Program Manager, Aircraft

Roboticsconnected; Oxnard (CA); Remote; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Competitive base salary

Health benefits

401k

PTO and sick leave

Wellness stipend

Catered lunches

Parental leave

Job summary

Swarm Aero is seeking a seasoned Program Manager to lead our PMO for aerospace research programs. You will own cost, schedule, scope, risk, and customer relationships, with direct exposure to DoD contracting and government program managers.

You will drive end-to-end program execution across design, fabrication, integration, ground and flight tests, coordinating with engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and QA. A U.S. security clearance is preferred.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in program management with 4+ years on aerospace/DoD programs.
• Experience managing government DoD contracts (S&T, prototype, 6.2/6.3).
• Track record taking aircraft hardware through build and test to first flight.
• Knowledge of CDRLs, funded vs ceiling value, and customer reporting.
• Hands-on with IMS development and EVM concepts.
• Ability to prioritize multiple efforts and brief diverse stakeholders.
• U.S. person status and ability to obtain security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own research programs end-to-end as primary point of contact for government program managers.
• Drive program execution from design reviews through fabrication and flight test.
• Build and maintain the integrated master schedule (IMS) tied to milestones.
• Own budgets, track funding, and flag variances with recovery plans.
• Deliver contract requirements: CDRLs, status reports, technical reports.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams across engineering, manufacturing, and test.
• Manage scope changes and contract modifications with contracts and BD teams.
• Develop PMO tools and processes for adding future aircraft programs.

Skills

Program management

DoD contracts

IMS development

Budget tracking

Clear communication

Security clearance

ITAR compliance

Tools

MS Project

Primavera

Smartsheet

Job description

Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and the most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming, as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results.

The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars, and designed and built 30+ novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic.

Our aircraft work is scaling fast. Our Group 5 aircraft program runs alongside a growing set of research programs, with design, build, supply chain, and test all moving in parallel. We need one strong Program Manager to lead program management across all of it.

You will join our Program Management Office, reporting to the Director of PMO. You will take full ownership of our research programs and partner with the Director to run the aircraft program, owning cost, schedule, scope, risk, and the customer relationship. You will be the person who knows where every aircraft effort actually stands on any given day.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Own our research programs end to end as the primary point of contact for government program managers and contracting teams
• Drive program execution on our aircraft program with the Director of PMO, from design reviews through fabrication, integration, ground test, and flight test
• Build and maintain the integrated master schedule (IMS) across both efforts, tied to contract milestones and test events
• Own budgets and burn, track against funding, and flag variance early with a recovery plan
• Deliver contract requirements on time: CDRLs, monthly status and financial reports, technical reports, and final deliverables
• Run the program cadence: weekly reviews, technical interchange meetings, milestone reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR), and status to leadership and customers
• Run the risk, issue, and opportunity process and drive mitigations to closure
• Coordinate engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and flight test, and deconflict shared people, hardware, and test assets between efforts
• Manage scope changes, contract modifications, and follow‑on work with our contracts and business development teams
• Build the PMO tools and processes we will need as we add aircraft programs

WHAT YOU BRING

• 7+ years of program management, with at least 4 years owning cost, schedule, and technical performance on aircraft, UAS, or other aerospace and defense hardware programs
• Direct experience managing DoD research and development contracts (S&T, prototype, or 6.2/6.3 efforts)
• Track record taking aircraft or aerospace hardware through build and test, ideally to first flight
• Working knowledge of government contract execution: CDRLs, funded vs. ceiling value, modifications, and customer reporting
• Hands‑on with IMS development (MS Project, Primavera, Smartsheet or similar), budget tracking, and EVM concepts
• Ability to run several efforts at once and make clear priority calls when they compete
• Clear, direct communicator who can brief an engineer, an executive, and a government program manager
• U.S. person status as defined by ITAR, and ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience working with DoD research labs and innovation organizations
• Program experience on Group 3 to Group 5 UAS, collaborative autonomy, or experimental aircraft
• Experience with OTA, SBIR/STTR, or other rapid acquisition contract vehicles
• Familiarity with airworthiness and flight test planning
• Background at a startup or fast‑scaling hardware company
• Active Secret clearance or higher
• PMP or DAWIA Program Management certification

LOCATION AND DETAILS

• Location: Remote (U.S.), with regular travel to Oxnard, CA, customer sites, suppliers, and test sites
• Reports to: Director of PMO
• Export control: This role requires access to information subject to ITAR. Candidates must be U.S. persons as defined by 22 CFR 120.62.

ITAR requirement

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Swarm Aero is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse backgrounds and experiences and make employment decisions without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or disability.

What We Offer

• Meaningful equity in a high-growth defense technology company
• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience
• Medical, dental, vision, and 401k
• PTO and paid sick leave
• Monthly wellness stipend
• Daily catered lunch (office)
• Paid parental leave
• Direct impact on a critical national security mission
• A world-class team of engineers and operators solving genuinely hard problems