Project Engineer - Product Development (Design Engineering)
Your Job
As a Product Development Project Engineer at Molex Aerospace & Defense Solutions (ADS), you will lead cross-functional product development projects from approved concept and requirements definition through design, qualification, industrialization, and Start of Production (SOP). You will establish disciplined project execution, align technical and business stakeholders, and ensure new products achieve customer, schedule, cost, quality, compliance, and manufacturing-readiness objectives in a regulated aerospace and defense environment.
What You Will Do
• Own integrated project plans, and support Phase & Phase Review deliverables for Product Development (NPD and NPI) projects from initiation through production launch and post-launch stabilization.
• Lead cross-functional execution and resolution across Product Management, Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Operations, Commercial, and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate prototype builds, design verification, product qualification, process validation, tooling, supplier readiness, and production ramp activities.
• Ensure design maturity and controlled handoffs through requirements reviews, design reviews, validation evidence, configuration management, and release of accurate product and manufacturing documentation.
• Define, track, and manage project milestones, dependencies, the critical path, technical maturity, product requirements targets, and manufacturing readiness.
• Manage changes to product requirements during and after product launch through established change-control processes.
Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related field.
• 3-5 yrs. experience leading and coordinating New Product Development (NPD) or New Product Introduction(NPI) projects in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex fast paced projects involving technical uncertainty, multiple stakeholders, interdependent workstreams, and aggressive deadlines.
• Demonstrated stakeholder management experience, including effectively aligning technical, business, and leadership stakeholders, facilitating decisions, and escalating risks or issues when needed.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical and business issues into clear decisions and actions.
• Comfort operating in ambiguous, and changing environments while driving accountability without direct authority.
• Ability to work within applicable aerospace and defense regulatory, quality, customer, security, and export-control requirements.
What Will Put You Ahead
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent formal project management training.
• Experience applying structured project management practices to manage project scope, schedule, cost, risk, resources, and change throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Experience with formal product-development Phase & Phase Review systems, Design for Manufacturability and Assembly (DFM/DFA), Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), or Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)
• Experience with Glovia or similar ERP/MRP systems and project portfolio, scheduling, requirements, or product lifecycle management tools.
• Background in product design using Creo or 3D modeling of electromechanical components, manufacturing processes, drawings, specifications, bills of material, tooling, and configuration control.
• Experience planning and executing design verification, environmental or product qualification, process validation, and production-readiness activities.
• Demonstrated success launching products that met schedule, cost, quality, performance, and customer expectations.
• Working knowledge of aerospace and defense standards and requirements, such as AS9100, AS9145, ITAR, FAR/DFARS, and customer flow-downs.
At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.
Hiring Philosophy
All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here.
Who We Are
Aerospace & Defense Solutions (ADS)
Molex's Aerospace & Defense Solutions (ADS) Division delivers mission-critical connectivity, signal technologies, and electronic solutions designed for the most demanding environments. Drawing on decades of engineering excellence and innovation, we support aerospace, defense, space, and other high-reliability markets where performance is essential and failure is not an option.
From enabling next-generation communications and data transfer to providing rugged interconnect and electronic solutions for mission-critical systems, our technologies help customers advance capabilities across air, land, sea, and space. At ADS, we combine deep technical expertise, operational excellence, and a culture of principled entrepreneurship to create value for our customers, communities, and one another.
Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense through innovation, reliability, and purpose-driven solutions.
At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.
Our Benefits
Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.
Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.
Equal Opportunities
Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please click here for additional information. (For Illinois E-Verify information click here, aquí, or tu).
In order to comply with U.S. export control laws and regulations, this position requires applicants to either provide proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status or be eligible to receive an export authorization (a license) under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and/or the Export Administration Regulations.