WHAT DOES AN ENGINEERING PROJECT MANAGER DO?

Published: Jan 15, 2025 - The Engineering Project Manager manages changes in project scope, cost, and schedule while tracking performance using the appropriate tools. Ensures accurate documentation, quality assurance, and compliance adherence, while building strong relationships with stakeholders and clients. Supports sales proposals, manages cross-divisional work scope, and provides opportunities for skill development and career progression.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Engineering Project Manager

1. Engineering Project Manager Duties

  • Change Management: Manage change order process and risk management needs across a diverse FDA-regulated product line.
  • Team Coordination: Organize and manage cross-functional team meetings across international and domestic sites to exchange information, identify risks and track progress.
  • Scope Definition: Define the scope of work for each new project along with tasks, ROI calculations, responsibilities, and completion dates for key project milestones.
  • Project Tracking: Track projects to successful completion.
  • Barrier Identification: Identify barriers to success with recommendations for action plans and elevate to senior management.
  • Resource Management: Interface with department managers to ensure resources are allocated to meet objectives.
  • Status Maintenance: Maintain and routinely update project status and results and report results.
  • Information Facilitation: Facilitate the exchange of information and lead team meetings with internal and external customers to resolve complex systemic or technological challenges.
  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Collaborates across various cross-functional groups to successfully implement project deliverables.
  • Continuous Improvement: Conduct lessons learned and project close-out assessments to support continuous improvement.
  • Stakeholder Coordination: Coordinate stakeholders (engineers, clients, partners, teams) across offices and time zones.
  • Project Driving: Drive requirements definition, project schedules, resource allocation, scoping, task tracking, risk management, integration testing, manufacturing oversight, and release planning.
  • Meeting Management: Run meetings where many of the topics are very technical and be able to summarize key points and actions.
  • Risk Escalation: Identify and escalate program risks.
  • Process Improvement: Identify and implement strategic process improvements in the best interest of customers.

2. Engineering Project Manager Details

  • Project Execution: Deliver full execution project by requirements, budget, timescales, and quality
  • Department Engagement: Engage with Engineering and other departments to ensure the forecasted resources required for the assigned scope are well-communicated and planned
  • Staff Coordination: Work with Engineering, Procurement, Planning, Administration, Documentation Control, Assembly, Shipping, and other functions to ensure adequate staffing to meet project criteria
  • Leadership: Provide leadership to the project team members and promote teamwork
  • Vendor Coordination: Coordinate third parties/vendors if required for the execution of the project
  • Sales Collaboration: Participate in Handover from Sales meetings to ensure project requirements and previous customer commitments are understood
  • Scope Definition: Define project scope and objectives by involving all relevant stakeholders
  • Meeting Organization: Organize kick-off meetings and project status meetings
  • Project Planning: Develop a detailed project plan to track progress
  • Risk Management: Perform risk management to minimize project risk and identify opportunities
  • Problem-Solving Support: Support/initiate the facilitation of problem-solving
  • Sustainability Leadership: Lead the delivery of innovative and sustainable solutions for the provision of clean water and sewage disposal, vital to meet the ever-growing demands of development, population growth, and climate change
  • Project Coordination: Coordinate project teams and manage all aspects of projects, from business management systems compliance and technical quality assurance to program, cost control, and client interface
  • Technical Mentorship: Represent the company in meetings and use pipelines and pumping station design knowledge to mentor and supervise the technical work of more junior staff

3. Engineering Project Manager Responsibilities

  • Change Management: Identify, track and manage changes in project scope, cost, and schedule
  • Stakeholder Management: Manage the relationship with internal and external customers and all stakeholders
  • Performance Measurement: Measure project performance using appropriate systems, tools, and techniques
  • Stakeholder Reporting: Present to stakeholders reports on progress as well as problems and solutions
  • Issue Escalation: Report and escalate to management
  • Data Accuracy: Ensure business system information is accurate and up to date
  • Documentation: Create and maintain comprehensive project documentation
  • Quality Assurance: Ensure quality of work according to procedures and standards
  • PMO Methodology: Apply Project Management Office (PMO) project execution methodology to all projects
  • Compliance Adherence: Comply with the Emerson Ethical and trade compliance policies
  • Sales Support: Engage with the project sales function to support proposal generation, cost estimates, and customer sales meetings
  • Scope Management: Manage cross-divisional work scope, within Emerson business units
  • Relationship Building: Work alongside experienced technical specialists and in close partnership with clients and contractors, building strong relationships that will enhance the company’s reputation and help secure further work
  • Skill Development: Present with a fantastic opportunity to further develop both technical and management skills through project work, with great prospects for career progression as the business continues to grow

