SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER

Phoenix Defense, LLC.•Gilbert, AZ

28d

About The Position

The Sr. Program Manager leads a team of program managers and directly oversees select aerospace customer programs, ensuring execution meets contractual, technical, schedule, and budget commitments. Serving as the primary interface for customers and internal stakeholders, this role drives clear communication, integrates requirements across engineering, supply chain, operations, and finance, and maintains positive customer perception of company performance. The Sr. Program Manager manages program performance against the Annual Operating Plan, proactively identifies and mitigates risks, and ensures disciplined planning, documentation, and reporting across multiple concurrent projects. In addition, this role drives business growth by identifying new opportunities within assigned programs, shaping and pricing proposals, and contributing to strategic initiatives and white papers to support the company’s aerospace strategy.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, operations management, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
Significant experience in aerospace contract manufacturing, including managing build-to-print and/or build-to-spec customer programs.
Minimum 5+ years of leadership experience managing program management and/or operations teams, with responsibility for developing and coaching program managers.
Demonstrated success leading complex, multi-year customer programs with full accountability for cost, schedule, and technical performance.
Proven ability to integrate customer requirements across engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, quality, and finance in a production environment.
Strong understanding of aerospace contracts and commercial terms, including pricing, change management, and risk management in a contract manufacturing setting.
Working knowledge of cost structures and basic cost accounting concepts (e.g., direct labor and material, overhead, indirect rates, margin).
Advanced ability to prepare and deliver program status reports, business correspondence, and customer-facing documentation to executive and customer audiences.
Proficiency with standard office and project management tools (e.g., MS Office suite and MS Project or equivalent).
Knowledge of program management, aerospace contract manufacturing, and cross-functional business operations.
Skill in leading teams, managing complex customer programs, and driving performance to cost, schedule, and technical requirements.
Skill in customer communication, risk management, proposal support, and executive reporting.
Ability to solve problems, build strong relationships, and lead cross-functional teams in a fast-paced production environment.

Nice To Haves

PMP certification or equivalent program management credential preferred.
Experience working with DoD primes and Tier-1 aerospace OEMs is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the program management team while directly managing select key customer programs.
Serve as the primary interface for assigned customers, overseeing communications, relationship management, and overall customer satisfaction.
Ensure contractual, technical, schedule, and budget requirements are clearly understood and effectively integrated across cross‑functional teams.
Monitor program performance against the Annual Operating Plan, providing regular visibility into cost, margin, and schedule projections.
Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate program risks and issues, including development and execution of recovery plans when required.
Plan and manage multiple concurrent projects, including development of work breakdown structures, schedules, budgets, and resource and staffing plans.
Oversee program documentation, status reporting, and internal communications to ensure transparency, alignment, and compliance with company standards.
Drive business growth within assigned programs by identifying and pursuing new or expanded opportunities consistent with company strategy.
Develop, price, and submit proposals in accordance with company policies, and support major proposals and bid/no‑bid decisions.
Provide leadership and direction to cross‑functional teams (engineering, supply chain, operations, finance, quality) to ensure successful program execution.
Support strategic initiatives and the development of white papers, presentations.