Sr. Operations Project Manager – Defense & Aerospace Segment

Jabil•Tampa, FL

About The Position

At Jabil we strive to make ANYTHING POSSIBLE and EVERYTHING BETTER. We are proud to be a trusted partner for the world's top brands, offering comprehensive engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain solutions. With over 50 years of experience across industries and a vast network of over 100 sites worldwide, Jabil combines global reach with local expertise to deliver both scalable and customized solutions. Our commitment extends beyond business success as we strive to build sustainable processes that minimize environmental impact and foster vibrant and diverse communities around the globe. Location: St. Petersburg, FL The Senior Project Operations Manager leads strategic initiatives for large, complex and multi-site projects in the Defense and Aerospace segment, ensuring successful execution from new product introduction (NPI) and product transfers to mass production. This role demands deep expertise in project management, operational leadership, and strict adherence to ITAR compliance. The Sr. Project Operations Manager will provide guidance to cross-functional teams, manages customer relationships and is accountable for project schedules, performance and regulatory compliance. This role is part of the North America project management office and requires coordination across multiple sites and functions.

Requirements

Accountability: Takes ownership for project outcomes and decisions, ensuring commitments are met across all sites.
Adaptability: Navigates changing priorities, environments and requirements in multi-site and cross-functional contexts.
Critical Thinking: Analyzes complex problems, identifies root causes and develops effective solutions.
Collaboration: Works effectively with diverse teams across regions, functions, and cultures to achieve shared goals.
Decision Making: Makes timely, informed decisions, balancing risks and benefits for project and organizational success.
Empathy: Understands and considers the perspectives and needs of team members, stakeholders, and customers.
Learning Agility: Quickly acquires new knowledge and skills, adapting to evolving technologies and processes.
Problem Solving: Proactively identifies issues and implements solutions to keep projects on track.
Relationship Building: Establishes and maintains strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Verbal & Written Communication: Communicates clearly and effectively with teams, management, and customers, ensuring alignment and transparency.
Active Listening: Pays close attention to feedback and concerns, fostering an inclusive and responsive project environment.
Delegation & Empowerment: Assigns responsibilities appropriately, empowering team members to contribute and grow.
Negotiation & Mentoring: Facilitates agreements and supports the development of others within the project management office.
Project Monitoring: Tracks progress, milestones and deliverables across multiple sites using project management tools (Celoxis, MS Project, Smartsheet).
Project Risk Management: Identifies, assesses and mitigates risks at both site and regional levels.
Project Planning & Scheduling: Develops detailed project plans and schedules, coordinating resources and activities across locations.
Project Scope Management: Defines and controls project scope, ensuring alignment with customer and organizational objectives.
Issue Escalation & Reporting: Manages issue resolution and escalates critical concerns to appropriate stakeholders.
Stakeholder Analysis: Identifies and manages stakeholder expectations, ensuring effective engagement and communication.
Data Analysis & Resource Management: Analyzes project data to inform decisions and optimize resource allocation.
Manufacturing Process Knowledge: Understands Jabil Operating System, workcell management, engineering and quality tools (FMEA, DFx, Quality & control plan) and internal audit capability.
Financial Impact Analysis: Understands P&L and key financial metrics, supporting budget and cost decision-making processes.
Change Management: Leads product and process change management activities, including root cause analysis (8D) and statistical analysis (SPC, CPK, MSA).
Technical Knowledge: Understands customer products, process design, development, material readiness, equipment/facility readiness, and process/product qualification.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business Administration or related field; master’s ideal.
Minimum of 8 years’ experience in project management or related discipline, ideally in defense/aerospace manufacturing.
Prior engineering/technical/quality/planning background.
Experience working in a matrix organization and interacting with business units/functions in manufacturing.
Experience in advanced product quality planning (APQP).
Strong English communication skills.
Domestic travel up to 30%
This position requires use of information which is subject to compliance with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). To conform to U.S. Government export regulations/ITAR, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
ITAR Compliance: With increasing regulatory requirements, the role emphasizes knowledge in ITAR and defense industry standards.

Nice To Haves

Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent ideal.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business Administration or related field; master’s ideal.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage cross-functional and multi-site project teams to deliver defense and aerospace projects on time and within budget.
Oversee project planning, execution, monitoring and closure activities, applying PLCM principles and tools (e.g. Gantt charts, risk management).
Ensure and supports compliance with ITAR regulations and other relevant defense industry standards.
Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, quality and supply chain teams across sites to optimize project outcomes and ensure readiness for mass production.
Develop and maintain project documentation, schedules and performance metrics.
Identify and mitigate project risks, implement corrective actions and escalate issues as needed.
Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, including customers and vendors.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and project delivery.
Manage project scope, budgets, schedules, risks, issues, execution and status.
Ensure all stakeholders are properly informed about project progress and issues during all phases.
Support cross-project audits and compliance activities.
Demonstrate a commitment to customer service and problem-solving.