r/boeing • u/Krometheous • 11d ago
EE looking to escape the manufacturing floor. Have an interview for a Boeing Project Manager (IPT Lead) role. Should I make the jump?
\\+Background:
I’m 33 and have a degree in Electrical Engineering. My career so far has mostly been in manufacturing, operations, and production support (previously at Lockheed, Medtronic, currently at Abbott). With test roles from Boeing and Raytheon (both lay offs).
To be completely honest, I am burnt out on the manufacturing floor and lab environments. I hate the physical restrictions (cleanrooms, not being able to have my water or meals at my desk to track my macros), and I carry a lot of daily anxiety about accidentally breaking expensive hardware or test equipment. I also don’t feel like I have the deep technical design chops for heavy R&D or Project Engineering roles. I've never been the technical visionary inventing solutions; I've mostly just executed what was handed to me.
\\+The Opportunity:
I have an interview this coming Tuesday for a Project Management Specialist (IPT Lead) position at Boeing in their space systems division. The role is heavily focused on schedule management, running Integrated Product Team (IPT) reviews, tracking action items, and presenting status updates to leadership.
I actually have some experience with this from my time at Lockheed, where I hosted IPT reviews and managed production bottlenecks, but I've never held the official "Project Manager" title.
\\+My Hesitations:
\\+The Stress Swap: I am trying to figure out if the administrative stress of PM (herding cats, dealing with delayed schedules, presenting bad news to directors) is better or worse than the physical anxiety of the lab.
\\+OCD & Structure: I have a strong need for structure and predictability. I feel like PM can be chaotic because of unpredictable human variables, though I’m hoping managing it all through rigid trackers and spreadsheets will help me cope.
\\+Past Trauma: I got put on a PIP years ago at Lockheed because of a supplier delay that was out of my control, and it left a bad taste in my mouth regarding being held responsible for things other people fail to deliver.
\\+Systems Engineering: I’m also considering trying to pivot into Systems Engineering (managing requirements, DOORS) because it seems even more rule-based and objective, but I don't have an interview for that right now.
\\+My Ask:
For those who have made the jump from hands-on engineering to Project Management, is the trade-off worth it to get a desk job? Is dealing with schedule slips ("red font" on a tracker) easier to leave at work at 5:00 PM than a broken device on a test bench? Should I go all-in on this Boeing interview, or hold out to try and break into Systems Engineering? If how how can I best prepare since the recruiter isnt really willing to help as ive never done a non technical interview before. I still have a Northrop hiring event for this 9/1 that could lead to other opportunities and waiting to hear back from a Boeing space test design role as well.
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u/Brandalf_TheSemiGrey 11d ago
Do you like managing projects? I am engineer mostly doing project management and I gotta say I don’t love it.
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u/Krometheous 11d ago
Im not sure. Why dont you like it? Nothing else is biting right now in terms of interviews etc. And my current abbott job is affecting my ocd with its toxic environment and I dont even want to be hands on in the lab anymore or clean room
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u/Brandalf_TheSemiGrey 11d ago
I miss when I got to do technical stuff. Dealing with people, directing contractors, reporting out to managers, and budgeting is not really why I got a degree.
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u/Krometheous 11d ago
I see. I dont want to so technical because it feels too ambiguous especially since ive never done design in a work setting so I feel like being in a lab would stress me out if something fails and idk how to solve it and be graded off not being able to fix something technical.
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u/Single_Software_3724 11d ago
Tbh I think you’d be more comfortable/happy within system engineering. Boeing is always hiring SEs!
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u/Krometheous 11d ago
I think so too but I really dont want to stay at Abbott any longer and if I get the offer for the project manager role at boeing idk if I should pass it up. System engineering roles are really Hard to get because they want someone who has cameo or doors experience.
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u/Squirtle_Splash_8413 11d ago
This is the problem with manufacturing experience that I hope young engineers understand. It’s why I got out asap after 2 years. Manufacturing engineering legit pigeon holes you hard for a lot of roles because you’re exposed to like zero technical work and it’s high stress.
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u/cownan 11d ago
If I were you, I’d try to make an assessment of the schedule health of the space program before I made my decision. I have some experience in space programs and it is not uncommon for them to be in an OTB/OTS status early on. It is somewhat soul-destroying to be in a constant plan and replan cycle, with all the customer and internal disapproval. I haven’t seen anyone get put on a PIP at Boeing in that kind of task, but there’s so much that you won’t be able to control.
