to
put program goals at risk
The PE along with the SE are viewed as the most technically qualified to
make performance assessments, the PE has the responsibility of formally
alerting Program Management when meeting program technical performance
requirements are at risk.
Recognize that resources assigned to the program work for a functional
manager who ultimately controls the persons time (but functional manager
must provide a qualified resource in a timely manner when a resource is
reassigned such that program performance or goals are not put at risk!)
Insure an up-to-date forecast of resource requirements is available
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Project Engineer - Roles

Design adherence to customer SOW and specification requirements,
including performance cost and schedule
Support and lead the Program Managers kickoff
Program responsibility for generating and maintaining program SEMP
Conduct the program efforts in accordance with the approved program
SEMP
Responsible for decomposing requirements and concepts for
compliance to contract requirements with the help from the CE & SE
Insure all engineering tasks and documentation are scheduled and
completed on time
Technical lead for design and performance requirements
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Project Engineers Roles Cont..

Provide day to day direction for assigned engineers

Responsible for hosting and leading design reviews

In some cases act as the Cost Account Manager (CAM)

Ensure performance to key parameters are monitored and met

Review and approve drawings and Change Orders

Participate in internal and vendor qualification and evaluation process

Provides monthly Technical Project status and all related supports

Provides Lessons Learned

Supports program close-out

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Project Engineering Mission

Statement

Project Engineering
Our shared mission is to work to achieve the cost, schedule,
technical, and customer satisfaction goals for each program
assigned.

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How Should Others View PEs?

The PM and others should look upon the PE/EPM as:
The leader and primary interface with the engineers working on
the program
The person to whom program direction on technical work should
be transmitted
Responsible for the Engineering schedule
Cost account manager
The key facilitator and in some cases technical advisor/problem
solver on program issues

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Project Engineering
The Secrets of Success for PEs
Organization
Planning
Communication
Vigilance - Fact based decision making

The quality of information is vital!

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Functional Manager
There is an obligation for Functional Manager to:
Contracts with PM and PE to provide skills/expertise to meet
program requirements during bid process
Provide the qualified resources (personnel, facilities, and
equipment) necessary to complete the program on time.
Work through PEs when getting involved in program work
Involved in programs, to provide timely advice on, and to take timely
action when there are personnel or program problems
Responsible for meeting overhead budget, indirect labor goals, and
program commitments

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Program Manager
There is an obligation for the Program Manager to:
Ultimate responsibility for successful program execution and customer
satisfaction

Responsible for maintaining effective communication between team

members

Establish appropriate program controls to insure cost & schedule objectives

are achieved and work through PE to insure that technical objectives are
achieved

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Conduct periodic briefings on program status and related issues or problems

Control Account Manager for PM Admin budget
PM and PE signoff authority on all drawings and ECNs
Facilitate overall efforts for cost/schedule
Coordinate resolution of customer-identified issues & problems
Customer interface on existing and related new business opportunities

Chief Engineer
There is an obligation for the Chief Engineer to:
Chart and develop the Business Area roadmap.
Coordinates and drives customer requirements on key products
Support and strategize existing or new technologies.
Support and interface with the customer meetings/reviews.
Visits customers, users, conferences to understand mission requirements and
works to drive innovative system architectures to meet those requirements.
Interface with IRAD & BD to ensure efforts budgeted and planned support
customer requirements
Supports programs concerns/issues (development/production).
Work with the Project Engineer and System Engineer on existing programs
and new development programs.
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Systems Engineering

International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) defines

systems engineering as:

The Department of Defense (DoD) defines systems engineering as:

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Systems engineering is an engineering discipline whose responsibility is to create and execute an

interdisciplinary process to ensure that the customer and stakeholders needs are satisfied in a
high-quality, trustworthy, and cost and schedule efficient manner throughout a systems entire life
cycle. This process is usually comprised of the following tasks: State the problem; Investigate
alternatives; Model the system; Integrate; Launch the system; Assess performance; and Reevaluate (SIMILAR). The systems engineering process is not sequential. The functions are
performed in a parallel and interactive manner.

