Aerospace Program Manager – Lead Complex Defense Programs

Thomas Global Systems; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive remuneration

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Thomas Global Systems in Irvine, CA is seeking a Technical Program Manager to lead complex aerospace and defense programs from contract award to delivery. You will coordinate engineering, operations, supply chain, finance, contracts, scheduling, and risk management to ensure schedule, cost, and technical performance meet contractual objectives.

The role requires a strong background in earned value management, IMS/CPM, and cross-functional leadership, with a track record in government programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or similar degree.
• Minimum of 8 years of technical program management experience in aerospace or defense, 10+ years preferred.
• Proven track record of government program management.
• Experience in earned value management and cost-plus type programs.
• Strong understanding of engineering practices and the ability to discuss and convey technical problems and solutions between the technical teams and upper management/customers
• Strong understanding of Integrated Master Scheduling, Critical Path Method (CPM), EVM/EVMS, schedule risk analysis, and program risk management.
• Working knowledge of EIA-748, DCMA schedule assessment practices, and NDIA PASEG preferred.
• Ability to interpret schedule, cost, risk, and contractual information and translate it into effective program decisions.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams and coordinating across engineering, operations, supply chain, finance, contracts, and customers.
• Strong analytical, communication, leadership, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with Microsoft Project and familiarity with schedule-risk or program-control tools.
• U.S. person status required due to applicable export control requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead overall program execution, including scope, schedule, cost, technical performance, risk, and customer commitments.
• Provide direction for development and maintenance of the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) and ensure it accurately reflects the program execution strategy, key dependencies, milestones, and contractual commitments.
• Review schedule health, critical and driving paths, schedule margin, and emerging schedule risks, and lead development of corrective or recovery actions.
• Oversee Schedule Risk Assessments (SRA) and evaluate confidence-level, sensitivity, and risk-driver results to support program decisions and mitigation planning.
• Monitor Earned Value Management (EVM) and other program performance indicators, identify significant variances and trends, and ensure appropriate corrective actions are implemented.
• Work with the scheduler, risk management, contracts, finance, engineering, and other functional specialists to integrate program information into a coherent execution plan.
• Maintain overall ownership of the program risk and opportunity posture and ensure significant risks have appropriate mitigation plans and schedule/cost impacts.
• Ensure program execution complies with applicable contractual requirements, Statements of Work, SDRLs, and customer reporting requirements.
• Lead customer and management reviews, including PMRs, SMRs, earned value reviews, schedule reviews, and risk reviews.
• Manage customer expectations, contractual commitments, priorities, and changes in coordination with the Contracts function.
• Identify resource, supplier, technical, and cross-functional issues that may affect program performance and drive timely resolution.
• Provide clear program status, forecasts, risks, and recommended actions to executive management and customers.

Skills

Technical program management

Aerospace/defense knowledge

Earned Value Management

Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)

CPM scheduling

Microsoft Project

Cross-functional leadership

Customer communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or similar

Tools

Microsoft Project

Job description

Thomas Global Systems in Irvine, CA is seeking a Technical Program Manager to lead complex aerospace and defense programs from contract award to delivery. You will coordinate engineering, operations, supply chain, finance, contracts, scheduling, and risk management to ensure schedule, cost, and technical performance meet contractual objectives.

The role requires a strong background in earned value management, IMS/CPM, and cross-functional leadership, with a track record in government programs.