Program Operations Manager

Aitech Systems; West Chatsworth (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Aitech Defense Systems in Chatsworth, CA, seeks a Program Operations Manager, an individual contributor responsible for cross-functional visibility across the Order-to-Cash lifecycle from order fulfillment through shipment and invoicing.

You will partner with Planning & Control, Production, Quality, Shipping and Finance to monitor backlog, track commitments, identify risks to schedules, and escalate issues while ensuring on-time customer delivery and revenue recognition under ITAR guidelines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in Operations, Supply Chain, Program Management, or a related function
• Demonstrated experience managing or coordinating Order-to-Cash or order fulfillment processes in a manufacturing or production environment
• Experience working cross-functionally with Planning, Production, Program Management, Quality, Shipping, and Finance
• Experience using ERP/MRP systems to track order status, fulfillment, shipments, and invoicing
• Strong understanding of order lifecycle management, customer commitment tracking, and shipment/invoicing dependencies
• Ability to identify, prioritize, communicate, and elevate order-fulfillment constraints affecting customer schedules
• Demonstrated ability to drive execution through influence and accountability across cross-functional teams without direct authority
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Experience developing and using operational metrics, dashboards, and reporting tools to support decision-making
• Prior experience in defense, aerospace, or another regulated manufacturing environment preferred

Responsibilities

• Coordinate Order-to-Cash process from order to invoicing and schedule readiness
• Review customer order backlog and track commitments and shipment status
• Identify risks to schedules and escalate to leadership
• Coordinate with Planning, Production, Quality, Shipping, and Finance
• Maintain operational metrics on backlog, shipments, and revenue risk
• Support data discipline and continuous improvement across Order-to-Cash

Skills

Cross-functional coordination

Analytical thinking

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree

5+ years in Operations/Supply Chain

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Aitech Defense Systems is renowned for its innovation in rugged embedded systems, designed to operate reliably in the challenging environments of military, defense, aerospace, and space applications. Founded in 1983, Aitech has a rich history of pioneering advancements such as the world’s first conduction-cooled MIL-SPEC VMEbus board and has continually evolved its product line to include state-of-the-art SBCs, GPGPU-based AI applications, and advanced cybersecurity for mission-critical systems.

Reports to:

Chief Delivery Officer

Role Classification:

Individual Contributor – No Direct Reports

Summary

The Program Operations Manager is an individual contributor responsible for driving cross-functional visibility, coordination, and accountability across the Order-to-Cash lifecycle for ADSI US Operations—from order fulfillment through shipment and invoicing. This role owns operational visibility, backlog governance, and cross-functional coordination across the Order-to-Cash lifecycle. The Program Operations Manager identifies and escalates schedule and fulfillment risks and partners with Planning & Control (PP&C), Production, Program Delivery, Quality, Shipping, and Finance to help ensure customer commitments are met. The Program Operations Manager does not have direct supervisory responsibility for employees within Production, PP&C, Supply Chain, Shipping, Quality, or Finance. Functional departments retain ownership and authority for their respective operational activities. This role drives cross-functional execution by owning visibility, coordinating stakeholders, identifying risks, and driving timely follow-up and escalation.

What You Will Do

Order-to-Cash & Customer Commitment Coordination

• Manage the Order-to-Cash process, driving visibility and accountability from order fulfillment through shipment and invoicing
• Own the operational review of customer order backlog and maintain visibility of committed dates, schedule assumptions, shipment readiness, and invoicing status
• Track customer orders end-to-end and identify potential schedule or fulfillment risks ahead of committed shipment and delivery dates
• Facilitate cross-functional discussions to address risks that may impact customer commitments
• Escalate significant schedule, fulfillment, shipment, or invoicing risks to appropriate functional leaders and the Chief Delivery Officer

