Program Manager

About this role

Role Overview We are seeking a hands-on senior individual contributor based on-site in SLO to drive day-to-day execution of our rapid aircraft prototyping program. You will work directly with engineering, procurement, manufacturing, integration and test teams to remove blockers, accelerate decisions and deliver agreed milestones as requirements and configurations evolve. Success in this role means resolving blockers promptly, securing timely decisions and helping teams meet agreed milestones through active on-site coordination. This role leads through influence, with no direct reports or PMO team management responsibilities. Under existing PMO leadership, you will work alongside the Program Manager and project coordination team. PMO leadership, in alignment with SLO project leadership, will define your execution scope, priorities, delegated authority and escalation thresholds, with clear responsibilities for each role. Within this framework, you are expected to take initiative and resolve routine execution issues on-site without waiting for case-by-case direction.

Duties:

1. Supply Chain Coordination Develop and drive a procurement milestone plan jointly with Engineering and Procurement, with clear owners for RFP completion, technical evaluation, supplier selection, contracting, delivery and acceptance. Agree critical need dates and decision deadlines based on build and test milestones. Resolve coordination gaps and follow up directly with responsible owners; supplier negotiations and purchasing commitments remain with Procurement and authorized owners.
2. Supporting Leadership Decision-Making Prepare concise weekly Steering Committee inputs with the Program Manager, covering milestones, forecast dates, risks and schedule impacts. Gather technical and commercial inputs and present options, recommendations, decision owners and deadlines. Align stakeholders before the meeting and communicate agreed decisions and actions through established channels, respecting confidentiality requirements.
3. Cross-Functional Collaboration Work directly with on-site functional leads to resolve coordination and interface issues within agreed program priorities. Coordinate design-review inputs and readiness criteria defined by technical owners. Track risks, confirm mitigation status with responsible owners and drive action closure. When delays arise, develop recovery actions with affected teams, implement actions within delegated authority and promptly escalate unresolved trade-offs.
4. On-site Execution Proactively manage assigned schedules, actions, risks and opportunities with the existing PM team, using shared processes. Identify blockers through regular on-site engagement and initiate working sessions without waiting for direction. Agree owners and deadlines, resolve routine execution issues within delegated authority and follow through to completion. Recommend priority or resource changes when needed. Escalate issues beyond your authority with their impact, a recommendation and the latest date a decision is needed; do not wait for the next scheduled review.
5. Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) Lead working-level integration and maintenance of the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) for the rapid aircraft prototyping program in coordination with the Program Manager, using one shared PM system. Connect engineering releases, procurement, build, integration and test through realistic dependencies, clear owners and completion criteria. The Program Manager retains overall program planning and reporting responsibility; functional leads remain accountable for their teams’ commitments and deliverables. Review critical-path risks and recovery options weekly, obtain schedule updates from functional leads at least every two weeks and promptly assess significant changes. Keep forecasts current and make emerging delays visible; changes to the approved schedule baseline require approval from the designated owner. Support the Program Manager and US–Japan stakeholders in maintaining a high-level transition schedule for type-certification (TC) aircraft development, linked to the IMS.

Requirements: Minimum Educational Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.

Minimum Experience 10+ years in aerospace or complex hardware development programs, including 3+ years of hands-on execution coordination across engineering, procurement, build, integration and test in physical prototype programs. Working understanding of aircraft development, configuration control, verification and test-readiness practices. Ability to support prototype scope tailoring with technical and safety owners while preserving agreed safety requirements. Certification program experience is beneficial.

Other Job-Specific Skills/Licence Strong influencing and facilitation skills; able to challenge unclear commitments constructively and secure action without line authority. Practical technical literacy across aircraft systems and their interfaces; able to identify the schedule effects of design, software, hardware and configuration changes. Hands-on IMS development, critical-path analysis, risk and action management, procurement milestone planning and recovery planning. Ability to balance speed, scope, cost and resources; propose sequencing, COTS or alternate verification options for technical-owner review. Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint and a scheduling tool such as Microsoft Project. PLM/ERP familiarity preferred; able to maintain reliable shared data with minimal administrative overhead.