Hybrid New Product Development (NPD) Project Manager chez McFarlane Aviation

McFarlane is a rapidly growing 50+ years old aviation firm that focuses on the design and manufacture of high-quality aircraft parts within the general aviation and commercial marketplace.  We believe in providing better parts with superior “old-school” customer service. When you join the McFarlane team, you’ll join a dedicated group of colleagues passionate about aviation, community, and the McFarlane way. 

Position Summary: 

The New Product Development (NPD) Project Manager is a highly organized and driven engineering professional with experience in the aviation industry, specifically with FAA-PMA (Parts Manufacturer Approval) components. The NPD Project Manager will influence cross-functional teams—spanning design engineering, supply chain, quality assurance, operations, and regulatory compliance—to bring new aviation products from concept through certification, launch, and full lifecycle management. This role ensures seamless collaboration, risk mitigation, and timeline adherence for all phases of development.

Primary duties, tasks and responsibilities:

• Coordinates new product development (NPD) projects for FAA-PMA components from concept through product launch and lifecycle support. 
• Reports on all statuses on NPD projects throughout the lifecycle to team and leadership. 
• Serves as the central point of contact between internal teams (engineering, supply chain, quality, operations, and regulatory) and external stakeholders.
• Coordinates with Design Engineering to ensure product concepts meet performance, manufacturability, cost, and certification requirements.
• Guide teams through FAA-PMA certification processes, including conformity inspections, DER/DAR coordination, and FAA documentation.
• Develops and maintains detailed project plans including milestones, budgets, risk assessments, and resource allocation.
• Ensures cross-functional alignment across all departments and resolve conflicts or roadblocks that may affect project scope, cost, or schedule.
• Monitors and reports on project progress to senior management and stakeholders; provides accurate forecasting and recovery plans as needed.
• Supports design transfer to manufacturing and ensures operational readiness for production scale-up.
• Maintains compliance with aviation regulatory requirements, internal quality systems, and PMA-specific documentation practices.
• Oversees the product lifecycle including post-launch support, engineering changes, and end-of-life management.
• Other duties and projects assigned by engineering leadership. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Project Management, or related technical discipline; PMP certification is a plus.
• Minimum of 3 years' experience in project management within the aviation or aerospace industry
• At least 3 years working with FAA-PMA parts preferred.
• Strong knowledge of FAA regulatory processes, certification, and airworthiness compliance.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams including engineering, supply chain, quality, and manufacturing.
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects through structured phase-gate or stage-gate development processes.
• Strong communication, leadership, and organizational skills.
• Proficient in project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Jira, Asana,) and collaboration platforms. ClickUp experience is a bonus. 
• Experience with MRO or aftermarket aviation parts preferred. 
• Technical understanding of mechanical systems, materials, and product validation testing a plus. 

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to handle or feel and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close and distance vision. Office-based with occasional shop floor interaction and site visits.

Why McFarlane Aviation? 

McFarlane has a strong culture anchored by our legacy and values. This creates an environment of teamwork, excellence, and continuous improvement. Employees and their families enjoy great benefits including health/dental/vision/401k and PTO, among many other perks. 

 McFarlane is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative environment with the best employees– so we welcome applications from everyone, to celebrate a diverse mix of experiences, backgrounds, and identities. Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to your application, in order that we can accommodate and support you in the recruitment process. If you want to work for a company where you are valued and respected, we’d love to hear from you.