Senior Defense Production Program Lead

Slope; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 146,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries in the United States is seeking an experienced Production Program Manager for Barracuda to oversee the manufacturing and production lifecycle. You will collaborate with engineering, supply chain, operations, quality, and leadership teams to ensure on-time, within-scope, and on-budget delivery of production programs.

The role requires a strong foundation in manufacturing excellence, program management with cross-functional influence, and the ability to navigate a dynamic

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in operations program management, production or manufacturing.
• Experience launching new products with condensed timelines.
• Experience with project management methodologies (Agile, Lean, TPS, Six Sigma, etc.).
• Proficiency with Jira, Confluence, MS Project, and Gantt charts.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with evolving priorities.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Process Optimization – Drive continuous improvement initiatives aligned with our COGs objectives to enhance production efficiency, scalability, and cost effectiveness during the development and pre-production phase.
• Budget & Cost Control – Monitor project budgets, track progress and ensure we are continually focused on identifying and solving issues to enable a successful transition to full scale production.
• Stakeholder Communication – Provide regular updates to internal teams and leadership, ensuring transparency on project status, risks, and solutions.
• Resource Management – Ensure appropriate allocation of materials, labor and equipment to meet production readiness goals.
• Risk Management – Identify, assess, and mitigate potential risks and roadblocks that could impact project timelines or operational readiness.
• Cross Functional Collaboration – Coordinate between engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, program management, growth, quality and leadership teams to align pre-production efforts with business objectives leading up to program transition to full scale production.

Skills

Problem solving

Analytical thinking

Communication

Leadership

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering

Operations Management or related field

Tools

Jira

Confluence

MS Project

Gantt Charts

Job description

Anduril Industries in the United States is seeking an experienced Production Program Manager for Barracuda to oversee the manufacturing and production lifecycle. You will collaborate with engineering, supply chain, operations, quality, and leadership teams to ensure on-time, within-scope, and on-budget delivery of production programs.

The role requires a strong foundation in manufacturing excellence, program management with cross-functional influence, and the ability to navigate a dynamic