4. Engineering Project Manager - Strategic Data Solutions Accountabilities

  • Operational Support: Support operations managing business-critical metrics by partnering closely with data scientists
  • Analytical Detailing: Get into the details on analytical projects and critical metrics
  • Work Prioritization: Help data scientists prioritize work in alignment with urgent operational responses as well as long-term roadmap vision to balance impact, cost, resourcing, timeline, and risk
  • Partnership Building: Build partnerships with key business and engineering leaders across multiple teams
  • Process Improvement: Continually identify and drive opportunities for process improvement
  • Innovation Guidance: Guides brainstorming and innovation, keep partners informed
  • Project Management: Drives intra- and cross-team projects from inception through release and monitoring
  • Independent Working: Work under limited supervision, use good judgment and know when to seek guidance

5. Engineering Project Manager Functions

  • Scope Definition: Assist in the definition of the business case, objectives, requirements, and project scope, involving all relevant stakeholders and ensuring technical feasibility
  • Specification Development: Develop project specifications (technical, functional, cost, time, scope) based on stakeholder requirements
  • Project Planning: Develop a detailed project plan to monitor and track progress according to the “Product Development” process
  • Resource Management: Ensure resource availability and allocation
  • Project Delivery: Ensure that all projects are delivered on time, within the scope, and within budget
  • Change Management: Manage changes to the project scope, project schedule, and project costs using change requests
  • Meeting Management: Convene and manage project meetings as required by the project
  • Team Coordination: Coordinate the activities of multidisciplinary members of the project team (sales, marketing, engineering, product care, production, purchasing)
  • Performance Measurement: Measure and monitor project performance using appropriate tools and techniques
  • Risk Management: Perform risk management to minimize project risks
  • Milestone Management: Manage project milestones accordingly
  • Documentation Management: Create and maintain comprehensive project documentation per the requirements of the client's development process
  • Stakeholder Management: Successfully manage the relationship with all stakeholders (internal and external) and the project team
  • Communication: Effectively communicate project status to stakeholders and team members
  • Issue Escalation: Report and escalate to management
  • Goal Communication: Clearly communicate project goals and team member responsibilities
  • Team Motivation: Motivate and obtain the commitment of all project team members
  • Conflict Resolution: Facilitate resolution of conflicts and disagreements

6. Engineering Project Manager Job Description

  • System Oversight: Oversee Engineering Document System (“EDS”) build and maintenance by ensuring that all requirements are fulfilled with the prevention of scope creep while integrating the Engineering databases that will centralize input and search methods.
  • Report Generation: Create and complete reports using data analytics that can be presented to multiple stakeholders internally and externally.
  • Inventory Planning: Complete Inventory planning for company objectives & current performance levels
  • Inventory Management: Inventory controls improving for machine and asset tracking that are continuous.
  • Solution Development: Build business solutions and data models that enhance the engineering department’s performance and/or generate revenue for the dealers by reducing man-hours and improving IT functionality.
  • Performance Analysis: Assist the Engineering Manager/Director in developing and analyzing current performance in relation to ER’s data search functions and data entry improvements, and dollars specific to Division, state, county and dealer levels.
  • Technical Training: Provides Technical Training for the engineers on data analysis and data entry to ensure the effective use of resources.
  • Feedback Provision: Provide feedback, praise, and criticism
  • Decision Support: Help team members in decision-making and provide decisions
  • Design Guidance: Guide and provide input into mechanical/electrical design
  • Design Creation: Create designs and necessary documentation including calculations
  • Prototype Construction: Organize the construction of functional models and prototypes
  • Experiment Supervision: Organize and supervise experiments and measurements on functional models and prototypes
  • Specialist Coordination: Coordinate the involvement of specialists in mechanical design, manufacturing, electrical engineering/electronics design

7. Engineering Project Manager Overview

  • Scope Facilitation: Facilitate the definition of project scopes and deliverables
  • Milestone Development: Develop and monitor project milestones/schedules
  • Risk Mitigation: Detect and mitigate risks to projects
  • Team Coordination: Coordinate activities and resolve problems for the project team
  • Deliverable Tracking: Track project deliverables and provide support
  • Change Management: Implement and manage project changes and interventions to achieve project objectives
  • Supplier Management: Manage supplier software and integration with Navistar production development
  • Requirement Collection: Collect technical customer requirements, specifications, and associated documents for supplier software development
  • Content Management: Manage supplier software content and timing
  • Document Review: Review system, component, and device requirements documents
  • Quality Support: Support DFMEA and DVP&R creation and review of supplier modules and support supplier quality APQP deliverables
  • Use Case Development: Develop use cases by collaborating with suppliers for in-house supplier software testing
  • Problem Solving: Support issue resolutions using rigorous problem-solving practices
  • Team Performance: Perform in a team environment and collaborative atmosphere
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with functional, program, and platform teams
  • Peer Review Participation: Actively participate in internal and external peer reviews to foster continuous improvement of both the products and the development process
  • Software Approval Coordination: Coordinate supplier software deliverables approval

