Defense Vehicle Systems Program Lead

ND DEFENSE LLC; Michigan; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

ND Defense is seeking an Engineering Program Lead to oversee full-lifecycle management of military and government vehicle programs, including tactical wheeled vehicles and armored platforms. You will drive planning, execution, and delivery while ensuring compliance with DoD regulations and contractual requirements.

The role requires systems engineering expertise, program management discipline, and knowledge of defense acquisition, plus a forward-looking approach to leveraging AI and agentic

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, or Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 4 years of progressive experience in defense or automotive program/engineering management.
• Experience applying AI or agentic technologies to optimize engineering processes or program management workflows.
• Proficiency with program management tools (MS Project, JIRA, Deltek Costpoint, or equivalent EVM software).

Responsibilities

• Provide systems engineering leadership across vehicle subsystems including drivetrain, suspension, armor, electrical/electronic architecture, C4ISR integration, and survivability.
• Oversee requirements management with traceability from customer requirements through design, verification, and validation.
• Lead product and configuration definition of COTS and adapted vehicle/mission systems; review drawings, specs, trade studies, test plans.
• Drive failure analysis and corrective action processes (FMEAs, 8D reports, corrective action plans).
• Support proposal development including BOE generation, technical volumes, and risk analyses.
• Lead end-to-end technical program execution for military ground vehicle development and production contracts.
• Partner with Program Management to develop, maintain, and execute Program Management Plans (PMP) aligned with milestones and government CDRLs.
• Drive Integrated Master Schedules (IMS) for programs.
• Manage program budgets, cost-at-completion forecasts, variance reporting, and team task execution.
• Coordinate across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, test & evaluation, and QA to ensure on-time delivery.
• Chair or support program reviews including PDRs, CDRs, TRRs, and milestone briefings.
• Identify and implement AI tools to streamline engineering processes and automate routine program management tasks.

Skills

Systems engineering

Program management

Defense acquisition

AI/agentic technologies

Technical leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

MS Project

JIRA

Deltek Costpoint

Job description

ND Defense is seeking an Engineering Program Lead to oversee full-lifecycle management of military and government vehicle programs, including tactical wheeled vehicles and armored platforms. You will drive planning, execution, and delivery while ensuring compliance with DoD regulations and contractual requirements.

The role requires systems engineering expertise, program management discipline, and knowledge of defense acquisition, plus a forward-looking approach to leveraging AI and agentic