Operational Project Manager

Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace Inc•Johnstown, PA

5h•Onsite

About The Position

KDA, Inc, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, has been operating in the United States for more than 20 years. We produce world-leading Remote Weapon Systems (RWS) for the US Army, Marine Corps, and allies at our Johnstown, Pennsylvania factory. We have delivered more than 20,000 PROTECTOR RWS to 28 countries. The National Advanced Surface-to-Air System (NASAMS) is a highly mobile and tailorable capability that protects the airspace of 13 countries and Washington, DC. In 2027, we will do final assembly, test, and sustainment of the Naval Strike Missile and Joint Strike Missile systems at a new factory in southern Virginia. Join us, and you’ll be part of a high performing team that develops advanced technology solutions to protect people and critical infrastructure in countries around the world. Explore your potential and discover what your future could be with Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace, Inc. Are you a master of coordination, a champion of process improvement, and a natural leader in fast-paced production environments? We’re looking for an Operational Project Manager to serve as the strategic anchor for production-related projects within our Johnstown production facility. In this pivotal role, you’ll collaborate closely with Project Managers across delivery programs to ensure seamless execution of production and delivery activities. From optimizing workflows to managing resources and mitigating risks, you’ll be at the heart of driving operational success—on time and within budget. If you thrive on bringing structure to complexity and turning plans into results, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related field required or equivalent experience.
3 – 5 years operational / manufacturing experience.
Must have or be able to obtain a US Passport.
Must be able to work as part of a team; positive “can-do” attitude.
Flexible in ability to change priorities in order to accomplish changing team/corporate deadlines and goals.
U.S. PERSON REQUIREMENT: “To comply with U.S. national security requirements mandated under the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace, Inc. will consider only applicants who are U.S. Persons for this position.” OR “Applicant must be a U.S. Person within the meaning of United States International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) governing export control.” “A U.S. Person is a United States Citizen or National, Lawful Permanent Resident, Lawful Temporary Resident, Refugee or Asylee.”

Nice To Haves

PMP preferred.
Ability to travel, both internationally and domestically, as needed for purposes of installation, verification and demonstration of products.

Responsibilities

Act as the primary liaison between operations, supply chain and project managers for all production related activities
Have an understanding of the overall determined budget and provide status updates between operations project management and finance for assigned operational projects.
Plan and oversee execution of all delivery orders including new builds, conversions, repairs, TSRs, and spares.
Maintain clear communication and collaboration across project teams and sub-project managers.
Assist with coordination of project deliveries, including Packing & Shipping.
Develop and maintain project schedules in order to stay within targeted budgets for assigned operational projects.
Monitor progress of production and delivery activities, ensuring alignment with program requirements.
Ensure operational changes are incorporated into production plans and communicated to relevant teams.
Define and maintain the project organization in collaboration with line management.
Hold collaboration meetings with operational management and other product OPMs to track resource planning to avoid bottlenecks in manpower or material.
Assist the PM with the Risk and Opportunity Management process, this includes contributing to the overall project risk assessment as well as assisting with the operations project risk register.
Ensure proper handling of export-controlled information and materials (ITAR, EAR).
Oversee warranty management for conversions, repairs, systems and spares.
Ensure technical data packages are maintained in collaboration with the project managers as appropriate.
Initiate engineering support when needed.
Provide periodic status reports to the project manager and other stakeholders through meetings like production-, sustainment- and depot IPT.
Contribute to lessons learned and knowledge transfer through project evaluations and final reports.