Senior Project Engineer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Attalon, Inc.

Attalon is a leading technology partner to the global aerospace and defense industry, specializing in the physics of light and heat. With over 500 employees in the U.S., Attalon engineers critical optical, laser, and coating technologies that enable systems to see farther, target faster, and survive the harshest environments. From high-energy directed laser systems to satellite optics and hypersonic thermal protection, Attalon equips the warfighter with the advantage of precision.

Attalon, located in Northeast Philadelphia, specializes in the manufacture of precision patterned optics, calibration grids, reticles, and specialty patterned products for the commercial and defense markets. The Philadelphia site is located in close proximity to major highways and transportation hubs, providing easy access to the surrounding Bucks County and Center City Philadelphia areas. The Greater Philadelphia area is a dynamic economic hub that combines world-class healthcare, education, and industrial sectors with rich cultural heritage and diverse communities, making it an ideal region for both career advancement and quality living.

Job Details

As a Senior Project Engineer, you will lead technical teams and coordinate engineering activities for the design, development, qualification, and implementation of new products, equipment, and manufacturing processes. This experienced professional role requires the ability to resolve a wide range of technical and manufacturing issues, provide sound judgment across complex project situations, and lead projects of diverse scope from concept through production. The Senior Project Engineer supports program management, operations, quality, manufacturing engineering, and business development teams by ensuring products meet customer specifications, are manufacturable, and are executed in alignment with program cost, schedule, and technical objectives.

This position will support aerospace and defense programs. The successful candidate will provide technical guidance on assigned projects, support acceptance and qualification testing, troubleshoot production and yield issues, participate in configuration and change control activities, provide mechanical designs and drawings of parts, assemblies, and systems, and contribute to customer technical meetings and proposal development.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead technical teams and coordinate engineering activities for design, development, qualification, and implementation of new products and manufacturing processes.
• Serve as a technical lead on projects of diverse scope, using experience and judgment to resolve a wide range of engineering, manufacturing, and program execution issues.
• Ensure product designs meet customer specifications, technical requirements, manufacturability expectations, and internal process capabilities.
• Develop and maintain design documentation, test procedures, Bills of Materials, manufacturing work instructions, process routers, drawings, and related configuration-controlled documentation.
• Support program management with technical advice, financial estimates, schedule inputs, risk identification, and status updates on assigned programs.
• Review customer drawings and requirements during quotation and proposal activities; identify technical risks, exceptions, development needs, and conceptual manufacturing plans.
• Develop qualification and acceptance test procedures, coordinate testing activities, analyze results, and document compliance to customer requirements.
• Troubleshoot product quality, production yield, and fabrication issues; lead root-cause analysis and corrective action efforts with manufacturing engineering, quality engineering, and operations.
• Support business development through participation in technical meetings, presentations, and technical proposal preparation.
• Participate in configuration control, change control, MRB, ECO, NOR, RCN, and related program support activities.
• Serve as a process/design owner for assigned internally developed equipment and products, ensuring process changes are documented, communicated, and successfully implemented in production.
• Provide guidance, coaching, and training to project engineers, operators, technicians, and cross-functional team members as needed.
• Promote safe, compliant, and effective manufacturing practices consistent with company policies and regulatory guidelines.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical discipline; materials science, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering
• Minimum of 7 years of project engineering experience supporting aerospace and/or defense customers.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical projects, coordinate cross-functional teams, and resolve broad engineering and manufacturing issues with limited supervision.
• Strong verbal and written technical communication skills, including the ability to lead internal and customer-facing technical presentations.
• Ability to read and interpret customer drawings, GD&T, specifications, process documentation, and technical requirements.
• Experience preparing and maintaining drawings, procedures, process routers, Bills of Materials, test documentation, and configuration-controlled records.
• Strong analytical, fault-isolation, root-cause analysis, and problem-solving skills; DOE/SOE experience strongly desired.
• Working knowledge of production flow, manufacturing planning, process design, development, and project planning.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and related business tools.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, reliability, customer focus, teamwork, and results orientation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with motion controls systems and their design for automation.
• Experience with ceramics manufacturing, additive manufacturing, or other advanced and emergent manufacturing techniques.
• Solid modeling (CAD) experience, with SolidWorks experience a plus. FEA experience is also a plus.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Attalon, Inc. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Export Control Compliance

This role involves access to technology, materials, software, or hardware subject to U.S. export control laws. Therefore, to be considered, candidates must be classified as a “U.S. Person” under applicable regulations or be eligible for authorization under a U.S. government export license.