General Manager Projects

Data Patterns; Chennai District; On-site; INR 15,000,000 - 20,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Data Patterns in Chennai is seeking a General Manager – Projects to lead the execution of complex defense electronics projects. The role demands strong project management skills and a deep technical understanding in high-frequency hardware.

The ideal candidate should have 25-30 years of experience, bridging engineering and production teams while managing key defense stakeholder relationships. Familiarity with defense standards is crucial for successful project delivery.

Qualifications

• 25 to 30 years of experience required.
• Must have deep understanding of defense electronics.
• Experience with high-frequency hardware and project management is essential.

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end project execution and delivery.
• Act as primary technical liaison for defense stakeholders.
• Coordinate operations with supply chain and production teams.

Skills

Project Management

Technical Understanding

Customer & Stakeholder Management

Cross-Functional Coordination

Education

B.E. / B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering or Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Preferred: M.Tech in related fields or an MBA

Job description

Qualification

• B.E. / B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) or Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE).
• Preferred: M.Tech in Avionics, Radar, Microwave, Digital Signal Processing, or an MBA in Project Management / Operations.
• Ex-Defence Officers: Commissioned Technical Officers retired/transitioning from the Indian Navy (Electrical Branch) or Indian Air Force (Technical Branch) are highly preferred.

Experience

25 to 30 Years

Domain Focus

Radars, Electronic Warfare (EW), and Strategic Communication Systems

Reporting To

Chief Operating Officer (COO) / Head of Projects

Role Objective

The General Manager – Projects will spearhead the execution, integration, and lifecycle delivery of complex defense electronics projects.

This senior leadership role demands a seamless blend of deep technical understanding in high-frequency hardware and a disciplined, strategic approach to defense project management.

The ideal candidate will bridge the gap between engineering design teams, production, and Indian Defence customers to ensure delivery on time, within budget, and to exacting military standards.

Key Responsibilities

1. End-to-End Project Execution & Delivery

   Oversee multi-disciplinary project teams across diverse engineering verticals (Hardware Design, RF & Microwave, FPGA, Software, and Production).

   Establish rigorous project schedules, baseline execution milestones, and implement continuous risk-mitigation strategies.

   Ensure all systems are designed and qualified strictly to defense standards, including MIL-STD-810 (environmental) and MIL-STD-461 (EMI/EMC).

2. Customer & Stakeholder Management

   Act as the primary technical and managerial liaison for key defense stakeholders, including DRDO labs, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, and defense PSUs.

   Guide teams through critical defense milestone reviews, including System Requirement Specifications (SyRS), Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR), and Critical Design Reviews (CDR).

   Manage acceptance testing protocols, overseeing Factory Acceptance Trials (FAT) and Joint Field Evaluation / Site Acceptance Trials (SAT).

3. Cross-Functional Operations Coordination

   Collaborate tightly with the Supply Chain Management (SCM) team to guarantee timely procurement of highly specialized, high-reliability electronic and mechanical components.

   Partner with the Production and Quality Assurance (QA/QC) teams to streamline manufacturing workflows, environmental stress screening (ESS), and ensure compliance with AS9100 Rev D standards.

   Dynamically allocate resources across multiple active project streams to eliminate delivery bottlenecks.

   Solid experience handling the induction, maintenance, system upgrade, or trials of modern Radar systems, Electronic Warfare suites (Jammers/Receivers), or advanced tactical Communication Networks.

Age Criteria

Preferable: Less than 52 years old as of the date of application.

Domain-Specific Expertise

• Radars: Deep understanding of radar signal processing, transmitter/receiver sub-systems, or active electronically scanned arrays (AESA).
• Electronic Warfare (EW): Hands-on exposure to SIGINT/ELINT systems, RF/Microwave architectures, or jammer power amplifiers.
• Communication Systems: Familiarity with high-speed digital designs, V/UHF software-defined radios (SDRs), and secure communication protocols.