Vice President, Programs Stratospheric ISR

World View•Tucson, AZ

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Vice President, Programs leads program execution and integrated delivery for Ondas Sentinel’s Stratospheric ISR business unit. Reporting to the EVP, Stratospheric ISR, this role works in close partnership with the EVP to oversee Engineering, the Program Management Office, Mission Control, and Launch & Recovery for the company’s stratospheric craft, missions, and systems. The Vice President, Programs is accountable for translating customer, business, and technical priorities into disciplined program execution, ensuring teams deliver against cost, schedule, technical, quality, operational, and mission commitments. The ideal candidate is an experienced program, engineering, mission operations, or aerospace systems executive with deep experience leading complex technical programs in aerospace, defense, autonomous systems, government contracting, or a similarly demanding mission environment. Success in this role requires strong execution discipline, executive presence, cross-functional leadership, customer orientation, and the ability to align engineering, program management, mission control, and launch and recovery teams around clear priorities and accountable delivery. This role is based on-site in Tucson, Arizona and requires regular engagement with engineering, program management, manufacturing, supply chain, quality and safety, finance, contracts, business development, mission control, launch and recovery, and executive leadership teams. Travel may be required to support customers, suppliers, other company locations, program reviews, proposal activities, launch operations, and mission readiness events.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Program Management, Operations, Business, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
15+ years of progressive program, engineering, mission operations, aerospace systems, or technical delivery leadership experience, including significant experience leading leaders in a complex technical environment.
Demonstrated success leading complex aerospace, defense, autonomous systems, high-reliability hardware, government contracting, or mission-critical technology programs.
Strong understanding of program management fundamentals, systems engineering, integrated planning, technical execution, mission readiness, launch operations, risk management, change control, and operational performance management.
Experience building or operating within disciplined quality, safety, and compliance environments, including technical reviews, readiness processes, nonconformance management, corrective action, audit readiness, and document control.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional execution across Engineering, PMO, Mission Control, Launch & Recovery, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, Contracts, Business Development, and executive stakeholders.
Strong business and financial acumen, with experience supporting program budgets, forecasts, cost controls, estimate-at-completion reviews, resource tradeoffs, and executive-level decision-making.
Experience with U.S. Government, defense, aerospace, or regulated customer environments preferred, including familiarity with program commitments, compliance expectations, contract deliverables, and customer program reviews.
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance, as required by program needs.

Nice To Haves

Preferred experience with high-altitude platforms, stratospheric systems, flight operations, mission control environments, launch and recovery operations, unmanned systems, or other aerospace mission systems.

Responsibilities

Lead program execution for the Stratospheric ISR business unit, ensuring clear ownership of customer commitments, cost, schedule, technical performance, operational readiness, and mission outcomes.
Work in close partnership with the EVP, Stratospheric ISR to oversee Engineering, the Program Management Office, Mission Control, and Launch & Recovery, ensuring priorities are aligned and decisions are made at the right level.
Translate business unit strategy, customer needs, contract requirements, and technical roadmaps into integrated program plans, operating rhythms, milestones, risks, resource needs, and execution priorities.
Build, lead, and develop program, engineering, mission operations, and launch and recovery leaders, creating a culture of accountability, disciplined execution, cross-functional collaboration, continuous improvement, and mission focus.
Partner closely with VP Products, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality & Safety, Finance, Contracts, Business Development, and shared services to align program priorities with product delivery, customer commitments, and business unit objectives.
Oversee program portfolio health, ensuring programs have integrated schedules, resource plans, technical baselines, risk registers, action tracking, decision logs, financial visibility, and recovery plans where needed.
Establish and manage operating cadences and KPIs across program performance, engineering execution, mission readiness, launch and recovery readiness, cost, schedule, technical risk, quality, and customer deliverables; provide clear executive reporting on performance, risks, and decisions required.
Strengthen program governance, including program reviews, change control, configuration alignment, technical readiness reviews, mission readiness reviews, launch readiness processes, and post-mission learning loops.
Partner with Quality & Safety to ensure engineering, program, mission control, and launch and recovery activities support safe operations, audit readiness, nonconformance management, corrective action, regulatory expectations, and customer confidence.
Develop budgets, staffing plans, resource models, program management systems, mission operations improvements, and execution roadmaps to support growth of the Stratospheric ISR business unit.