Cross-Functional Operational Coordination

• Partner with Planning & Control to ensure customer order commitments and schedule requirements are appropriately reflected in operational planning
• Partner with Production and Quality to identify and elevate constraints that may affect order fulfillment or customer commitments
• Partner with Program Delivery Managers, PP&C, Production, Quality, Shipping, and Finance to maintain alignment regarding customer commitments, contract milestones, shipment requirements, and order status
• Participate in daily tier meetings and relevant SIOP activities to provide visibility regarding customer orders, schedule risks, delivery commitments, and shipment readiness
• Convene appropriate stakeholders when cross-functional issues require resolution or escalation
• Production and PP&C retain ownership of production execution, production scheduling, material planning, resource allocation, and schedule attainment. This position supports those functions through coordination, visibility, follow-up, and escalation and does not assume their functional management responsibilities

Shipment, Invoicing & Revenue Visibility

• Track shipment readiness and shipment status and coordinate with Shipping and Finance to support timely invoicing
• Maintain visibility of orders and shipments that may affect revenue timing
• Identify and report revenue-at-risk associated with shipment delays, quality holds, material shortages, export/import compliance constraints, customer readiness, or other fulfillment issues
• Coordinate with appropriate functional owners to ensure issues affecting shipment or invoicing are visible and appropriately escalated
• Develop, maintain, and communicate operational reporting and performance metrics regarding backlog, shipment status, customer commitments, and revenue-at-risk

Systems, Data & Process Discipline

• Drive visibility to and escalation of data inaccuracies affecting order status, backlog commitments, shipment status, and invoicing information
• Monitor order status, shipment status, backlog commitments, and invoicing information to ensure operational reporting accurately reflects current execution status
• Identify data inconsistencies or process gaps and coordinate with the appropriate functional owner for resolution
• Support continuous improvement initiatives related to Order-to-Cash visibility, reporting, coordination, and cross-functional communication

Compliance & Operational Support

• Coordinate with functional owners to help ensure order and shipment activities comply with applicable quality and export/import requirements
• Support internal and external audits and corrective-action activities related to Order-to-Cash, order fulfillment, and shipment execution
• Coordinate with Production, PP&C, Program Delivery, Quality, Shipping, Finance, and external service providers on order execution matters as required

Role

This position is designed as a cross-functional individual contributor role, to work together with different functions and does not:

• Directly supervise or manage employee
• Own material planning, MRP planning, purchasing, procurement, or inventory management
• Establish employee performance goals, conduct performance evaluations, or make personnel decisions for functional teams
• Replace the functional responsibilities of Production, PP&C, Supply Chain, Quality, Shipping, Finance, or Program Delivery

The Program Operations Manager drives results primarily through influence, coordination, data visibility, accountability, follow-up, and escalation rather than direct functional or personnel authority.

Growth Path

As Aitech scales, this position may expand into broader responsibility for Order-to-Cash execution, operational performance reporting, customer backlog management, and fulfillment governance across multiple sites or business units. Any future expansion of the role will be evaluated based on organizational needs and may require an updated job description.

The expected annual salary range for this role is $125,000 - $150,000 a year.

Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in Operations, Supply Chain, Program Management, or a related function
• Demonstrated experience managing or coordinating Order-to-Cash or order fulfillment processes in a manufacturing or production environment
• Experience working cross-functionally with Planning, Production, Program Management, Quality, Shipping, and Finance
• Experience using ERP/MRP systems to track order status, fulfillment, shipments, and invoicing
• Strong understanding of order lifecycle management, customer commitment tracking, and shipment/invoicing dependencies
• Ability to identify, prioritize, communicate, and elevate order-fulfillment constraints affecting customer schedules
• Demonstrated ability to drive execution through influence and accountability across cross-functional teams without direct authority
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Experience developing and using operational metrics, dashboards, and reporting tools to support decision-making
• Prior experience in defense, aerospace, or another regulated manufacturing environment preferred

This position requires use of information or access to hardware which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All applicants must be U.S. persons within the meaning of ITAR. ITAR defines a U.S. person as a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (i.e. 'Green Card Holder'), Political Asylee, or Refugee.

Relocation benefit is not offered for this position. Only candidates residing within 50 miles radius of Chatsworth, CA will be considered for this position.