Program Operations Manager

Regent Craft Inc

$100K — $120K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of experience in program operations on complex hardware development programs (e.g., aerospace, defense, marine)
  • Demonstrated ability to design and implement program processes from inception
  • Experience coordinating program readiness through PDR/CDR processes
  • Proficiency in hands-on tooling with software like Jira or Confluence
  • Established techniques for closing actions, decisions, and risks effectively
  • Sound judgment in process management, eliminating inefficiencies

Responsibilities

  • Design and implement the program operating cadence for rapid startups
  • Establish tracking mechanisms for program design reviews
  • Manage and facilitate structured program risk processes
  • Create and maintain the tooling and dashboards for effective program oversight
  • Publish and maintain dashboards and metrics to reflect program health
  • Extend operational processes from Viceroy to other programs

Benefits

  • 100% coverage for health, dental, and vision insurance premiums
  • 401(k) plan with company matching contributions
  • Generous flexible time off and paid parental leave
  • Relocation packages for new team members
  • Daily catered lunches
  • Opportunities for professional development and learning
Full Job Description
Role Overview

As Program Operations Manager, you will design, build, and run the operating system that our Seaglider programs run on - starting with Viceroy, REGENT's flagship program, as it drives toward its major design gates.

You'll work with the program leadership team to create the program cadence, action and decision tracking, risk management facilitation, gate readiness machinery, and the dashboards that give Program Management and Leadership an honest picture of program health. You'll implement the tooling, win adoption from engineers, and keep every process lean enough that it accelerates the program instead of slowing it down.

You will work directly with the Viceroy Program Manager, the Chief Engineer, and the VP of Programs - and as REGENT's portfolio grows, the processes you build for Viceroy will become the template for every program that follows.

Success means the program runs on systems, not heroics: actions close, risks get decisions, design reviews run clean, and nobody is surprised at a gate. If you love building infrastructure that makes fast teams faster, we'd love to meet you.

What You'll Do
  • Build the Program Operating System: Design and implement program operating cadence - program reviews, risk boards, action and decision logs - scaled to a fast-moving startup, not a bureaucracy.
  • Run Gate Readiness: Stand up the tracking machinery for PDR and CDR: entry criteria decomposition, evidence tracking, review logistics, and action closure - so gates are earned, not discovered.
  • Facilitate Risk Management: Operate the program risk process - structured register, owned mitigations, decision-forcing reviews.
  • Own Program Tooling: Implement and administer the toolchain (Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet, or equivalent) - workflows, dashboards, and documentation architecture that people actually use.
  • Publish the Truth: Build and maintain program dashboards and metrics that leadership trusts as the source of program health.
  • Scale Across Programs: Extend the operating system from Viceroy to REGENT's broader program portfolio - tailored, not reinvented.


What You'll Bring
  • Program Operations Experience: Strong professional experience in program operations, planning/controls, or PMO roles on complex hardware development programs (aerospace, defense, marine, automotive, or comparable).
  • A Builder's Track Record: You've created program processes from scratch that teams kept using, not just operated an inherited system.
  • Design Gate Mechanics: Direct experience supporting a program through PDR/CDR or equivalent - readiness tracking, review logistics, action closure.
  • Hands-On Tooling Fluency: You personally build workflows and dashboards in Jira/Confluence/Smartsheet-class tools - no IT department required.
  • Closure Discipline: A demonstrated system for making actions, decisions, and risks converge instead of age.
  • Judgment About Process: You know the difference between discipline and drag - and you've killed processes that weren't earning their keep


Who We're Looking For
  • Collaborative Team Player: You measure your success by how much faster the PM, engineers, and leadership move because of what you built.
  • Creative Problem Solver: You see where information flow, decisions, or accountability break down - and build the smallest thing that fixes it.
  • Adaptable & Agile: You balance rigor with speed, adding structure only where the program needs it.
  • Innovative Mindset: You treat program operations as a product: instrumented, iterated, and improved based on how your users - the team - actually behave.


What We Offer
  • Competitive compensation including a robust equity incentive plan.
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance - we cover 100% of your premiums.
  • 401(k) with company matching, so you can plan for the future.
  • Generous flexible time off, paid parental leave, and company-wide holiday breaks.
  • Relocation packages available for those moving to join our team.
  • Daily, free catered lunches
  • Learning & professional development opportunities

If you're ready to take on an exciting challenge, grow with us, and make a lasting impact, we want to hear from you. Even if you don't meet every requirement, but you see yourself contributing to our mission, we encourage you to apply! We value diverse skillsets and experiences and believe in the potential of passionate individuals to make a big impact.

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