Program Manager – Production Automation

griffonaerospace; Madison (AL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary & benefits package

Job summary

Griffon Aerospace in Madison, AL seeks an experienced Product Manager to drive manufacturing improvements across UAS production lines, including process development and automation. You will coordinate engineering, production, and quality to keep programs on schedule, on budget, and aligned to contract requirements.

The role focuses on leading manufacturing initiatives, automation projects, and outward-facing activities with customers and government offices, while leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, materials science, business, or related field
• Proven ability to plan, schedule, and execute multi-disciplinary manufacturing projects on time and on budget
• Strong knowledge of project management fundamentals: scope, schedule, risk, and budget

Responsibilities

• Lead program management for manufacturing capacity and process improvement initiatives from kickoff through execution
• Coordinate manufacturing initiatives supporting UAS production across engineering, production, and quality
• Lead manufacturing automation projects from concept to implementation with internal teams and vendors
• Manage outward-facing activities including customer status reporting and milestone reviews
• Collaborate with engineering and production to resolve materials, process, and manufacturing issues impacting cost, schedule, or quality
• Drive risk identification and mitigation with proactive escalation and risk registers

Skills

Project management

Aerospace manufacturing

Automation projects

Lean Six Sigma

ERP/PLM systems

CAD/document workflows

Cross-functional collaboration

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree (engineering / materials science / business)

Tools

MS Project

Job description

Griffon Aerospace, a leader in the exciting Unmanned Aerial System industry, is seeking a Product Manager to lead manufacturing improvement initiatives across our UAS production lines, including process development and manufacturing automation. This role will own project execution across both internal manufacturing initiatives and external customer-facing deliverables, coordinating engineering, production, and quality functions to keep programs on schedule, on budget, and aligned to contract requirements. The growing Madison, AL based small business is seeking innovative individuals who want to join an up tempo, maker culture that proudly provides products and services to support the American Warfighter!

PRIMARY PROJECT FOCUS

• Serve as program manager for manufacturing capacity and process improvement initiatives, owning schedule, budget, risk, and deliverable tracking from kickoff through execution
• Coordinate inward-facing manufacturing initiatives supporting UAS production, including process development, materials/process qualification, and production line readiness
• Lead manufacturing automation projects, coordinating with engineering, production, and outside vendors from concept through implementation to reduce touch labor and improve repeatability
• Manage outward-facing program activities, including customer status reporting, milestone reviews, and coordination with government program offices
• Partner with engineering and production to resolve materials, process, and manufacturing issues affecting cost, schedule, or quality
• Drive risk identification and mitigation across assigned projects, maintaining risk registers and escalating issues proactively

DESIRED SKILLS/EXPERIENCE

• 5+ years of project or program management experience in aerospace, defense, or advanced manufacturing
• Background in materials and process engineering, such as composite fabrication, metallics, bonding/adhesives, or manufacturing process qualification
• Experience managing production line stand-ups, process development efforts, or manufacturing scale-up projects
• Experience with automation projects such as robotics, CNC integration, or fixture/tooling development
• Familiarity with UAS/UAV production environments
• PMP certification or equivalent formal project management training
• Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies
• Experience with ERP/PLM systems (e.g., Visual ERP, ePDM) and CAD-adjacent documentation workflows

REQUIRED SKILLS/EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, materials science, business, or a related technical field; equivalent experience will be considered
• Proven ability to plan, schedule, and execute multi-disciplinary manufacturing projects on time and on budget
• Strong working knowledge of project management fundamentals, including scope, schedule, risk, and budget management
• Manufacturing experience, with working knowledge of materials and process considerations affecting production (e.g., composites, metallics, finishing, or assembly processes)
• Ability to coordinate across engineering, production, quality, supply chain, and outside contractors/vendors
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to interface effectively with all levels of management, customers, and government representatives
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and shifting priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment
• Proficiency with project management and scheduling tools (e.g., MS Project or similar)

JOB LOCATION

• Madison, Alabama, United States

POSITION TYPE

• Full-Time/Regular/Salary

COMPENSATION/BENEFITS

• Competitive Salary/Comprehensive Benefits Package

US CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED

• Yes

ABILITY TO OBTAIN SECURITY CLEARANCE

• Yes