Defense Production Program Lead — Scale & Optimize

Anduril Industries; Ashville (AL); On-site; USD 127,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking a Production Program Manager for Roadrunner to oversee manufacturing and the production lifecycle. You will collaborate with engineering, supply chain, operations, quality, and leadership to ensure on-time, within-scope, and on-budget delivery of production programs.

Travel up to 25% is expected. The role requires a strong foundation in manufacturing operations and the ability to translate prototypes into scalable production for defense technologies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Operations Management or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in operations program management, production, manufacturing, preferably in defense, aerospace, or complex hardware industries.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, supply chain management, and production workflows.
• Experience launching new products with condensed timelines.
• Experience with project management methodologies (Agile, Lean, TPS, Six Sigma, etc.).
• Proficiency in project management tools (Jira, Confluence, MS Project, Gantt Charts).
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Strong communication and leadership abilities to influence and align cross functional teams.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with evolving priorities.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Process Optimization - Drive continuous improvement initiatives aligned with our COGs objectives to enhance production efficiency, scalability, and cost effectiveness during the development and pre-production phase.
• Budget & Cost Control - Monitor project budgets, track progress and ensure we are continually focused on identifying and solving issues to enable a successful transition to full scale production.
• Stakeholder Communication - Provide regular updates to internal teams and leadership, ensuring transparency on project status, risks, and solutions.
• Resource Management - Ensure appropriate allocation of materials, labor and equipment to meet production readiness goals.
• Risk Management - Identify, assess, and mitigate potential risks and roadblocks that could impact project timelines or operational readiness.
• Cross Functional Collaboration - Coordinate between engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, program management, growth, quality and leadership teams to align pre-production efforts with business objectives leading up to program transition to full scale production.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Operations Management or related field

Tools

Jira

Confluence

MS Project

Gantt Charts

Job description

Anduril Industries is seeking a Production Program Manager for Roadrunner to oversee manufacturing and the production lifecycle. You will collaborate with engineering, supply chain, operations, quality, and leadership to ensure on-time, within-scope, and on-budget delivery of production programs.

Travel up to 25% is expected. The role requires a strong foundation in manufacturing operations and the ability to translate prototypes into scalable production for defense technologies.