Program Manager, Defense Manufacturing - GM Defense

GM•Austin, TX

16h•Hybrid

About The Position

GM Defense is seeking a Program Manager, Defense Manufacturing, to lead cross-functional programs and strategic initiatives from pre-award capture support through contract execution. This role is accountable for integrating customer and partner requirements into executable plans; managing cost, schedule, performance, and risk; and aligning internal teams to deliver successful program outcomes. The successful candidate is a decisive, collaborative leader who performs well in ambiguity, exercises sound independent judgment, and communicates effectively with government customers, defense primes, suppliers, partners, and GM Defense leadership. The role offers the opportunity to help expand GM Defense's presence across the defense industrial base by leveraging General Motors' capabilities in engineering, supply chain management, and manufacturing. The successful candidate will lead the execution of contracts awarded to GM Defense by traditional defense primes, coordinating business units and suppliers to manufacture and deliver selected components and systems. The role leverages GM’s manufacturing and supply-chain capabilities and supports design-for-manufacturing reviews.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline.
8+ years of experience in program management or an equivalent discipline.
10+ years of experience in the defense industry (commercial or U.S. government), in government contracting or government procurement fields.
Candidate must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee).
U.S. citizenship required to comply with federal government contract provision expressly restricting role to U.S. citizens.
Eligible to obtain Secret U.S. Security Clearance after hire.
Demonstrated success developing and leading high-performing cross-functional teams.
Strong written, verbal, and executive-level communication skills.
Ability to navigate ambiguity, solve complex problems, and make sound decisions with limited supervision.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and/or Google Workspace.
Working knowledge of defense manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, and/or sustainment environments, with the ability to connect customer requirements to operational execution.
Ability to work independently in a hybrid environment while maintaining a high-cadence, collaborative operating model with distributed internal and external teams.
Willingness and ability to travel as required to support customer, partner, supplier, and GM Defense engagements.

Nice To Haves

Active Secret U.S. Security Clearance as of the first day of work.
PMP certification or equivalent program-management credential.
Experience spanning multiple defense-industry functions, such as portfolio planning, business development, contracting, systems engineering, manufacturing, finance, purchasing, and supply chain.
Experience managing or supporting missile programs with a general technical competence and understanding of components.

Responsibilities

Lead cross-functional teams through the full program lifecycle, align stakeholders to program objectives, establish clear accountability, and manage government and GM Defense program imperatives.
Support capture and pre-contract activities through resource planning, risk assessment, work breakdown structure development, Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) planning, stakeholder engagement, and start-of-work preparation.
Direct execution against contractual requirements and ensure the team delivers to approved cost, schedule, technical, quality, and performance commitments.
Translate customer requirements and defense-prime needs into executable work breakdown structures, integrated master schedules, milestones, deliverables, and clear ownership.
Develop and manage program budgets, monitor performance against financial objectives, identify variances, and implement corrective actions and cost-control measures.
Define meaningful performance measures and key performance indicators; monitor progress; and provide timely, decision-ready reporting to stakeholders and leadership.
Identify, assess, communicate, and mitigate program risks and opportunities through proactive action plans, contingency planning, and escalation when appropriate.
Serve as a trusted point of contact for government customers, traditional defense primes, subcontractors, suppliers, and internal stakeholders. Build relationships, resolve issues, and maintain alignment across organizations.
Prepare and deliver materials for internal gate reviews, executive updates, customer reviews, and government leadership engagements; communicate status, issues, risks, and recommendations with clarity and executive presence.
Ensure program execution follows applicable quality-management systems, contractual obligations, company processes, and customer requirements.
Build a collaborative, high-performing team environment through coaching, mentoring, effective workload balancing, and development of team members.
Represent GM Defense in customer meetings, industry engagements, program reviews, and partner discussions. Protect sensitive company, customer, and program information and operate in accordance with GM Behaviors and GM Defense values.
Other duties as assigned.