Project Manager - Montreal, QC
Company Description
Xiphos Systems Corporation, founded in 1996, is a vibrant and energetic company in the heart of Montreal’s Plateau area. For over 20 years, we have pushed the envelope of what is possible in NewSpace and secured the trust of various space agencies and space companies around the world. The industry has adopted our design approach and, as a result, we have been experiencing several years of rapid, steady growth and the trend is continuing!
Our vision is to migrate terrestrial computing and network communication techniques into space environments. The company’s expertise in networked processors has evolved into a line of high-performance, fault-tolerant flight control and sensor processing hardware and software solutions in wide and varied advanced space applications.
Xiphos’ primary markets are small satellites, space station applications, as well as lunar landers, rovers, and robotics. We have delivered our standard and custom products all over the world and have been essential to many successful space missions. With low power consumption, high processing power, enhanced flexibility, excellent robustness, and proven functions available off-the-shelf, our Q-cards are increasingly the preferred solution in the fast-growing field of NewSpace.
Role Description
Reporting to the Director, Project Management Office, the Project Manager provides the vision for multiple simultaneous projects. They anticipate and overcome obstacles, discern between the critical and non-critical, guide the team, focus the suppliers, and maintain relationships of collaboration and trust with customers, both internal and external. Our team is world-class, but space is hard; their role is to ensure success in this challenging context.
They play a key leadership role for projects such as:
- Quantum key encryption processing
- Payload processing for specialized cameras
- Software-Defined Radios (SDR)
- On-Board Computers (flight controls)
- Lunar lander robotic arm controllers
- Lunar rover radio controllers
- Innovative new Xiphos products (Q-cards, IP Cores, etc.)
Across these projects, Xiphos develops hardware, FPGA logic, and software to deliver either a turnkey
solution or a subsystem on which customers host their unique applications.
Main Responsibilities
- Lead multidisciplinary development teams to meet technical, schedule, and cost requirements;
the majority of projects are fixed-price. - Develop and maintain product roadmaps for Xiphos’ products, ensuring alignment between the product manager, chief engineer, and internal development capabilities.
- Identify and manage risks and opportunities, including prioritization, mitigation strategies, escalation, and resolution.
- Negotiate and align with customers on project requirements and deliverables, and maintain strong engagement through regular technical and progress meetings.
- Maintain close control of project execution through reviews, design checkpoints, team meetings, and other governance activities.
- Establish and maintain a capable network of subcontractors and suppliers.
- Demonstrate leadership across the organization, promoting shared core values.
- Contribute to scaling Xiphos’ project execution capability as the company grows rapidly to meet market demand.
Desireable Knowledge Areas
- Digital electronics, embedded software, and FPGA-based or mission-critical embedded systems development, including experience relevant to space systems or aerospace programs.
- High-reliability development practices and standards such as ECSS, NASA standards, and Quality Management Systems like AS9100.
- Manufacturing, assembly, integration, and environmental testing for space or aerospace hardware, including qualification and acceptance processes.
- RF and communication systems, including SDR architectures, communication protocols, and system-level integration considerations.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, electrical, software, computer engineering, or another relevant discipline
- Minimum 2 years of project management experience, including leading multidisciplinary teams
- 7 years of experience in development projects for mission-critical applications (technical or
project management roles) - Experience across all phases of the project life cycle: planning, execution, design, development, manufacturing, assembly, integration, and test
- Ability to obtain Canadian government security clearance (essential)
- Bilingual in French and English
- Strong knowledge of project management best practices and tools such as MS Project, risk management methods, and subcontract management
- Experience with government space agency programs is desirable