Senior Technical Program Manager

RED CAT HOLDINGS•Torrance, CA

1d•$132,595 - $198,950

About The Position

The Senior Technical Program Manager leads complex, cross-functional technical programs throughout the hardware development lifecycle for UAS products, from early concept and architecture through validation, production ramp, and lifecycle sustainment. The role owns program execution across technical scope, schedule, resources, risks, dependencies, and cross-functional deliverables, keeping engineering and operational teams aligned with program objectives. The position partners with Engineering, Product, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Operations to establish priorities, resolve cross-functional issues, drive technical tradeoffs, and deliver against cost, schedule, quality, and performance objectives. It also contributes to the organization's program execution framework, coaches teams on program practices, and improves hardware development and delivery processes. The position is located at Flightwave in Torrance, California. It requires a post-offer background check. Work involving ITAR/EAR-controlled hardware, software, technology, or technical data requires proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residence and no need for sponsorship for export-restricted work authorization. The company participates in E-Verify.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Electrical, or Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
At least 7 years of experience leading complex engineering or technical programs as a Technical Program Manager, IPT Lead, Systems Engineering Lead, or in an equivalent cross-functional leadership role.
Experience with active risk and opportunity management while balancing parallel paths and tradeoffs such as schedule, cost, and performance.
Excellent communication, technical fluency, and program-tracking instincts.
Proven ability to lead and influence without direct management authority.
Strong attention to detail and experience coordinating across engineering, product, and operations teams.
Experience with project scheduling tools, including Gantt tools; Smartsheet is preferred.
Familiarity with modern project-management or Kanban applications such as Jira, Trello, Linear, or Notion.
Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residence and not require sponsorship for export-restricted work authorization.

Nice To Haves

Experience with vision systems, autonomous or unmanned systems, aerospace platforms, or other regulated or high-reliability products.
Familiarity with PCBA, propulsion, avionics, and other flight-critical hardware and their impact on project scoping and planning.
Experience leading failure-mode or root-cause investigations, especially involving complex electromechanical systems.
Experience in environments combining agile software development with gated hardware development cycles.
Experience leading highly technical programs involving infrastructure, complex systems, or systems engineering.
Deep understanding of aerospace or defense hardware development lifecycles from cradle to grave.

Responsibilities

Lead new product programs through the full lifecycle, from early concept and architecture through design, validation, and production ramp.
Work with the Product team to review Product Requirements Documents (PRDs) and Development Build Plans and align technical and business teams.
Build and drive detailed engineering program plans, including schedules, resource allocation, and risk mitigation strategies.
Develop detailed Gantt charts and use agile methods and tools, including Scrum and Kanban, to plan and execute programs.
Facilitate cross-functional peer reviews and lead design reviews (PDR/CDR/MRR) across mechanical, electrical, firmware, software, and manufacturing teams.
Identify and manage interdependencies among engineering disciplines, supply chain, and external partners.
Serve as the primary contact for program status, tradeoffs, and decisions; escalate risks and unblock teams as needed.
Manage the product lifecycle from requirements and architecture through implementation, integration, verification, and release.
Maintain program-level visibility across concurrent workstreams and actively manage critical-path activities, dependencies, risks, and decisions.
Facilitate technical trade studies and decisions when performance, cost, schedule, or requirements conflict.
Drive DFMEA activities with engineering and technical individual contributors, using manufacturing feedback to support iterative product development.
Promote the PDP process and accelerate R&D and waterfall hardware development processes and delivery methodologies.
Perform other duties as assigned.