The Program Manager leads complex aerospace and defense programs across development, qualification, production, and delivery. The role drives cost, schedule, technical, quality, contractual, and customer objectives while coordinating cross-functional execution. This position ensures program plans are integrated, risks are managed, customer communication is clear, and program performance supports delivery of mission-critical launch, propulsion, and payload-system hardware.
Responsibilities- Leads assigned programs through planning, development, qualification, production, delivery, and contract completion.
- Owns performance against cost, schedule, technical, quality, contractual, and customer objectives.
- Develops and maintains integrated plans, schedules, budgets, milestones, resource requirements, and performance metrics.
- Coordinates execution across engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, contracts, finance, and test organizations.
- Serves as primary interface for customers, prime contractors, government stakeholders, suppliers, and internal leadership.
- Identifies technical, programmatic, cost, schedule, and supply-chain risks and drives mitigation and recovery actions.
- Leads recurring program reviews and communicates performance, risks, decisions, dependencies, and corrective actions.
- Supports design reviews, qualification planning, test-readiness activities, production-readiness reviews, and customer acceptance events.
- Manages contractual deliverables, statements of work, program changes, customer requests, and scope adjustments.
- Supports proposals, estimates, negotiations, and follow-on program opportunities.
Required Qualifications- Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Business Program Management, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
- 5 or more years of experience supporting or managing aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, or similarly complex technical programs.
- A current U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secret security clearance or the ability to obtain and maintain one.
Preferred Qualifications- Master of Science or Master of Business Administration degree.
- Experience managing Department of Defense, U.S. government, allied-defense, or prime-contractor programs.
- Experience with missile systems, propulsion, launch systems, payload integration, separation systems, energetic devices, or related flight hardware.
- Experience managing programs from development through qualification and production.
- Knowledge of government contracting and fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, or incentive-based contract structures.
- Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM), cost-account management, or similar financial-performance methods.
- Experience supporting proposals, estimates, negotiations, contract modifications, or follow-on program capture.
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent formal program-management training.
- Experience with program scheduling, enterprise resource planning (ERP), or product-lifecycle management systems.
- Experience leading engineering teams developing mechanical and pyrotechnic components and systems.
Benefits- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid time off
- Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contribution
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- Company-paid life and AD&D insurance
- Short- and long-term disability coverage
- Tuition reimbursement
This role follows a 9/80 schedule, with 9-hour shifts Monday through Thursday, an 8-hour shift every other Friday, and the alternating Friday off.
