PROGRAM MANAGER-R&D - SR. PROGRAM MANAGER-R&D - AF Bomber Business Development - WPAFB - Dayton, OH

Southwest Research Institute; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Southwest Research Institute in Dayton, Ohio, seeks a senior leader to drive USAF avionics programs from reverse engineering to flight-worthy systems. You will own end-to-end governance, manage scope, IMS, risk, and customer confidence across bomber portfolios, and shape demand through targeted marketing and roadmap alignment.

You will partner with SwRI engineering to translate requirements into executable plans, ensuring technical rigor and readiness, while building an ongoing cadence with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Systems Engineering; other degrees considered with relevant USAF bomber-engineering PM experience.
• 12+ years: leadership of large, high-complexity USAF bomber programs, managing scope, risk, schedule, and cost across stakeholders.
• 12+ years: bomber-focused growth execution from demand shaping through proposal, negotiation, award, and expansion.
• 10+ years: advanced program analytics and control using MS Excel/Word/Outlook/PowerPoint/Project to produce baselines and forecasts.
• 12+ years: capture practitioner for bomber community: cadence, win themes, and proposal development.
• Valid/clear driver's license required.

Responsibilities

• Lead integrated execution of high-complexity avionics programs; direct cross-functional staff, resolve priority conflicts, and drive technical/schedule decisions to keep delivery predictable and integration-ready.
• Manage program team performance-tasking, accountability, resourcing, and escalation paths—removing blockers and maintaining clear ownership across engineering and suppliers.
• Run bomber-community BD cadence: customer engagements, opportunity shaping, call reports, and action tracking—turning conversations into funded momentum.
• Conduct formal program control (IMS health, EVM/burn, forecast) and publish exec briefs with variances, root causes, and recovery plans.

Skills

Leadership

Program management

Business development

Scheduling & cost control

Cross-functional leadership

MS Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Systems Engineering

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

PowerPoint

MS Project

Outlook

Job description

WHO WE ARE:

The Strategic Aerospace Department within the Defense & Intelligence Solutions Division delivers cutting-edge engineering services to enhance the warfighter's capabilities across bomber, tanker, and heavy aircraft platforms. We specialize in world-class research, design, and support, providing innovative solutions to modern challenges and legacy systems for the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command, Department of Defense, allied nations, and the U.S. Government, ensuring mission readiness and technological superiority.

OBJECTIVES OF THIS ROLE:

Lead execution of USAF-awarded avionics programs, delivering cost/schedule/performance outcomes from reverse engineering through flight-worthy, integration-ready systems.Own end-to-end program governance (scope, IMS, risk, EV, stakeholders), enabling predictable delivery and customer confidence across WPAFB bomber portfolios.Drive bomber-community marketing and business development: shape demand, align roadmaps to mission needs, and convert insights into funded opportunities.Partner with SwRI engineering to translate requirements into executable plans, ensuring technical rigor, readiness, and seamless platform integration.Build and manage customer engagement cadence, capture artifacts, and win strategy to expand contract value, accelerate award-to-execution, and strengthen long-term USAF trust.

DAILY AND MONTHLY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead integrated execution of high-complexity avionics programs; direct cross-functional staff, resolve priority conflicts, and drive technical/schedule decisions to keep delivery predictable and integration-ready.Manage program team performance-tasking, accountability, resourcing, and escalation paths-removing blockers and maintaining clear ownership across engineering, and suppliers.Run bomber-community BD cadence-customer engagements, opportunity shaping, call reports, and action tracking-turning conversations into next steps, artifacts, and funded momentum.Conduct formal program control (IMS health, EVM/burn, forecast) and publish exec/customer-ready briefs with variances, root causes, and recovery plans.Own pipeline and marketing execution-capture plans, partner strategy, win themes, collateral refresh, and leadership reviews-advancing priority USAF opportunities toward award.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Requires a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering. Other degree disciplines may be considered with sufficient, directly relevant U.S. Air Force-particularly bomber-community-engineering project/program management experience.
• 12 + years: Demonstrated leadership of large, high-complexity USAF bomber sustainment and modernization programs, delivering integration-ready avionics outcomes while managing scope, risk, schedule, and cost across multiple stakeholders.
• 12+ years: Proven bomber-focused growth execution: lead marketing/BD from demand shaping through proposal, negotiation, award, and on-contract expansion; build ROMs/budgetaries, compliant proposals, IMS, and cost models to win.
• 10+ years: Advanced program analytics and control using MS Excel/Word/Outlook/PowerPoint/Project to produce financial baselines, EVM tracking, forecasts, and executive/customer-ready decision briefs.
• 12+ years: Expert capture practitioner for the bomber community: sustain customer/partner cadence, document call reports, craft win themes, drive partner strategy, and lead proposal development to convert pipeline into awards.
• A valid/clear driver's license is required.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Work assignment is in Dayton, Ohio. Applicant selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Applicant must be a U.S. citizen.

JOB LOCATIONS:

Dayton, Ohio

MILITARY FRIENDLY:

Your military experience may apply to this position

BENEFITS INFORMATION:

• For benefits information at our San Antonio location, click here.
• For benefits information at all other locations, click here.

ABOUT THIS DIVISION:

For more information about this division, visit the Defense & Intelligence Solutions home page.

AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and veteran status.