Lead Program Manager

American Flowform & Machining; Billerica (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Aerospace and Defense seeks a Lead Program Manager to guide a team of program managers and directly manage complex DoD defense contracts. You will align cross-functional engineering, agile development, and shop-floor manufacturing to meet strict customer quality and schedule goals.

The role requires enabling leadership, risk management, and continuous improvement across programs, with a focus on compliance and performance in a precision manufacturing setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (engineering, operations, business, or supply chain).
• 3+ years of direct program management experience in aerospace/defense/high-precision manufacturing.
• U.S. citizen due to federal contracts and ITAR/EAR data exposure.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Program Managers, establishing accountability, career growth, and succession planning.
• Manage a portfolio of defense manufacturing programs from award through shipment and closeout, tracking cost, schedule, quality, risk, and schedules.
• Serve as the primary customer interface for technical requirements, reviews, and contract negotiations with internal teams.
• Drive continuous improvement using Lean, Six Sigma, SPC, DOEs; oversee ERP systems to optimize production lines.

Skills

PMP Certification

Lean Six Sigma

ITAR/DFARS compliance

DoD experience

ERP systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Lead Program Manager to join our growing aerospace manufacturing team. The Lead Program Manager bridges strategic leadership and hands-on execution for our Billerica location. You will lead, mentor, and develop a team of Program Managers while personally managing complex defense manufacturing and R&D programs. This role ensures a continuous, controlled operation by aligning cross-functional engineering, agile development, and shop-floor manufacturing to meet strict customer quality and schedule goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Program Managers, fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture. Establishing clear accountability and drive performance evaluations, career growth, and succession planning.
• Manage a portfolio of complex defense manufacturing programs from contract award through shipment and closeout, monitoring cost, schedule, quality, risk mitigation, and integrated schedules.
• Serve as the primary customer interface for technical requirements, status reviews, and contract negotiations, while collaborating closely with internal manufacturing, suppliers, and leadership.
• Drive continuous improvement using Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, SPC, and DOEs; oversee defect analysis, standardized work, and manufacturing ERP systems to optimize production lines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Operations Management, Business, Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 3+ years of direct program management experience, ideally within an aerospace, defense, or high-precision manufacturing environment.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen due to the nature of the work, compliance with federal contracts, and exposure to ITAR/EAR-regulated technical data.

Skills & Abilities

• PMP (Project Management Professional) Certification (Preferred).
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma certification (Preferred).
• Direct experience with ITAR and DFARS compliance; familiarity with AS9100 quality management systems.
• Proven experience supporting U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) customers and programs.
• Proficiency with manufacturing ERP systems such as Epicor, JobBOSS, or similar shop-floor software.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by and employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to:

• Walk; sit; stand; bend; lift; reach with hands and arms; stoop; kneel; crouch; crawl; use hands to fingers; handle or feel objects; and move continually during working hours
• Lift over 10 pounds, along with over the head lifting
• Vision abilities, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust and focus
• Able to work flexible hours – including over-time, and weekends to meet customer demands

Personal Protective Equipment required to perform the essential functions of this job

• ANSI rated metatarsal shoes
• Safety glasses

The job description is:

• Intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this job title. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills and behaviors of employees in this job.
• Not an employment agreement or contract. Applied Aerospace and Defense has the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice.
• Intended to describe the essential functions of the position that a qualified individual must be able to perform, either with or without reasonable accommodation.

Applied Aerospace and Defense will provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants without regard to applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, gender, genetic information, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other status protected by federal or state law. The company will provide reasonable accommodations to allow an applicant to participate in the hiring process if so requested.