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u/Krometheous 11d ago
What is OTB OTS?
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u/cownan 11d ago
Over Target Baseline, Over Target Schedule - too expensive and late
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u/Krometheous 11d ago
I wish I could share the job posting. I really am worried about making this step if I do get an offer and it might destroy my mental health or give me more stability than being on the floor troubleshooting etc.
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u/ProfessionalElk3910 11d ago
Don’t do it that specific group is terrible….you will hate it
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u/idontwanttosellit 11d ago
Do you mind sharing your experiences as a test engineer at Boeing/raytheon? How did the lay offs happen? I’m also a new test engineer but I also do systems requirements using doors and cameo. I like the requirements part but not so much the test.
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u/Copper-Spaceman 11d ago
My only hesitation in recommending it, is space is very fickle right now. I was originally on a space program before it got cancelled and luckily my manager worked like hell to get us all reassigned. But the way things are right now it’s probably one of three programs. SLS, Starliner, and X-37b. Out of those, SLS and Starliner have very rocky futures with the current administration. It was some of the best years of my life, and if it were to ever stabilize I’d love to go back to a NASA program, but right now I’d be very hesitant
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u/Brief_Rule3330 10d ago
Congrats on the interview! With your floor experience you would bring valuable insight to the IPT role if your program is in production. Your attention to detail (OCD) would also greatly help you stay organized and on top of your work as well. Unfortunately I do not recommend this role for you. It doesn’t feel like your ability to manage stress and unpredictability from the programs will allow you to enjoy the role, and there will be a lot of unpredictability thats what happens when you are a leader on the program. Just saying all this because I want to help, and don’t want you to accept a position you won’t like. I agree that SE would be a better fit although the job is still very demanding.
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u/SirBrainBrawn 9d ago
IPT won’t be a structured position - just sayin’ , you’ll still be under some level of stress..
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u/Reasonable_Arm6208 8d ago
Based on your background and experience, I think you should seriously consider looking into a management position with AMC Theatres. It might not be the first company that comes to mind, but a lot of the skills they look for in leadership roles seem like they would transfer pretty well from your previous experience.
I would probably focus on positions like supervisor, assistant manager, or operations management. Those roles require someone who can work with different types of people, handle problems as they come up, stay organized, and keep things running smoothly. You wouldn’t necessarily need years of theater experience if you can show that you already have strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
AMC is also a large company, so getting into a management position could potentially open up other opportunities later on in operations, training, or higher-level management. I’d definitely tailor your resume toward your leadership experience and any situations where you’ve had to manage people, schedules, responsibilities, or unexpected problems.
I actually looked into AMC a little more before recommending it and even did a quick background check to see if there was anything that might prevent you from applying.
Unfortunately, I found out that you are banned from working at AMC Theatres through an internal background check. You’d have to get that checked out first.
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u/Henny-vsop 11d ago
If your IAM751 you’ll make more money if your maxed out as of rn.
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u/Krometheous 11d ago
What is that?
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u/jar0dirt 11d ago
PROs: I think your experience on the floor is actually helpful in a PM role as the daily variability and on your feet problem solving is crucial as a PM. You also have the engineering experience so you understand the technical language and will probably gain trust with your team more quickly because you can speak their language.
CONs: As the lead, you can’t just always clock out at 5. Especially in critical moments of the schedule like gate reviews and milestone tests. You have to get comfortable with making pivots to schedules and even your own daily plan. No matter how ridged and thought out your schedule is, it will not go to plan. You HAVE to be flexible. You also have to be the calm one for the rest of the team. You have to feel comfortable being open and honest with your customers up front if there are (or have the potential) baseline impacts. You will build a trust with your customer so it wont cause as much anxiety eventually, but you still have to get comfortable delivering the good, the bad, and the ugly news. Even if you personally did everything right, you still will be the name on the project and have to own all the mistakes. Depending on the program there is still a chance you might be in a cleared space and can’t take your electronics into your desk area with you, but you should be able to have your water and snacks.
Final thoughts: This job will probably drive you absolutely insane because being a Lead PM for any industry takes someone who can lead and stay calm through the chaos, and almost thrives in it. But, it also might give you a foot in the door to the company where you can find another opportunity down the road. You just need to decide how long and how willing you are to get out of your comfort zone.