General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc

Production Program Director-FQ-42

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc • $150K — $180K *
Poway, CA 92064In-Person
Aerospace & Defense
11 - 15 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree or higher in engineering, science, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
  • 15+ years of complex program administration experience including 9+ years in program management.
  • Extensive technical expertise in program management principles and practices.
  • Experience as the primary interface with Operations, translating customer needs into production plans.
  • Proven track record managing production costs, schedules, and performance baselines.
  • Experience transitioning from development to full-rate production and managing complexity.
  • Ability to coordinate procurement and material availability to maintain production flow.

Responsibilities

  • Leads major production programs from conceptualization to delivery, ensuring all objectives are met.
  • Develops program strategies and execution plans in alignment with customer and company goals.
  • Establishes and oversees design criteria and engineering efforts across various phases.
  • Collaborates with cross-functional teams on supply chain issues, ensuring quality and timely delivery.
  • Acts as the primary contact for customers and senior management, managing program communications.
  • Influences the preparation of proposals, budgets, and contract negotiations.
  • Identifies program risks and leads efficiency initiatives to address issues effectively.

Benefits

  • Opportunity for professional development and leadership enhancement.
  • Collaborative cross-functional work environment.
  • Involvement in cutting-edge technology and major production programs.
  • Potential for long-term career advancement and expansion into new business areas.
  • Possibility to work on multi-site or international production programs.
Full Job Description
Job Summary

This position is responsible for the planning, managing and technical performance of significant program to support new production. The Program Director is responsible for leading major production programs from start to finish, overseeing multiple developing products or components that are important to the company's future growth and strategic objectives. They coordinate the use of new technologies and methods to meet program requirements and typically manage through subordinate managers rather than directly supervising individual staff. The role involves making high-impact decisions, where errors could result in substantial time and resource expenditures.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Leads all phases of major production programs from contract award and conceptualization through completion and aircraft delivery, ensuring cost, schedule, quality, business, and financial objectives are achieved.
  • Develops and maintains overall program strategy, roadmap, and execution plans aligned with customer requirements and company objectives, including new program plans and delivery methods that may span multiple products and customers.
  • Manages the establishment of design concepts, criteria, and engineering efforts for research, development, testing, integration, and production.
  • Works with cross-functional teams and Supply Chain to ensure material availability, supplier quality, and on-time delivery, while monitoring and mitigating supply chain risks.
  • Serves as the primary customer and senior management contact for all program matters, leading formal program reviews and ensuring timely, accurate program reporting.
  • Directs and influences the preparation of proposals, business plans, work statements, operating budgets, and contract terms and conditions, including acquisitions, negotiations, and modifications.
  • Identifies and mitigates program risks, leads cost-reduction and efficiency initiatives, and resolves issues through resource reallocation or changes to scope or specifications.
  • Ensures technical leadership and excellence by attracting, developing, and retaining key management, professional, and technical talent.
  • Contributes to long-term Group and Company objectives by leading the development and expansion of new business opportunities, partnerships, and programs.
  • Directs the protection and security of proprietary technology and maintains strict confidentiality of sensitive information.
Clearance / Regulatory
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance, if required by program.
  • Ability to work within ITAR and other export control requirements.

Job Qualifications

  • Typically requires a bachelor's, master's, or PhD in engineering, science, or a related technical field, as well as fifteen or more years of progressively complex program administration experience, with at least nine of those years managing programs; may substitute equivalent experience in lieu of education.
  • Demonstrates detailed and extensive technical expertise and application of program management principles, concepts, and practices, including organizing, planning, scheduling, and coordinating complex production workloads to meet established deadlines and milestones.
  • Justified by the need for single-point leadership and accountability over all production execution activities, ensuring alignment between Program Management, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and Engineering.
  • Requires experience serving as the primary interface to Operations or equivalent functional organizations, translating contract and customer requirements into production plans, capacity and staffing needs, and executable build schedules.
  • Necessitates a proven track record of owning and managing production cost, schedule, and performance baselines to drive on-time, on-budget delivery of contracted aircraft while protecting program margin.
  • Supported by experience overseeing transitions from development and low-rate builds into full-rate production, including configuration control, change management, and incorporation of design and process improvements.
  • Requires demonstrated capability to coordinate long-lead procurement, supplier performance, and material availability to maintain a stable production flow and mitigate supply chain risk.
  • Justified by the need to implement and monitor key production metrics (throughput, yield, rework, on-time delivery) and to lead corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Must be able to develop solutions to complex production and integration problems that require the regular use of ingenuity and creativity.
  • Strong communication, leadership, presentation, and interpersonal skills are required to effectively interface with cross-functional teams, all levels of management, customers, potential customers, and government representatives, and to ensure compliance with contractual, regulatory, export, and quality requirements across the production lifecycle.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Master's degree in engineering.
  • Formal program management certification (e.g., PMP or equivalent) or completion of an internal PM development program.
  • Direct experience in unmanned systems, ISR payloads, or similar GA product lines.
  • Experience transitioning programs from development/qualification into full-rate production.
  • Experience managing multi-year, multi-site, or international production programs.

About General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is a leading designer and manufacturer of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator® RPA series and the Lynx® Multi-mode Radar. GA-ASI provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent situational awareness and rapid strike capabilities. The company is headquartered in Poway, California, and has additional offices and facilities around the world.
Learn more about General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc
Size
14,000 employees
Industry
Aerospace & Defense
Founded
1955
* Ladders Estimates

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