Location : Lake Forest, CA

Salary : $150,000 — $175,000

Bonus : $10/k – $15k – profit sharing

Position Summary

Seeking a Program Manager to lead the execution of multiple complex production and sustainment programs. These programs involve standing up new U.S.-based manufacturing and repair capabilities, replicating existing production lines, and executing disciplined ramps from low-rate to full-rate production. This role reports directly to the Senior Vice President, Advanced Technology Programs and is highly execution focused. The ideal candidate is hands-on, hardware-literate, and comfortable working at the intersection of engineering, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain in a regulated production environment.

Key Responsibilities

Program Execution and Ownership

• Own end-to-end program execution for assigned advanced technology programs, including scope, cost, schedule, risk, and performance.
• Execute programs using structured, milestone-based processes aligned with U.S. DoD program execution
• expectations, including defined phase gates, entrance and exit criteria, and formal reviews.
• Serve as the primary program interface between our Company and the corporate parent’s program and production teams.
• Lead integrated program teams across engineering, manufacturing, quality, test, and supply chain.

Cost, Schedule, and Performance Management

• Develop, maintain, and execute detailed Integrated Master Schedules (IMS) aligned with contractual milestones and production readiness events.
• Establish and manage program budgets and track actuals, including forecasting Estimate at Completion (EAC) and Estimate to Complete (ETC).
• Understand and track program costs at a practical level, including labor, material, tooling, test, and capital impacts.
• Identify program risks and opportunities early and lead mitigation planning and execution.

Manufacturing and Industrialization Programs

• Manage the transition of an existing off-site repair and diagnostic facility to our company’s full responsibility, including:
  • Knowledge transfer, staffing ramp, and assumption of operational responsibility.
  • Lead replication of the repair capability at our company’s headquarters.
• Manage the build-out of a new production facility and production line, including:
  • Replication of corporate-provided line layouts, tooling concepts, and test approaches
  • Installation and qualification of environmental test chambers and verification equipment
  • Readiness for LRIP and transition to FRP

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Work closely with Production Systems Engineering to ensure production line layouts, tooling, work instructions, and test plans support schedule and cost objectives.
• Partner with Ǫuality Engineering to ensure compliance with program requirements, reporting expectations,
• supplier quality, and qualification activities.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain and Planning to support development and qualification of a U.S.-based supplier base for mechanical, optical, and electronic components.
• Support hiring, onboarding, training, and readiness of technicians performing assembly, test, repair, and validation activities.

Requirements, Documentation, and Interfaces

• Understand and manage program requirements, statements of work (SOWs), and contractual deliverables.
• Be comfortable working with indented bills of material (BOMs), production routings, and test flows to
• understand cost and schedule drivers.
• Prepare and deliver program reviews, milestone reviews, and status briefings to internal leadership and
• corporate stakeholders.
• Ensure accurate and timely program documentation and reporting.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, Business, or a related technical discipline.
• 5-10 years of experience in program management within aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated hardware manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or leading programs involving production line stand-up, manufacturing transition, or industrialization of complex hardware.

Program and Technical Background

• Strong working knowledge of cost and schedule management, including budgets, EAC and ETC forecasting, and IMS ownership.
• Experience executing programs with formal milestones, reviews, and production readiness criteria.
• Exposure to electro-optical systems, thermal imaging systems, precision opto-mechanical assemblies, or similar complex hardware is strongly preferred.

Skills and Attributes

• Hands-on, detail-oriented, and execution-focused.
• Able to operate independently while coordinating across multiple functional organizations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate technical and manufacturing details into program-level insight.
• Proven ability to drive issues to closure in fast-moving, ambiguous environments.

Why Us?

• Competitive Benefits: Medical plan coverage, 401k plan with employer matching, Paid time-off, Tuition reimbursement, Profit sharing
• High-impact mission support: Your work contributes to critical surveillance platforms used by US DoD, DHS, NASA, and international clients.
• Modular, future-proof design: Work with systems built for long-term operation and upgradeability.
• Quality-driven environment: Operate within AS9100D and ISO 9001 certified processes