Job Description
Job Description
Position: Project Engineer
Location: West Palm Beach, FL Area
About the Role
Smart Structures is seeking a Project Engineer to oversee the development, quality assurance, and field deployment of embedded monitoring solutions used to track the structural health of concrete piles, bridges, high-rise buildings, dams, and other critical infrastructure. This role blends hands-on product troubleshooting, vendor and supply chain management, IT/workstation operations, and field installation support — serving as the operational backbone between engineering, manufacturing, vendors, and customers.
Key Responsibilities
Product Development & Process Improvement
- Develop and implement new wireless concrete Embedded Data Collection (EDC) solutions for structural monitoring applications.
- Screen and troubleshoot defective products, components, and processes.
- Apply Poka-Yoke (error-proofing) methods and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles to streamline and improve assembly processes.
Product & Board Assembly
- Oversee assembly of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and embedded sensor units, ensuring adherence to build specifications and quality standards.
- Perform and support hands-on board-level assembly, rework, and testing to identify and correct defects prior to deployment.
- Develop and maintain assembly work instructions, build documentation, and quality checklists.
- Partner with engineering to translate product design changes into updated assembly procedures.
Vendor & Supply Chain Management
- Identify and resolve vendor quality issues by initiating and tracking corrective actions.
- Maintain and update product part drawings.
- Establish and manage a barcode-based inventory system.
- Negotiate supplier pricing and lead first-article evaluation and approval processes.
Field Installation & Technical Support
- Coordinate and participate in field installations, including unit preparation, radio connectivity troubleshooting, software debugging, and gauge installation into concrete structures.
- Serve as the technical point of contact for on-site installation issues.
Team & Administrative Leadership
- Manage direct reports, including performance reviews, timecard approval, daily activity tracking, and expense management.
Requirements
Required
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related field (MBA a plus).
- 5+ years of experience in operations, product development, or field engineering, ideally within structural monitoring, IoT/sensor hardware, or related industries.
- Hands-on experience with embedded systems, wireless data collection, or sensor/monitoring hardware.
- Familiarity with Poka-Yoke, DFA, and lean manufacturing/process improvement principles.
- Experience managing vendor relationships, including corrective action processes and pricing negotiations.
- Working knowledge of PCB/board-level assembly, rework, and testing processes.
- Willingness to travel for field installations, including work at active construction/infrastructure sites.
Preferred
- Experience with barcode inventory systems or similar asset tracking tools.
- Prior people-management experience (direct reports, timecards, performance reviews).
- Background in civil/structural engineering environments (bridges, high-rises, dams, concrete infrastructure).