Program Manager, Aircraft

Swarmaero; United States; À distance; USD 170 000 - 210 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Equity in company

Medical, dental, vision

401k

Paid time off

Résumé du poste

Swarm Aero is building the world's first swarming UAV network, advancing research programs and the C2 software to mobilize swarms of autonomous assets. You will join the PMO to own research programs, controlling cost, schedule, scope, risk, and customer relationships.

You will coordinate across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and flight test, ensuring on-time delivery and adherence to contract milestones.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in program management, with 4+ years on aircraft/UAS programs.
• Direct DoD R&D contract experience (S&T, prototype, or 6.2/6.3).
• Experience taking aircraft hardware through build and test to first flight.
• Knowledge of government contract execution: CDRLs, modifications, and reporting.
• Hands-on IMS development (MS Project/Primavera/Smartsheet) and EVM.
• Ability to run several efforts simultaneously with clear priority calls.
• Strong briefing skills for engineers, executives, and government managers.
• US person per ITAR; ability to obtain security clearance.

Responsabilités

• Own research programs end to end as the primary contact for government PMs and contracting teams.
• Drive program execution on the aircraft program from design reviews through fabrication, integration, ground test, and flight test.
• Build and maintain the integrated master schedule (IMS) across efforts.
• Own budgets and burn, track funding, and flag variances with a recovery plan.
• Deliver contract requirements: 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).
• Coordinate engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and flight test; deconflict assets.
• Manage scope changes, contract modifications, and follow-on work with contracts and business development teams.
• Build PMO tools and processes for future aircraft programs.

Connaissances

Program management

DoD contracting

IMS development

Budget tracking

EVM concepts

MS Project

Primavera

Clear communicator

US person status

Outils

MS Project

Primavera

Smartsheet

Description du poste

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

Compensation: $170K – $210K

• $170K – $210K