Project Manager - Programs

Black Sky Aerospace Pty Ltd; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Black Sky Aerospace Pty Ltd is seeking a Project Manager - Programs to own the delivery of R&D programs from concept to tested hardware. You will break complex programs into work packages, own schedule, budget and risk, and coordinate engineering teams and external customers to keep the work moving toward testing.

This role offers genuine ownership across program scope, baselines and changes under configuration control, with emphasis on AS9100, WHS and readiness for security clearance.

Qualifications

• Strong project or program management experience on technical development or R&D programs that deliver hardware.
• Technical background with project management qualifications.
• Strong planning, scheduling, budgeting and risk management skills.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary engineering teams and external customers.
• Strong commercial acumen and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in a fast-paced or growing organization.
• Australian citizenship and eligibility to obtain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead R&D programs end to end, owning scope, schedule, budget, quality and risk.
• Break programs into clear work packages, milestones and deliverables, and allocate work across engineering teams.
• Coordinate mechanical, avionics, energetics and test teams so dependencies are managed and work is not blocked.
• Manage external customers, subcontractors and suppliers, including scope, contracts, cost and delivery.
• Plan and support test campaigns, including test readiness, safety and results review.
• Support design reviews (CoDR, PDR, CDR), and keep baselines and changes under configuration control.
• Manage reporting to the Program Manager, executive team and customers.
• Make sure program records meet AS9100, WHS and customer requirements

Skills

Project management

Technical background

Planning

Scheduling

Budgeting

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Education

Engineering degree

PM qualification

Job description

Black Sky Aerospace Pty Ltd – Crestmead QLD

Black Sky Industries is an Australian company delivering sovereign capability across the defence and space sectors. We design and manufacture advanced technology here in Queensland, and we're growing our team as we scale.

The role

As our Project Manager - Programs, you'll own the delivery of our research and development programs, from early concept to tested hardware. You'll break complex programs into clear work packages, own schedule, budget and risk, coordinate our engineering teams and external customers, and keep the work moving to test. This is a role with genuine ownership: you'll run the programs and elevate only what needs a portfolio-level decision.

Key responsibilities

• Lead R&D programs end to end, owning scope, schedule, budget, quality and risk
• Break programs into clear work packages, milestones and deliverables, and allocate work across engineering teams
• Coordinate mechanical, avionics, energetics and test teams so dependencies are managed and work is not blocked
• Manage external customers, subcontractors and suppliers, including scope, contracts, cost and delivery
• Plan and support test campaigns, including test readiness, safety and results review
• Support design reviews (CoDR, PDR, CDR), and keep baselines and changes under configuration control
• Manage reporting to the Program Manager, executive team and customers
• Make sure program records meet AS9100, WHS and customer requirements

What you'll bring

• Strong project or program management experience on technical development or R&D programs that deliver hardware
• Technical background with project management qualifications
• Strong planning, scheduling, budgeting and risk management skills
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary engineering teams and external customers
• Strong commercial acumen and stakeholder management skills
• Experience in a fast-paced or growing organization
• Australian citizenship and eligibility to obtain a security clearance

Highly regarded

• Experience with propulsion, solid rocket motors or energetics
• Experience planning and running test campaigns
• Experience in defence, aerospace or another regulated engineering environment
• Experience with government-funded or customer-funded R&D programs
• Experience working within an AS9100 quality management system
• Exposure to manufacturing environment (low-rate production to full rate production)
• A current NV1 security clearance and/or a willingness to obtain one
• Meaningful work building sovereign capability for Australia
• A capable, close-knit team
• Broad exposure across engineering, manufacturing and operations

• Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in Australia?
• Are you an Australian citizen eligible to obtain a security clearance?
• How many years' experience do you have managing R&D or technical development programs?
• Do you hold a tertiary qualification in engineering or project management?
• Have you planned or run hardware test campaigns?
• Have you worked in an AS9100 or ISO 9001 certified environment?
• Do you have a current National Police Certificate?