Engineering Project Manager

Join a manufacturing leader with over 50 years of excellence, where every role contributes to building reliable transportation solutions that people depend on everyday across the United States and Canada. At ENC, we prioritize safety, quality, innovation, collaboration, and continuous growth – creating vehicles our teams can take pride in.

Founded in 1975, ENC (El. Dorado National – California) is a leading U.S. transportation manufacturer specializing in design, engineering, and end-to-end production of heavy-duty buses, shuttles, and cargo vehicles through a custom-build, mixed-model assembly process. Each vehicle is produced in our purpose-built facility in Riverside, California supporting public agencies and private transportation providers nationwide.

We offer one of the industry’s widest portfolios of power options, including 100% battery-electric, diesel-electric hybrid, CNG, and clean diesel. ENC is committed to revitalizing American manufacturing through innovation, customer focus, and the delivery of high-quality vehicles that keep communities connected, supported, and moving forward.

Engineering Project Manager Location: Riverside, CA Pay/Salary Range: $151,000-$185,000 Position Summary We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Project Manager to manage the development of innovative commercial vehicle projects from concept to launch. This role requires a blend of strong technical acumen, exceptional leadership, and a deep understanding of automotive or heavy duty commercial vehicle design processes.

This position is responsible for overseeing the planning, tracking and implementation of vehicle engineering and equipment projects from proposal to delivery. Provides technical engineering leadership for the development of electric, CNG, diesel and hybrid propulsion technology used in the public transportation industry.

Key Responsibilities

This list of essential duties is not all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties, as management may deem necessary from time to time. The team member must be able to perform each essential job duty identified below satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties of this position unless doing so creates an undue hardship.

Develop an in-house, Best Practice, cross-functional, project management processes that incorporates Gates & Milestones. Manages the full project lifecycle for commercial vehicle design projects, including planning, execution, monitoring, and project closeout. Define project scope, Gantt charts, objectives, deliverables, and success metrics in collaboration with key stakeholders.

Develop and manage project timelines, budgets, and resource allocation plans, ensuring projects are delivered on time and within budget. Facilitate collaboration across engineering managers, design managers, marketing managers, and executives to meet cost, schedule, and quality goals. Ensure resource availability and allocation for technical engineering needs for product development and manufacturing.

Identify, assess, and mitigate risks, developing contingency plans to minimize potential impacts on project outcomes. Present on project status, progress, risks, and recommendations to senior management and stakeholders. Ensure compliance with industry standards, FMVSS regulatory requirements, and internal quality processes.

Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the project management and product development processes. Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in project management. Position Requirements Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline.

10+ years of project management experience in manufacturing environments, leading engineering and product delivery initiatives. A minimum of four (4) years of experience as a Product Manager or Project Manager in the vehicle manufacturing industry. Experience must include leading new vehicle product launches, managing product development and testing, driving on-time project delivery, defining project scope and deliverables, and overseeing project schedules, budgets, and execution from start to finish.

Proven ability to guide programs from concept through manufacturing release and commercial delivery while managing risks, milestones, dependencies, and competing priorities. Strong knowledge of engineering program management, product development, project management principles, manufacturing operations, and PMI-based project management practices.

Demonstrated success leading complex cross-functional initiatives independently with minimal supervision. Excellent analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail. Familiarity with regulatory requirements and quality management processes. Self-motivated and effective in fast-paced, ambiguous, and evolving environments.

Strong leadership skills, including tact, diplomacy, persuasion, team building, cooperation, motivation, and the ability to influence without authority. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with experience communicating and presenting to audiences ranging from engineering team members to senior leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in applying PMI-based project management methodologies and best practices. Experience managing commercial vehicle development and delivery programs. Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams and collaborating with OEM and supplier partners to deliver complex, high-option transit bus programs in a moderate-volume, configure-to-order manufacturing environment.

Working knowledge of ASANA, EPICOR, Solid. Works PDM. Knowledge of current trends and market developments within the commercial vehicle industry. Six Sigma certification (Green Belt, Black Belt, or equivalent) and demonstrated experience driving process improvement, operational excellence, and quality initiatives. Engineer-in-Training (EIT) and/or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification Work Environment This is an onsite position based in Riverside, CA and requires being onsite.

Benefits

Medical (including FSA & HSA), dental, vision, life and disability insurance, EAP, mental health, and wellness programs 401(k) with employer match Paid time off and twelve (12) paid holidays Employee referral program Career growth and development opportunities Career Growth at ENC We believe great careers and leaders are built from within.

Many of our team members have advanced into roles that lead or into specialized technical positions. We invest in hands-on training, skill development, and long-term career pathways within manufacturing operations. Equal Opportunity Employer El. Dorado National California Inc. (ENC) is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected class under applicable federal, state, and local laws.

We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued and respected. ENC takes affirmative action to employ and advance employment opportunities for minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities. We actively encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply and join our team.

ENC is also committed to ensuring that individuals with disabilities have equal access to opportunities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, please contact HR Department for assistance. In accordance with California's wage transparency law (Senate Bill 1162), we are committed to pay equity and transparency.

The salary range reflected on the job positing is our good faith estimate of what we expect to pay for this role at the time of posting. While we do not typically hire at the top of the salary range, initial offers are based on the candidate’s qualifications and experience, with opportunities for growth and increases over time.