Aerospace Program Manager

211 Hydro-Aire Aerospace Corp.; Elyria (OH); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Paid time off

12 holidays per year

401k with company match

Education reimbursement

Job summary

Crane Aerospace & Electronics in Elyria, OH is seeking a Program Manager to lead cross-functional teams through all phases of product development, from proposal to production readiness. The role emphasizes customer satisfaction, schedule adherence, and cost targets in a DoD contractor environment.

Responsibilities include reviewing proposals, guiding IPTs, planning programs with embedded milestones, coordinating with supply chain, and ensuring designs are manufacturable and within targets.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in Program Management or related project management position.
• Strong leadership and cross-functional coordination skills.
• Technical aptitude to understand design and production processes.
• BS degree in Engineering or technical discipline.
• ITAR/US Persons eligibility due to DoD contractor status.

Responsibilities

• Review proposals and change requests for technical and business feasibility.
• Lead IPTs and coordinate product reviews across functions.
• Create and monitor detailed program plans with milestones.
• Coordinate with supply chain and operations for new product introduction.
• Maintain positive customer relationships and provide progress reviews.
• Manage scope, costs, risks, and transition to production.

Skills

Program management

Leadership

Cross-functional coordination

Budgeting

Risk management

Education

BS degree in Engineering or technical discipline

Tools

Microsoft Project

Office tools

Job description

Crane Aerospace and Electronics has an exciting opportunity for a Program Manager at our Elyria, OH location.

About Crane:

Crane Aerospace & Electronics supplies critical systems and components to the aerospace and defense markets. You’ll find Crane Aerospace & Electronics in some of the toughest environments: from engines to landing gear; from satellites to medical implants and from missiles to unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Our Crane Aerospace & Electronics Elyria facility has been a bedrock in the community-friendly town of Elyria, Ohio, for more than a century. Known for our excellence in pumping technology, our Elyria site produced the first‑ever positive displacement pump for high performance piston engine aircraft and even supplied pumps for Charles Lindbergh in the 1930s. We have more than 150,000 fuel and lubrication pumps in service today and are proud to offer custom thermal management system solutions for a range of next‑gen applications. Start the next chapter of your career with Crane Aerospace & Electronics!

Job Summary:

Program Managers provide leadership and management of cross functional business, technical, and operations teams while assuming accountability for overall success of assigned product development programs. Program management responsibilities extend from customer proposal to program inception, through the successful transition to production processing after completion of qualification testing / certification compliance and production readiness reviews. Program success is measured by customer satisfaction of the development process and technical solution, accomplishment of schedule milestones, and adherence to recurring and non‑recurring cost targets.

Essential Functions:

• Proposal Review Review and evaluate technical and business aspects of customer requests for proposals and / or change requests.
• Support and lead elements of customer bid packages and internal project appropriation requests including coordination and review of statement of work, technical proposal requirements compliance, engineering cost estimates, and program schedules.
• Program Planning Create, monitor, and update program plans in sufficient detail which define the required processes / activities of various functional groups to achieve customer defined milestones / deliverables within Crane process guidelines.
• IPT Leadership Lead, manage, and motivate Integrated Product Teams (IPT) through effective utilization of personnel assigned to the project from all functional groups within the company.
• Coordinate sufficient in‑house product reviews with various functional groups to ensure product designs are manufacturable and meet cost targets while satisfying customer specifications.
• Develop and ensure adherence to standard processes and procedures throughout all phases of the program.
• Coordinate with supply chain and operations team members to facilitate the new product introduction process and ensure program hardware delivery requirements meet customer and program needs.
• Customer Coordination Establish and maintain positive working relationships with customers through frequent oral and written communication.
• Coordinate customer required technical and program progress reviews.
• Scope Management Proactively manage project scope to ensure only what was agreed to is delivered.
• Ensure changes in scope are thoroughly documented and approved through a standardized change management process.
• Cost Management Monitor and control program costs associated with non‑recurring engineering activities during the Design and Development phases of the program.
• Maintain project team focus on the initial business model and design to cost targets related to recurring product cost.
• Schedule Management Develop and maintain a detailed resource loaded program schedule.
• Ensure all stakeholders understand the program schedule.
• Prioritize resources and tasks to drive key milestone adherence.
• Issue / Risk Management Identify, track, manage, and assist in resolving program issues.
• Identify, manage, and assist in mitigation of program risks (technical, schedule, and cost) through a standardized risk management process.
• Transition To Production Facilitate a complete and orderly transition of the product from the program’s engineering design and development phase to full scale production through a standardized production readiness review process.
• Metrics & Progress Reviews Proactively disseminate project information to stake holders (core team, leadership team, and customers) by defining, collecting data for, and presenting program metrics in a standardized program review / audit process. Metrics should be centered around program schedule, costs, and completion of program deliverables.
• Mentor Program Managers as needed on above responsibilities.
• Any other task assigned by supervisor or management.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Experience: 5 + years’ experience in Program Management or related project management type position. Preferably in automotive, aerospace or medical industries.
• Knowledge: Expert in Program Management philosophies and processes. Possess sufficient technical aptitude to understand design and production processes relate to Crane A&E products.
• Skills/Abilities: Excellent Leadership Skills, Results Focus, Customer Service Orientation, Action Orientation, Planning & Organizing, Teamwork & Cooperation, Business Acumen, Decision‑Making Skills; Proficiency in Microsoft Project and other PC based office tools.
• Education/Certification: BS degree in Engineering or technical discipline.
• Eligibility Requirement: This position may require access to Controlled Data or Information. Where the position requires such access only US Persons will be considered. As a US Department of Defense contractor, we are bound by International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Some experience in a technical field preferred, preferably aerospace MBA or comparable advanced management degree
• Formal training in Program and / or Systems Management (PMI or equivalent)
• Experience in engineering product development and certification processes
• Experience in Aerospace product development and certification processes

Top Benefits:

• Health care, dental, vision, life and disability insurance starting the first day of the month
• Time Off: 15 days of paid time off that start accruing your first day at Crane and 12 paid holidays per year.
• 401k Retirement Plan: 401k plan with company match
• Education Reimbursement: eligible after 6 months of employment

You can see a list of our benefits at https://www.craneae.com/company/careers or visit our website at www.CraneAE.com for more information on our company and great opportunities. We are committed to operational excellence and world class processes. We employ Lean manufacturing techniques to optimize manufacturing efficiency and accuracy on all product lines. Our products are known for their technical strength, proven reliability and overall value. In our efforts to maintain a safe and drug‑free workplace, Crane Aerospace & Electronics requires that candidates complete a satisfactory background check. FAA sensitive positions require employees to participate in a random drug test pool. #LI-CK1 #CAE

. This description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work being performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. Crane Company. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, general identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

At Crane, we believe that attracting and retaining the highest quality people is the best insurance of success. Our goal is to recruit talented people and train them within a culture that calls for performance with trust and respect. Join us. The unique backgrounds and differences of our associates make us stronger, more capable, and more successful. Beyond an associate’s base compensation, we reward and reinforce wellbeing with a compelling package of both cash and non‑cash benefits, including comprehensive health, wellness incentives, assistance with retirement savings, paid time off, paid holidays, and tuition reimbursement — as well as performance‑based bonus programs for certain positions. Crane prioritizes career development for our associates. All associates receive an annual development plan that includes a mixture of on‑the‑job coaching and formal training experiences to support individual development needs. We firmly believe in associate growth that supports career progression and we will proactively support your ongoing career development.