Lead Avionics Program Manager – USAF Bomber Systems

Southwest Research Institute; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Southwest Research Institute in Dayton, Ohio, seeks a senior leader to drive USAF avionics programs from reverse engineering to flight-worthy systems. You will own end-to-end governance, manage scope, IMS, risk, and customer confidence across bomber portfolios, and shape demand through targeted marketing and roadmap alignment.

You will partner with SwRI engineering to translate requirements into executable plans, ensuring technical rigor and readiness, while building an ongoing cadence with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Systems Engineering; other degrees considered with relevant USAF bomber-engineering PM experience.
• 12+ years: leadership of large, high-complexity USAF bomber programs, managing scope, risk, schedule, and cost across stakeholders.
• 12+ years: bomber-focused growth execution from demand shaping through proposal, negotiation, award, and expansion.
• 10+ years: advanced program analytics and control using MS Excel/Word/Outlook/PowerPoint/Project to produce baselines and forecasts.
• 12+ years: capture practitioner for bomber community: cadence, win themes, and proposal development.
• Valid/clear driver's license required.

Responsibilities

• Lead integrated execution of high-complexity avionics programs; direct cross-functional staff, resolve priority conflicts, and drive technical/schedule decisions to keep delivery predictable and integration-ready.
• Manage program team performance-tasking, accountability, resourcing, and escalation paths—removing blockers and maintaining clear ownership across engineering and suppliers.
• Run bomber-community BD cadence: customer engagements, opportunity shaping, call reports, and action tracking—turning conversations into funded momentum.
• Conduct formal program control (IMS health, EVM/burn, forecast) and publish exec briefs with variances, root causes, and recovery plans.

Skills

Leadership

Program management

Business development

Scheduling & cost control

Cross-functional leadership

MS Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Systems Engineering

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

PowerPoint

MS Project

Outlook

Job description

Southwest Research Institute in Dayton, Ohio, seeks a senior leader to drive USAF avionics programs from reverse engineering to flight-worthy systems. You will own end-to-end governance, manage scope, IMS, risk, and customer confidence across bomber portfolios, and shape demand through targeted marketing and roadmap alignment.

You will partner with SwRI engineering to translate requirements into executable plans, ensuring technical rigor and readiness, while building an ongoing cadence with