Program Manager, Aircraft

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California.

📋 Description

• Lead research initiatives from start to finish as the main liaison for government program managers and contracting teams.

• Oversee program implementation on the aircraft project in collaboration with the Director of PMO, covering phases from design reviews through fabrication, integration, ground testing, and flight testing.

• Develop and maintain the integrated master schedule for both projects, aligned with contract milestones and testing events.

• Manage budgets and expenditures, monitor funding, and proactively identify variances with corresponding recovery plans.

• Ensure timely delivery of contract obligations, including CDRLs, monthly status and financial reports, technical documentation, and final deliverables.

• Conduct weekly reviews, technical interchange meetings, milestone assessments (PDR, CDR, TRR), and provide status updates to leadership and customers.

• Facilitate the risk, issue, and opportunity management process, ensuring mitigations are effectively addressed.

• Coordinate efforts across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality assurance, and flight testing while resolving conflicts over shared personnel, hardware, and testing resources.

• Manage scope adjustments, contract changes, and subsequent work in collaboration with contracts and business development teams.

• Develop PMO tools and processes for upcoming aircraft programs.

• Report directly to the Director of PMO.

⛳️ Requirements

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in program management.

• At least 4 years of managing cost, schedule, and technical performance on aircraft, UAS, or other aerospace and defense hardware programs.

• Direct experience overseeing DoD research and development contracts (S&T, prototype, or 6.2/6.3 efforts).

• Proven experience in guiding aircraft or aerospace hardware through the build and testing phases, ideally to the first flight.

• Familiarity with government contract execution, including CDRLs, funded versus ceiling values, modifications, and customer reporting.

• Practical experience in IMS development utilizing MS Project, Primavera, Smartsheet, or similar tools.

• Experience with budget tracking and Earned Value Management (EVM) concepts.

• Capability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize effectively when needed.

• Strong and clear communication skills for presenting information to engineers, executives, and government program managers.

• U.S. person status as defined by ITAR.

• Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

• U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residency, protected-individual status, or eligibility for obtaining necessary U.S. Department of State authorizations.

• Preferred: Experience collaborating with DoD research labs and innovation entities.

• Preferred: Program experience with Group 3 to Group 5 UAS, collaborative autonomy, or experimental aircraft.

• Preferred: Familiarity with OTA, SBIR/STTR, or other rapid acquisition contract methods.

• Preferred: Knowledge of airworthiness and flight test planning.

• Preferred: Background in a startup or rapidly growing hardware company.

• Preferred: Active Secret clearance or higher.

• Preferred: PMP or DAWIA Program Management certification.

🏝️ Benefits

• Significant equity in a rapidly growing defense technology firm.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• 401k plan.

• Paid time off (PTO) and sick leave.

• Monthly wellness allowance.

• Daily catered lunches at the office.

• Paid parental leave.

• Opportunity to make a direct impact on a critical national security mission.

• Work alongside a world-class team of engineers and operators tackling genuinely challenging problems.