Role OverviewThis is a full-time, on-site Project Manager role located in California, designed for a proactive leader who bridges the gap between high-level program strategy and shop-floor execution. Serving as a critical link between the Program Management Office (PMO) and Production, you will own the end-to-end lifecycle of complex thermal protection systems and aerospace hardware. This role is not just about tracking schedules; it is about active bottleneck resolution, where you will navigate internal departments to expedite jobs, mitigate risks, and ensure that technical milestones translate into on-time delivery for mission-critical defense and space applications.
As a subject matter expert in program flow, you will collaborate with multi-disciplinary engineering teams and production staff to drive advanced material designs from the R&D phase into high-rate manufacturing. You must be a meticulous self-starter capable of managing data integrity within ERP systems while simultaneously acting as a technical liaison for customers and partners. By providing data-driven insights and maintaining a hands-on presence in the manufacturing environment, you will take full responsibility for driving program objectives to resolution, ensuring that stringent performance, safety, and environmental requirements are met at every stage of production.
Key Responsibilities- Align cross-functional teams including engineering, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain on program goals, timelines, and deliverables to ensure seamless execution from concept through production.
- Proactively identify and resolve execution bottlenecks across internal departments to maintain strict cost and schedule adherence.
- Expedite jobs through the shop floor and internal work centers to prevent schedule delays and drive task completion.
- Serve as the primary bridge between Program Management Office and Production to obtain accurate recovery dates and real-time production schedules.
- Identify, assess, and mitigate program risks early, implementing data-driven contingency plans to maintain technical performance.
- Monitor and manage unreleased or "on-hold" job lists, driving them to immediate resolution to keep production moving.
- Track program progress and backlog using project management tools, maintaining full visibility on key milestones, budgets, and resource allocation.
- Ensure data integrity within the ERP system, ensuring that system milestones and delivery dates align perfectly with actual production status.
- Prepare dashboards, KPIs, and performance metrics for internal leadership and customer review to project program health.
- Maintain and update customer portals to support on-time delivery performance and contest late deliveries when necessary.
- Facilitate timely decision-making by providing technical context, data-backed insights, and clear trade-off analyses to leadership and engineering teams.
- Represent technical content and program status clearly to internal stakeholders, suppliers, and affiliated business units.
- Prepare and complete customer Open Order Reports (OOR), ensuring documentation compliance and meeting all submission timelines.
- Flexibly support technical execution across engineering and manufacturing as needed to meet aggressive program objectives.
- Travel to customer sites, test facilities, and partner locations as required to support program execution and integration activities.
Required Qualifications- Associate's or Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in Engineering, Business, or a related fields, or equivalent professional experience including certifications in an aerospace or defense manufacturing environment.
- 4+ years of direct experience in project management, production planning, or technical coordination within the aerospace, defense, or advanced materials industries.
- Direct experience with ERP systems and customer portals, with a proven ability to ensure system data (milestones/delivery dates) aligns with actual shop floor production status.
- Technical familiarity with complex aerospace systems, such as launch vehicles, missile systems, thermal protection systems (TPS), or composite materials.
- Proficiency in project planning and reporting tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, or Excel), including the ability to run and analyze data to track job status and backlog.
- Demonstrated experience managing program risk and KPIs, with the ability to develop and execute schedule recovery plans in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Strong organizational and follow-through skills, specifically in managing unreleased/hold lists and expediting jobs through internal departments (Manufacturing, Quality, and Materials).
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams and external partners without direct authority.
- Comfortable acting as a technical liaison, with the ability to translate customer feedback into actionable tasks and communicate complex engineering concepts clearly to internal stakeholders.
- Experience in a high-intensity manufacturing environment, with the ability to manage multiple competing priorities and drive tasks from concept through final delivery.
- Willingness to travel to customer sites, test facilities, or partner locations as required to support program integration and execution activities.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance (Secret or higher), including meeting all background check and eligibility requirements for access to controlled defense information and facilities.
Preferred Qualifications- Active U.S. Security Clearance (Secret or higher) is strongly preferred.
- Deep technical knowledge of Thermal Protection Systems (TPS), including experience with launch vehicles, missile systems, soft goods, coatings, and other components designed for extreme thermal environments.
- Subject matter expertise in advanced manufacturing processes related to metallics and superalloys, composites, ablatives, and ceramics used in high-heat aerospace applications.
- Direct experience with qualification and developmental testing (e.g., vibration, thermal vacuum, or high-velocity flow testing), in addition to standard production testing environments.
- Hands-on experience with PLM systems and CAD tools to support engineering collaboration and configuration management.
- PMP or similar project management certification is a plus.
- Master's degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field is preferred but not required.
- Strong background in customer-facing roles or technical business development, with the ability to manage complex partner and stakeholder relationships.
- Demonstrated success in transition-to-production, specifically moving advanced material designs from the R&D phase into a high-rate manufacturing environment.
Additional Requirements- Ability to work in office, lab, and manufacturing environments with occasional exposure to noise, dust, and temperature variations.
- Must be able to lift and carry up to 35 lb and perform tasks involving standing, walking, bending, and manual assembly.
- Visual acuity required for reading technical drawings, inspecting components, and operating precision instruments.
- Occasional travel to customer or test sites, including outdoor or industrial settings, with adherence to company and OSHA safety protocols.
Type: Full Time - Exempt
Salary Range: $80,000 to $140,000
Schedule: Core business hours, M-F with additional hours as needed
Base Location: Irvine, CA
Travel: Up to 15%
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
Total compensation will also include a comprehensive set of benefits including but not limited to: Company paid employee medical, dental and vision insurance. Retirement plan participation (eligibility required), paid sick leave, paid vacation, paid holidays and discretionary bonuses.
EXPORT CONTROL REQUIREMENTS:To conform to US Government export regulations, the applicant must be a (i) US Citizen, (ii) lawful permanent resident of the U.S. (aka green card holder), (iii) protected individual as defined by U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or (iv) eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
