Senior Aerospace Program Manager

Young Community Developers • Irvine, CA

12d • $160,000 - $220,000 • Onsite

About The Position

DZYNE Technologies, now part of Ondas Sentinel, is seeking a Senior Aerospace Program Manager for its Irvine, California location. The role provides leadership for the maturation, productization, and operation of a long-endurance unmanned aerial system (UAS), working with government and client partners. The manager is a primary client interface and is responsible for program execution, including achieving financial, schedule, technical, and client relationship and growth objectives.

The position collaborates with the Chief Program Engineer and supporting Project Engineer/Manager on technical management. The successful candidate will bring a strong background in design, productization, or operations, along with experience executing and leading aerospace and defense programs. The role spans program work from conceptual design through manufacturing, delivery, and sustainment, and includes managing teams, subcontractors, schedules, budgets, proposals, and program reporting.

This is a 100% on-site role in Irvine, California, with occasional travel (0–25%). Work environments may range from offices and warehouses to potentially austere test sites. The position requires occasional lifting and other physical activities, including stooping, standing, climbing, crouching, reaching, moving between worksites, and potentially working outdoors. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without current or future employment visa sponsorship. Security clearance is not required but is strongly preferred.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math).
• At least 10 years of industry experience as a Program Manager, including at least 5 years as a Senior Program Manager.
• Demonstrated experience leading successful aerospace programs, including productization and product operations.
• Strong background in design, productization, or operations, and experience executing projects in the Aerospace and Defense industry.
• Experience managing concurrent engineering design or operations projects.
• Experience in business capture and client management.
• High-level Earned Value Management (EVM) competency.
• Ability to create a winning proposal.
• Ability to plan, organize, supervise, and coordinate technical work and obtain cooperation from others; must be able to build rapport with program staff.
• Strong scheduling skills.
• Skilled in IT tools, including ERP, MRP, Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Project; expert knowledge of the Microsoft Office Professional Suite, including Project.
• Positive, can-do attitude and experience leading people in a matrixed organization while cultivating healthy customer relationships.
• Ability to travel as needed for customer meetings, demonstrations, and business development activities.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without current or future employment visa sponsorship.
• Ability to stoop, stand, climb, occasionally lift at least 25 pounds, crouch, reach, and move between departments, floors, and worksites; may also need to perform heavy lifting, move items, climb in and out of equipment, crawl, and work outdoors.

Nice To Haves

• Understanding of Critical Chain Project Management, Earned Value, and other project-control methods used in the Aerospace and Defense industry.
• Experience across the product lifecycle, including field operations.
• Experience with enterprise resourcing and planning tools.
• Exposure to multidisciplinary engineering functions.
• Ability to interpret engineering technical drawings, work instructions, and test procedures.
• Aerospace or Defense Contractor industry experience.
• Experience transitioning a product from low-rate initial production (LRIP) to full-rate production and sustaining it in full-rate production.
• Experience with Government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) or contractor-owned, contractor-operated (COCO) UAS operations.
• Deep understanding of traditional and emerging government acquisition pathways for UAS.
• Agile program management methodology experience.
• Security clearance; not required, but strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead program execution for assigned programs, achieving financial, schedule, technical, and client relationship and growth objectives.
• Lead delivery of complex, multifaceted projects where speed to market and effective operations are important.
• Manage large teams working on parallel efforts, including teams located outside the United States.
• Oversee subcontractors, including their evaluation, selection, scoping, and technical execution.
• Own program execution plans, schedules, and budgets and participate across program phases from conceptual design through manufacturing, delivery, and sustainment.
• Lead programs to on-time, on-budget delivery while collaborating with internal support functions.
• Provide program updates to clients, staff, and executive leadership.
• Prepare Master Phasing Schedules, Program Execution Schedules, Staffing Plans, Work Breakdown Structures, and Financial Execution Plans.
• Prepare and present monthly technical and financial program reports to senior and executive management, including Earned Value Metrics.
• Develop proposals, including technical volumes and cost-volume bases of estimates.
• Serve as a primary interface between the program team and the client.
• Travel as needed for customer meetings, demonstrations, and business development activities.
• Collaborate with the Chief Program Engineer and supporting Project Engineer/Manager on program technical management.
• Manage concurrent engineering design or operations projects and help expand programs beyond their initial phase and customer.

Benefits

• Comprehensive healthcare benefits package.
• Dental, vision, life, accident, disability, and other core benefits fully covered by DZYNE.
• Paid time off.
• Paid holidays.
• 401(k) plan with employer match and immediate vesting.
• Eligible for an annual bonus.

What This Job Offers

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