Program Manager, Aerospace & Defense

Helix Operating Company LLC•Beachwood, OH

1h•Onsite

About The Position

Aerospace and defense is Helix's fastest-growing segment, and the one with the least room for error. The Program Manager owns customer programs end-to-end: from design-in through qualification, production ramp, and sustained delivery, over program lifecycles that run years. You are the single point of accountability for program health. You track milestones, manage risk, and hold internal teams, Engineering, Quality, Operations, and Sales, to the commitments that keep a program on schedule and in spec. When a program is at risk, you see it early and drive the fix. You don't own the work in each department; you own the outcome across all of them. This role requires fluency in the realities of A&D manufacturing: long qualification cycles, first article inspections, material traceability, and customer flow-down requirements that don't bend.

Requirements

5+ years in program management, project management, or production planning in an aerospace, defense, or precision manufacturing environment. (required)
Direct experience with AS9100 or comparable aerospace quality systems. (required)
Working knowledge of DFARS, ITAR, and customer flow-down requirements in an A&D supply chain. (required)
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent programs with competing priorities and hard deadlines. (required)

Nice To Haves

Experience with ERP/MRP systems for scheduling and program tracking; Epicor preferred.
PMP certification or formal program/project management training (preferred).
Familiarity with precision machining, ball screws, actuators, or comparable linear motion components (preferred).
Experience managing first article inspection and customer qualification processes (preferred).

Responsibilities

Own program schedules, milestones, and deliverables from design-in through production and sustained delivery.
Serve as the primary point of contact for customer program managers and technical leads.
Track program health against cost, schedule, and quality commitments; escalate risk before it becomes delay.
Coordinate Engineering, Quality, Operations, and Sales to keep program commitments aligned and on track.
Drive resolution on cross-functional blockers, unclear requirements, capacity conflicts, technical risk, to closure.
Ensure clean handoffs at each program phase: quote ? design ? qualification ? production.
Manage program risk registers; identify technical, schedule, and supply risk early and drive mitigation.
Ensure program execution meets AS9100, DFARS, and customer-specific flow-down requirements.
Maintain program documentation and traceability records to audit-ready standard.
Provide customers with proactive, accurate status on schedule, technical issues, and risk.
Manage customer expectations through long qualification and procurement cycles without losing urgency internally.
Own first article inspection coordination and customer approval cycles.
Report program status to leadership with clear, current data, no surprises at the review.
Maintain program metrics (OTD, milestone adherence, open risk) as a standing part of operating rhythm.