Senior Aerospace & Defense Program Manager

Firestorm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and visions plans

401(k) Retirement Savings Plan

Unlimited PTO

Holiday calendar with December hiatus

Parental Leave

FSA

HSA

Hospital Indemnity insurance

Critical Illness insurance

Life/AD&D

Job summary

Firestorm, based in San Diego, CA, seeks a Senior Technical Program Manager to lead end-to-end aerospace and defense programs. You will drive schedules, budgets, and technical baselines across engineering, manufacturing, and business teams to deliver high-performance systems for national security.

Ideal candidates have 7+ years in managing complex programs, DoD experience, and strong leadership and communication skills. This role offers relocation assistance and domestic travel up to 10%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 7+ years leading and managing complex, technical programs, preferably in aerospace, defense, or electromechanical systems; Or, 9+ years of relevant experience in lieu of a degree).
• Proven ability to integrate cost, schedule, and technical baselines for high-impact, cross-functional programs.

Responsibilities

• Create, maintain, and track detailed program schedules, budgets, and resource plans for global programs, guiding them from concept through New Product Introduction (NPI) and full deployment.
• Advocate for program resources, budget, and priority, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and customer expectations.
• Monitor and report on program and project status, highlighting key metrics and milestones, and driving accountability across teams.
• Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate program risks, escalating when necessary to ensure that objectives are met on time and within budget.
• Lead the development of solutions to resolve program issues, ensuring timely delivery, cost efficiency, and technical excellence.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards, regulatory requirements, and internal policies across all program phases.
• Implement and oversee variant management strategies, ensuring seamless integration and delivery of tailored solutions.
• Negotiate terms related to performance, delivery, and cost with Sales and Business Development, ensuring that all agreements align with program goals.
• Act as the primary point of contact for coordination between engineering, product, manufacturing, quality, and business teams to drive collaboration and successful execution.
• Act as the primary customer contact for program activities, including project and program reviews, ensuring strong communication and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Partner with Marketing, Sales, and Business Development teams to produce customer-facing documentation, ensuring it aligns with program objectives and client needs.
• Work and negotiate with vendors on contracts and agreements to secure necessary resources and services for program execution.
• Coordinate planning, preparation, and execution of product demonstrations and test events, showcasing technical capabilities and meeting customer requirements.
• Collaborate with Engineering teams to continually improve product offerings, advocating for new features and innovations that will benefit the program and exceed customer expectations.
• Lead cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Program management

Cross-functional collaboration

Jira

MS Project

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering or related field

Master’s degree in Engineering, Engineering Management, or MBA

Tools

Jira

MS Project

Job description

Firestorm, based in San Diego, CA, seeks a Senior Technical Program Manager to lead end-to-end aerospace and defense programs. You will drive schedules, budgets, and technical baselines across engineering, manufacturing, and business teams to deliver high-performance systems for national security.

Ideal candidates have 7+ years in managing complex programs, DoD experience, and strong leadership and communication skills. This role offers relocation assistance and domestic travel up to 10%.