8. Engineering Project Manager Details and Accountabilities

  • Plan Development: Develop project plans that deliver the required solution to the customer on time and within budget, and meet all system guarantees.
  • Scope Clarity: Ensure that all project team members clearly understand the project scope, as well as time and cost constraints.
  • Customer Liaison: Be the primary customer contact person on projects.
  • Communication Establishment: Establish clear lines of communication, responsibility, and accountability internally and to the customer.
  • Deliverable Management: Manage all project deliverables, documentation, and customer expectations.
  • Information Delivery: Ensure the timely delivery of information to the customer and vendors.
  • Cash Flow Maintenance: Maintain positive cash flow throughout the cycle of the project.
  • Risk Management: Identify and mitigate project risk and manage project changes.
  • Project Review: Continually review project implementation and recommend changes.
  • On-site Support: Support customers or employees on-site during the life cycle of a project.
  • Hazard Identification: Identify, work with, and have knowledge of various hazardous conditions common to an industrial environment.
  • Safety Compliance: Be sure that the project team is aware and in compliance with JCS safety procedures.
  • Customer Study: Conduct preliminary studies of customer requirements
  • Objective Definition: Define the goals and objectives of each project including customer expectations
  • Work Breakdown: Develop project plans and work breakdown structures
  • Resource Planning: Determine all resource requirements
  • Scheduling: Schedule internally and for customer

9. Engineering Project Manager Tasks

  • Task Assignment: Assign project tasks and responsibilities
  • Role Definition: Define project team member roles, responsibilities, and expectations
  • Technological Planning: Work with technical leaders to determine the technological approach
  • Status Review: Prepare regular project status reviews of actual vs. planned with updates to forecast and completion
  • Change Management: Follow acceptable project change management procedures
  • Project Reviews: Conduct regular project review meetings internally and with the customer
  • Action Planning: Take appropriate actions to deal with variances in the project plan
  • Design Reviews: Schedule and conduct design review meetings internally and with the customer
  • Quality Assurance: Ensure quality through standard acceptance testing procedures
  • Methodology Compliance: Work with all disciplines to make sure project methodology is followed
  • Sales Collaboration: Work with the Sales Department to identify opportunities and/or follow up on leads or issues
  • Accounting Support: Work with the Accounting Department to resolve any accounts payable or receivables issues
  • Failure Analysis: Assist with the evaluation of component failures
  • Professional Communication: Maintain professional communications and behaviors when interacting with customers and other team members
  • Training Planning: Plan JCS individual training, including OSHA training

10. Engineering Project Manager Roles

  • Team Leadership: Leading a multi-disciplinary engineering team to support development and production activities for the submarine communications business area
  • Technical Presentation: Present technical concepts regarding product design and performance
  • Program Oversight: Lead project and program oversight activities for engineering
  • Progress Reporting: Regularly report status to the Chief Engineering organization, including Earned Value Management (EVM) and Estimate to Complete (ETC) activities
  • Communication Maintenance: Maintain communications with program management regarding project progress and roadblocks
  • Staffing Management: Actively manage program engineering staffing plans and coordinate priorities with engineering management
  • Design Insight: Provide insight into design and manufacturing-related matters
  • Material Monitoring: Monitor and prioritize critical lead material
  • BOM Management: Manage bills of material (BOM) within LM’s Enterprise Product Data Management (EPDM) system
  • Estimate Creation: Create a Basis of Estimates (BOE) for bids and proposals
  • Lifecycle Support: Support product lifecycle management from concept through installation
  • Mentoring Support: Support mentoring and engineering staff development
  • Design Analysis: Perform engineering design/analysis activity as required for the program
  • Project Coordination: Coordinate and monitor engineering projects from initiation through delivery
  • Data Gathering: Gather required data from end-users to evaluate objectives, goals, and scope to create technical specifications
  • Interdepartmental Facilitation: Facilitate collaboration between departments to ensure that all targets and requirements are met
  • Project Completion: Ensure engineering projects are completed on schedule and within budget
  • Project Management: Perform all project management-related tasks for the Global Platform development team
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