Program Operations Manager

Aitech•Los Angeles, CA

2d•$125,000 - $150,000•Onsite

About The Position

Aitech Defense Systems is renowned for its innovation in rugged embedded systems, designed to operate reliably in the challenging environments of military, defense, aerospace, and space applications. Founded in 1983, Aitech has a rich history of pioneering advancements such as the world’s first conduction-cooled MIL-SPEC VMEbus board and has continually evolved its product line to include state-of-the-art SBCs, GPGPU-based AI applications, and advanced cybersecurity for mission-critical systems. Joining us means you’ll be working at the forefront of technology with projects that span across land, sea, air, and space, supporting some of the top prime contractors in the industry. This opportunity will allow you to contribute to groundbreaking projects and push the boundaries of embedded computing technology!

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in Operations, Supply Chain, Program Management, or a related function
Demonstrated experience managing or coordinating Order-to-Cash or order fulfillment processes in a manufacturing or production environment
Experience working cross-functionally with Planning, Production, Program Management, Quality, Shipping, and Finance
Experience using ERP/MRP systems to track order status, fulfillment, shipments, and invoicing
Strong understanding of order lifecycle management, customer commitment tracking, and shipment/invoicing dependencies
Ability to identify, prioritize, communicate, and escalate order-fulfillment constraints affecting customer schedules
Demonstrated ability to drive execution through influence and accountability across cross-functional teams without direct authority
Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills
Experience developing and using operational metrics, dashboards, and reporting tools to support decision-making
Prior experience in defense, aerospace, or another regulated manufacturing environment preferred
This position requires use of information or access to hardware which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All applicants must be U.S. persons within the meaning of ITAR. ITAR defines a U.S. person as a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (i.e. 'Green Card Holder'), Political Asylee, or Refugee.

Responsibilities

Manage the Order-to-Cash process, driving visibility and accountability from order fulfillment through shipment and invoicing
Own the operational review of customer order backlog and maintain visibility of committed dates, schedule assumptions, shipment readiness, and invoicing status
Track customer orders end-to-end and identify potential schedule or fulfillment risks ahead of committed shipment and delivery dates
Facilitate cross-functional discussions to address risks that may impact customer commitments
Escalate significant schedule, fulfillment, shipment, or invoicing risks to appropriate functional leaders and the Chief Delivery Officer
Partner with Planning & Control to ensure customer order commitments and schedule requirements are appropriately reflected in operational planning
Partner with Production and Quality to identify and escalate constraints that may affect order fulfillment or customer commitments
Partner with Program Delivery Managers, PP&C, Production, Quality, Shipping, and Finance to maintain alignment regarding customer commitments, contract milestones, shipment requirements, and order status
Participate in daily tier meetings and relevant SIOP activities to provide visibility regarding customer orders, schedule risks, delivery commitments, and shipment readiness
Convene appropriate stakeholders when cross-functional issues require resolution or escalation
Track shipment readiness and shipment status and coordinate with Shipping and Finance to support timely invoicing
Maintain visibility of orders and shipments that may affect revenue timing
Identify and report revenue-at-risk associated with shipment delays, quality holds, material shortages, export/import compliance constraints, customer readiness, or other fulfillment issues
Coordinate with appropriate functional owners to ensure issues affecting shipment or invoicing are visible and appropriately escalated
Develop, maintain, and communicate operational reporting and performance metrics regarding backlog, shipment status, customer commitments, and revenue-at-risk
Drive visibility to and escalation of data inaccuracies affecting order status, backlog commitments, shipment status, and invoicing information
Monitor order status, shipment status, backlog commitments, and invoicing information to ensure operational reporting accurately reflects current execution status
Identify data inconsistencies or process gaps and coordinate with the appropriate functional owner for resolution
Support continuous improvement initiatives related to Order-to-Cash visibility, reporting, coordination, and cross-functional communication
Coordinate with functional owners to help ensure order and shipment activities comply with applicable quality and export/import requirements
Support internal and external audits and corrective-action activities related to Order-to-Cash, order fulfillment, and shipment execution
Coordinate with Production, PP&C, Program Delivery, Quality, Shipping, Finance, and external service providers on order execution matters as required