Program Director

Ensign-Bickford Industries • Graham, CT

2d

About The Position

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company (EBAD) is seeking an experienced, strategic, and commercially minded Program Director to lead major programs within its Warfighter Division. The position owns customer relationships, program execution, financial performance, and long-term account growth across a complex portfolio of defense programs. The Program Director balances customer success, cost, schedule, quality, technical execution, talent development, and business growth, while building trusted customer relationships and driving accountability across cross-functional teams. The role also contributes to division strategy and offers a path toward broader business or General Manager responsibilities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive program management experience, preferably in aerospace, defense, space, or other complex manufacturing industries.
• Proven experience leading complex mechanical, electro-mechanical, energetics, or defense-related programs.
• Demonstrated success managing customer-facing programs with high visibility, accountability, and mission importance.
• Strong commercial acumen, including experience with margin expansion, pricing strategy, contract structure, risk management, and long-term account growth.
• Ability to balance customer needs, business performance, and internal capability development.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders across all levels of an organization.
• Strong strategic thinking, business judgment, communication, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Demonstrated sense of urgency, ownership, follow-through, and ability to drive actions to closure.
• Evidence of building customer trust and winning follow-on work through consistent, performance-driven execution.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree.
• Military service or military program experience.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end performance across assigned programs, including customer satisfaction, cost, schedule, quality, technical execution, risk, and profitability.
• Serve as the primary customer interface and key account leader, building trusted relationships, anticipating customer needs, and strengthening EBAD’s long-term position.
• Establish and execute long-range program and account strategies while balancing near-term customer commitments and broader business objectives.
• Lead cross-functional teams across program management, operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, finance, contracts, and business development.
• Drive execution discipline, urgency, and accountability by ensuring actions are clearly owned, actively managed, and closed before they affect customer commitments or business performance.
• Prioritize across multiple programs, customers, and competing business demands to maximize enterprise outcomes.
• Partner with business leaders to support growth, margin expansion, pricing strategy, contract structure, risk management, and long-term account development.
• Hold internal teams accountable for delivering customer demand and meeting cost, schedule, quality, and technical commitments.
• Identify and resolve issues proactively while maintaining clear communication with customers and internal leadership.
• Build customer credibility that supports follow-on work, expanded opportunities, and long-term account growth.
• Contribute to Warfighter Division strategy and demonstrate leadership, business acumen, and cross-functional influence for potential future business or P&L leadership roles.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Retirement benefits.
• Paid time off and holidays.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Employee assistance and wellness resources.
• Incentive compensation eligibility, subject to applicable plan terms and conditions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director