Senior Project Manager, Aerospace & Defense
About The Position
As we continue to grow, Rennscot MFG is seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead complex, high-visibility aerospace and defense programs from award through delivery. The role is the primary link between customers and internal teams, driving alignment across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and operations to keep programs on track and meet commitments. It is a hands-on position requiring the ability to navigate complex, critical-industry manufacturing, anticipate challenges, and bring structure, accountability, and communication to program execution. The Senior Project Manager owns program scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk, and customer commitments; serves as a primary customer interface; and translates customer, contractual, and technical requirements into internal priorities, deliverables, schedules, and ownership. The position leads program controls, reviews, risk mitigation, change management, recovery actions, and lessons learned, while supporting defense-specific requirements and helping establish scalable program management tools and practices as Rennscot's defense business grows. The role also serves as a senior resource and mentor to other program and project team members. This is a full-time, on-site position in Woburn, Massachusetts. Candidates must meet the stated U.S. export-control eligibility requirements or be eligible to obtain required authorizations.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree and at least 7 years of relevant experience.
- Progressively increasing responsibility managing complex customer programs, preferably in defense or aerospace manufacturing.
- Direct experience managing defense, aerospace, or other complex manufacturing programs.
- Strong understanding of program management fundamentals, including scope, schedule, cost, risk, change management, and customer communication.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams without relying on direct reporting authority.
- Ability to manage multiple complex programs, priorities, and customer commitments simultaneously.
- Strong working knowledge of manufacturing operations, production planning, supply chain, quality, and engineering workflows.
- Experience identifying program risks and driving corrective or recovery plans through completion.
- Experience communicating program performance to customers and senior leadership.
- Ability to interpret customer requirements, technical documentation, statements of work, specifications, and contractual requirements.
- Experience working within AS9100, ISO 9001, or similarly regulated quality environments.
- Experience with ERP/MRP systems and program planning tools.
- Ability to work at a computer for extended periods and regularly walk and stand throughout an active manufacturing environment.
- Ability to occasionally bend, reach, and access production areas; occasionally lift and carry up to 25 lbs.
- Ability to work safely in an active manufacturing environment and wear required PPE, including safety glasses, hearing protection, and steel-toed footwear.
- Visual ability to review technical drawings, customer requirements, schedules, ERP records, and manufacturing documentation.
- Ability to communicate effectively with employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
- Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations to conform to U.S. government export regulations, including ITAR.
Nice To Haves
- Defense industry experience, including familiarity with defense customer expectations, contractual flow-downs, configuration management, controlled technical information, and mission-critical program execution.
- Experience with DoD programs, prime contractors, FAR/DFARS requirements, ITAR/export-controlled environments, and CUI requirements.
Responsibilities
- Own complex defense programs from award through delivery, including scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk, and customer commitments.
- Serve as a primary customer interface, building relationships and proactively communicating status, milestones, risks, changes, and recovery plans.
- Translate customer, contractual, and technical requirements into internal priorities, deliverables, schedules, and ownership.
- Lead cross-functional program execution across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and operations.
- Develop and maintain integrated program schedules, milestones, action plans, risk registers, and other program controls.
- Identify program risks, including capacity, material, supplier, technical, quality, and schedule constraints, and drive mitigation plans.
- Lead internal and customer-facing program reviews, presenting complex information clearly to support decisions.
- Manage changes in customer requirements, scope, schedule, and priorities, ensuring impacts are understood and communicated across the organization.
- Monitor program performance, identify gaps against plan, and drive recovery actions when programs fall behind.
- Partner with operations and supply chain to align demand, capacity, material availability, and production priorities with program requirements.
- Support defense-specific customer and contractual requirements, including documentation, configuration control, traceability, quality, security, and applicable flow-down requirements.
- Lead structured lessons learned and after-action reviews to improve future program execution.
- Help establish scalable program management tools, standards, and operating rhythms as the defense business grows.
- Serve as a senior resource and mentor to other program and project team members.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