An approach to translate approved operational needs and requirements into operationally suitable
blocks of systems. The approach shall consist of a top-down, iterative process of requirements
analysis, functional analysis and allocation, design synthesis and verification, and system analysis
and control. Systems engineering shall permeate design, manufacturing, test and evaluation, and
support of the product. Systems engineering principals shall influence the balance between
performance, risk, cost, and schedule.

Systems Engineer
There is an obligation for the Systems Engineer to:
Transform an operational need into a description of system
performance parameters and a system configuration through the use
of an iterative process of definition, synthesis, analysis, design, test
and evaluation, and validation.
Integrate related technical parameters and ensure the compatibility
of all physical, functional, and program interface. This shall be
conducted in a manner that optimizes the total definition and design.

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Roles/Interface
Chief Engineer
Program Manager

PM Checklist
Uphold customer relationships
Responsible Pgm cost & schedule
Supports monthly Status
Provides program oversight/leadership
Attend customer meetings/reviews

Project Engineer

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Establish engineering schedule

Assemble engineering team
Conduct/oversee peer reviews
Support program reviews
Monthly Technical Project Status
Provide program oversight
Responsible for the SEMP
Identify risk & uncertainty
Responsible for Integration and Qual
Attends customer meetings/reviews
All documentation & program close-out

Strategize
Attend customer meetings/reviews
Develops technology roadmap
Supports pgm concerns/issues

System Engineer

Establish requirements & flow-down

Provides conceptual inputs
Generates SEMP
Defines Conops
Manages operational modes
Conducts system modeling
Establishes system budgets
Conducts sensitivity analysis
Identifies KPP
Establishes testability requirements
Supports Qual/DVT
Validates & reviews data
Provide technical oversight
Conducts/supports Peer reviews
Supports program reviews

Interaction
The Project Engineer, Chief Engineer, and Systems
Engineer all have the same goals to provide the best
product for our customers.
All three groups must work together to achieve this goal

System
Engineer

Chief
Engineer

Project
Engineer

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Program
Manager

Working With Your Customers

Fosters a Winning Outcome
Know your customers
Internal
External

Anticipate customer requirements and expectations

Manage customer expectations
Translate customer needs into specific actions
Obtain and respond to customer feedback
Open, candid communication develops trust
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Meetings / Information

Based on the size and maturity of the program, each PE shall be held
responsible for conducting the standard reviews (PSDR, PM checklist
(30-day kickoff), SRR, SDR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and PRR)

All PM support monthly All Program Reviews. The PE are asked to

support their PM during Business Area Reviews

In addition, PE shall communicate the health of their program at

monthly Technical Program Review and/or Engineering Management
Reviews

If a program experiences significant interruption whether it cost,

schedule, technical, or other this information needs to be
communicated up the chain of command as expediently as possible

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Integrity
The PE is the closest to the program and is typically knowledgeable
across all the disciplines. It is the obligation of the team members and
the PE to voice issues and concerns as they arise on programs.

Under NO circumstance shall the PE turn a blind eye on improper

issues

The PE represent:
Quality
Customer Satisfaction
Leadership
Integrity
People
Suppliers
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Closing Thoughts.

The PE is a KEY member of the Program Team, with a very difficult job

Be a Leader
Team builder that displays a commitment and passion
Results and detailed oriented, with a sense of urgency
Thinking about both today AND tomorrow

Recognize that you own all of the engineering activities, including cost,
schedule and technical performance

Learn how to balance and prioritize your time

Focus on ramifications if you chose incorrectly

Become knowledgeable about your supporting functional organizations

Know the leaders and the experts
Know what they can do for you
Leverage them for your success

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Summary

Project Engineers wear many hats and typically do what is needed to

get the job done

It is not easy being a PE

90% of the program problems and issues are aired while only 10% of
the good issues are ever raised

Challenged budgets, manpower issues, and short schedules only

contribute to the joy of PEs

There is a great deal of satisfaction seeing a program successfully

complete and transition to production or sustain production to support
the war fighter

But with all that said:

It takes a special individual to excel as a Project

Engineer/Engineering Project Manager
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3 Last Closing Thoughts

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