Director, Program Management

AeroVironment, Inc.; Strathearn (CA); On-site; USD 139,000 - 212,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401K with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Paid holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. is seeking a Product Line Director to own a complete product line from inception through end-of-life. You will drive roadmaps, coordinate with Program Management and Engineering, and align with executive strategy to meet company goals.

You will partner with marketing, BD, and sales to refine pricing and features while maintaining rigorous budget discipline and an aerospace-grade standard for quality and compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field (required).
• Proven track record of leading large product lines and delivering results.
• Experience with profit and loss management in a technology company.

Responsibilities

• Holds complete responsibility for a specific loitering munition product line.
• Leads the product line lifecycle from inception to sunset.
• Defines product roadmaps and coordinates with engineering, operations, and GTM teams.
• Manages budgets and drives ITAR/compliance considerations.
• Collaborates with Marketing and Business Development on pricing and features.
• Communicates roadmaps to customers and internal stakeholders.

Skills

Lifecycle management

Roadmapping

Executive communication

Budget management

P&L management

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Engineering degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Worker Type Regular Job Description Summary

The Product Line Director designs, develops and leads activities for a specific group of products for AeroVironment, including planning through production release and end of product life. This position communicates and facilitates relationships with customers, socializes roadmaps with internal teams, partners with executive and strategy teams, and works daily with Program Management and Engineering. Will define creative, high quality, complex roadmaps for missions, products, and capabilities to achieve the company’s strategic goals.

Position Responsibilities

• Holds complete responsibility, accountability, and authority for a specific loitering munition product line
• Leads the product line through entire lifecycle from inception to sunset
• Provides leadership on new product introduction activities with engineering and operations and ensures alignment with the Go-to-Market plans
• Effectively balances customer and business needs when planning and retiring products
• Establishes, communicates, and achieves buy-in for product line strategies
• Works with customer programs to manage new pursuits and contract negotiations
• Able to provide guidance and direction for new business pursuits and proposal efforts
• Collaborates with Marketing and Business Development to define product pricing, promotion, placement, and preferred features
• Collaborates with stakeholders to develop Product Requirements
• Consults with CTO office and/or engineering on latest technologies and their inclusion within the product roadmap
• Manages prioritization and trade-offs among projects to effectively balance products needs with resource availability
• Interfaces and collaborates with customers to understand concept of operations and problem statements
• Creates buy-in for the product vision both internally and with key customers
• Leads fiscal year budgeting for product line R&D and sustainment activities and holds budget accountability
• Evaluates addressable markets, risks, opportunities, and competitors to support current and future business pursuits
• Provides leadership guidance to the execution teams working within the product line

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related is required or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Minimum of 15+ years’ relevant experience
• Experience taking 3 major systems to market in a low rate or full rate production environment
• Proven track record of taking ownership and driving results – is a self-starter and self-directed
• Demonstrated experience managing profit and loss in a technology company
• 5+ years experience managing development budgets
• Experienced in, and is comfortable with, presenting to executive leadership
• Experienced in product road mapping, R&D, and product sustainment activities
• Knowledge of weapon systems and products, with a track record of managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Experience with delivering mature systems to Domestic and International customers
• Experience managing the work of others and job tasking
• Familiarity with managing Profit/Loss
• Demonstrated computer skills and proficiency with office productivity software
• Experience creating and building teams through the use of leadership attributes

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Advanced degree preferred
• Leads with rapid agility to deal with shifting priorities, demands, and timelines
• Leads by example and fosters a culture of leadership and teamwork
• Displays strong critical thinking skills, demonstrated ability to analyze and break down problems into components
• Exhibits exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
• Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties
• Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives
• Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company
• Focuses on teamwork and puts the success of the team above one's own interests

Physical Demands Ability to sit, stand, stoop, reach, lift (up to 10 lbs.), bend, etc. Hand and wrist dexterity to utilize the computer. May require travel to sites/program and special functions.

Special Requirements U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) or asylee/refugee status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) required Must be able to travel within the Continental U.S. and internationally when required. Clearance Level No Clearance

The salary range for this role is:

$139,000 - $212,000 AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement:

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations ("ITAR") and/or the Export Administration Regulations ("EAR"). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A "U.S. person" according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits:

AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown.

For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

About AV:

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best. We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve. Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next. If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans.

AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR U.S. Citizenship required

ITAR U.S. Citizenship required

About AV:

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best. We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve. Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next. If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

Careers at AeroVironment