Program Manager - Material Processing

AeroVironment, Inc.; Upper Valley Trailer Court (OH); On-site; USD 107,000 - 181,000; Full time

Job summary

The Advanced Research and Development (ARD) Division at AeroVironment, Inc. is seeking a Technical Project Manager to lead the development and transition of ultra-high temperature materials for defense applications at Wright Patterson AFB, OH.

You will plan and execute interdisciplinary programs, manage budgets and risks, and collaborate with customers, leadership and engineers to meet milestones, timelines, and quality standards. U.S. citizenship and ITAR compliance are required.

Qualifications

• Master's degree with 6+ years in materials science/chemistry/related field (polymers, ceramics, metals, composites).
• At least 3 years of project management experience with early-stage defense development.
• Familiarity with refractory materials, ceramics, ceramic matrix composites, additive manufacturing, extreme materials, or related processing.
• Experience with R&D in aerospace/defense environments.
• Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead an interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers to achieve program goals and meet requirements and timelines.
• Plan, execute, monitor, and control projects with team, leadership, customers, project managers, and stakeholders as required.
• Manage resources, budgets, costs, time, quality, risks to ensure multiple projects succeed.
• Communicate financial projections, milestones, and planning to contracts requirements.
• Serve as a key resource for customers, technical team, project managers, and leadership to ensure quality and mentorship.
• Support capture and growth by writing proposals against topics and solicitations.
• Ensure projects are completed in scope, on time, within budget.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Project management experience

Team leadership

Education

Master's degree in materials science or related field

Doctoral degree in materials science or related field

Tools

PMP/Agile certification

Job description

Worker Type Regular Job Description The Advanced Research and Development (ARD) Division at AeroVironment (AV) is searching for a technical project manager to help lead the development, advancement, and transition of technologies in support of the Air Force and broader Department of War (DoW). Specifically, this work focuses on providing technical project management for development of ceramics, composites, polymers, metals, and other ultra-high temperature materials and the processing, manufacturing, and testing of above materials. The technical program manager will plan and execute programs in support of ARD customers. This role will work with team members, leadership, and other key stakeholders to review requirements, plans, and project cost accounting across multiple disciplines. Technical program managers will be flexible in providing both project management and technical leadership to meet overarching program objectives and customer requirements across a diverse range of technical efforts. This position will ensure the projects achieve their goals and meet our quality standards by effectively communicating and, in turn, driving successful impact for the program, research, and technology. The ideal candidate has a technical background and experience in project management.

Position Responsibilities

• Lead an interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers to achieve overall program goals and ensure projects meet specific requirements and timelines.
• Plan, execute, monitor, and control projects by collaborating with the team members, leadership, customers, project managers, and other stakeholders as required.
• Manage resources, budgets, costs, time, quality, risks, and other activities to ensure that multiple projects are successfully executed.
• Communicate with customers, leadership, and other stakeholders of financial projections, technical milestones and project planning to the contract(s) requirements.
• Serve as a key resource for customers, technical team, project managers, and leadership to ensure projects are executed at the level of quality, manage risks, and provide mentorship to employees.
• Drive and support company capture and growth opportunities by managing, writing, and providing proposals against topics and solicitations.
• Ensure projects are completed in scope, on time, and within budget.
• Other duties as assigned

Position Qualifications

• Master's degree with at least 6 years of experience in material science, chemical engineering, chemistry or related field with an emphasis on polymers, formulations, ceramics, metals, and composites.
• At least 3 years of project management experience with experience with early-stage development efforts for defense applications.
• Familiarity with at least one of the following areas: refractory materials, ceramics, ceramic matrix composites, additive manufacturing, extreme materials, or the processing of the above materials.
• Familiarity with research, development, testing, and evaluation within aerospace and defense industries.
• Strong communication skills including written, verbal and presentation

Preferred Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Doctoral Degree in material science, chemical engineering, chemistry or related field with an emphasis on polymers, formulations, ceramics, metals, and composites.
• Project Management certification (PMP, Agile, or other recognized certification).
• Direct experience supporting the government in developing and transitioning technologies within the defense ecosystem.
• Familiarity with technology, manufacturing, and integration readiness levels.
• Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties across multi disciplines in ceramic, polymers, testing, and metals.
• Inspires, motivates, and empowers teams and people to deliver organizational goals, while also delivering value back to employees.
• Shares ideas and experiences with others, solicits feedback and asks relevant questions.

Location, Hours and Citizenship Requirements

On-site Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH Travel required to domestic US sites - up to 10% This position follows a standard 5/40 work schedule U.S. Citizenship required.

Clearance Level Top Secret

Salary

The salary range for this role is: $106,500 - $181,000

ITAR Requirement

ITAR Requirement: This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits

Benefits: AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits. We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

About AV

About AV: AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best. We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve. Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next. If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status. ITAR U.S. Citizenship required. Must be willing to work on government contracts and have the ability to obtain a security clearance.

About AV

About AV: AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best. We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve. Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next. If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

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