Program Manager

Purple Rhombus; Fort Worth, Austin (TX, TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Paid time off

Vision insurance

Job summary

Purple Rhombus Inc. seeks a Level 3 Program Manager to lead planning, execution, and delivery of complex UAS programs across development, test, production, and fielding.

You will own the program’s scope, schedule, cost, risk, and customer interface, serving as the decision owner for direction and corrective action. You will manage baselines, forecasts, and contract components while driving risk mitigation and change control across engineering, manufacturing, and mission operations.

Qualifications

• Eight or more years of PM experience in aerospace/UAS/defense.
• Experience with FAR/DFARS, OTA, IDIQ, CLIN tracking.
• Experience with IMS, EVMS, risk burn-down and cost ramping.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Aerospace, Systems, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Own full life-cycle responsibility for major UAS programs across development, test, production and fielding.
• Manage program baselines, forecasting, ROM, BOE generation, and pricing for follow-on awards.
• Lead program risk management and formal change control across engineering, supply chain, and cost structures.
• Interface with government and industry customers as the primary program authority.

Skills

Program management

Aerospace industry experience

FAR/DFARS knowledge

IMS/EVMS familiarity

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Aerospace/Systems

Job description

Job Description

Level 3 Program Manager – Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

Location: Fort Worth or Austin, Texas

Classification: Full-time, Exempt

Seniority: Level 3 Program Manager

Reports To: Director of Programs

Company Description

Purple Rhombus Inc. designs, builds, manufactures, and tests UAS for US government and commercial customers. Focused on producibility, Purple Rhombus aircraft are designed for scale manufacture. We are seeking mission-driven individuals to join the team to build the next generation of unmanned aircraft.

Position Overview

Purple Rhombus is seeking a Level 3 Program Manager to lead planning, execution, and delivery of complex UAS programs across development, test, production, and fielding. This role is accountable for total program performance including scope, schedule, cost, risk, technical execution and government/industry customer interface. The Level 3 PM operates as the primary customer-facing authority for assigned efforts and serves as the decision owner for program direction, recovery, escalation, and corrective action.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership and Execution

Own full life-cycle responsibility for major UAS programs including prototype, Low-rate Initial Production (LRIP), Full-rate Production (FRP), and sustainment phases. Lead integrated program planning including requirements decomposition, schedule development, manufacturing ramp preparation, supply chain alignment, and test and fielding milestones. Ensure execution against cost, schedule, performance, airworthiness, safety, and contractual requirements. Drive resolution of critical issues across engineering, manufacturing, test, quality, and mission operations.

Financial and Contractual Ownership

Own program financial baselines, forecasting, cash-flow alignment, and contract compliance. Manage Contract Research and Development (CRAD) and Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) contracts, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) awards, Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) tracking, and contract modifications. Direct proposal strategy, Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) development, Basis of Estimate (BOE) generation, and risk-adjusted pricing for follow-on awards.

Risk, Opportunity, and Change Management

Lead program risk management activities with actionable mitigations tied to technical and production execution. Implement formal change control processes across engineering, configuration, supply chain, and cost structures. Identify growth opportunities including follow-on production phases and modernization and upgrade pathways.

Required Qualifications

Eight (8) or more years of program management or project management experience in aerospace, UAS, or defense. Proven success leading multi-year, multi-vehicle, production-grade programs. Deep familiarity with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), OTA, IDIQ, Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL), CLIN structure, Military Standard (MIL-STD) qualification, and government reporting cycles. Demonstrated mastery of Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) development, Earned Value Management System (EVMS), risk burn-down, production ramp costing, and financial impacts including Net Working Capital (NWC). Experience transitioning programs from prototype through LRIP and FRP in an integrated hardware and software environment. Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Aerospace, Systems, or related technical field. Ability to travel to customer sites, test locations, and production facilities.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree in Engineering, Systems Engineering, or Program and Technical Management. Project Management Professional (PMP), Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) PM Level III, or equivalent acquisition certification. Prior experience with autonomy, Command and Control (C2) datalinks, flight test operations, payload integration, and field deployment of unmanned platforms. Experience with rapid acquisition pathways and urgent operational needs programs.

Competencies and Attributes

Executive-level communication capability with technical credibility. Decisive leadership under schedule and mission pressure. Ability to translate technical constraints into programmatic actions. Strategic thinker capable of shaping long-range production and sustainment planning. Strong accountability for mission delivery and performance outcomes.

Annual Salary

Annual salary range $140,000–$170,000

Travel

25% per year.

Benefits

• Equity
• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance