Director, Program Management Office (PMO)

Job Description

Job Description

Director, Program Management Office (PMO)

Tucson, AZ

Ondas is building a new kind of intelligence company, one designed for a world where speed, autonomy, and decision advantage matter more than ever. By combining multi-domain platforms, advanced sensing, secure networks, and AI-enabled analytics, Ondas helps defense, government, and critical infrastructure customers transform complex mission data into decision-ready insights when and where they matter most.

Ondas Sentinel is Ondas’ U.S.based defense division, purpose-built to deliver U.S.made, U.S. delivered capabilities for the Department of Defense and allied ministries of defense. The division brings together advanced autonomous systems, mission technologies, and intelligence solutions that help customers create persistent awareness, operate with confidence, and make faster decisions in complex and contested environments.

The Stratospheric ISR business unit within Ondas Sentinel is focused on one of the most unique mission areas in aerospace and defense: manufacturing and operating high-altitude stratospheric balloon systems. Few companies in the world can do this work at operational scale. That means our teams are not simply maintaining existing systems; they are building new capabilities, solving first-of-their-kind challenges, and helping define what persistent stratospheric intelligence can become.

Job Description

The Director, Program Management Office (PMO) leads the program management function for Ondas Sentinel’s Stratospheric ISR business unit. Reporting to the VP Programs, this role is responsible for establishing the standards, operating rhythms, tools, and governance needed to execute programs with clarity, discipline, and predictability. The Director, PMO partners across Programs, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality & Safety, Finance, Contracts, Business Development, Mission Operations, and executive leadership to ensure program commitments are translated into integrated plans and delivered against cost, schedule, technical, quality, and customer expectations.

The ideal candidate is an experienced program management leader with a strong background in aerospace, defense, advanced technology, government contracting, or another complex technical environment. Success in this role requires strong execution discipline, comfort operating across integrated product teams, excellent customer and executive communication skills, and the ability to build a scalable PMO that strengthens accountability, visibility, risk management, and decision-making across a growing program portfolio.

This role is based on-site in Tucson, Arizona and requires regular engagement with program, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, finance, contracts, business development, and flight operations teams. Travel may be required to support customers, suppliers, other company locations, program reviews, proposal activities, and operational readiness events.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mature the Program Management Office for the Stratospheric ISR business unit, establishing clear standards for program planning, execution, governance, reporting, and accountability.
• Develop and maintain program management frameworks, tools, templates, operating rhythms, dashboards, and review cadences that improve visibility into cost, schedule, technical performance, risks, dependencies, and customer commitments.
• Oversee the health and execution of the program portfolio, ensuring programs have integrated master schedules, resource plans, risk registers, action tracking, decision logs, change control, and recovery plans where needed.
• Partner closely with program managers, integrated product teams, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality & Safety, Finance, Contracts, Business Development, and Mission Operations to align priorities, resolve barriers, and drive disciplined execution.
• Support proposal, capture, and contract transition activities by ensuring program assumptions, schedules, resource needs, risks, deliverables, and execution plans are realistic, aligned, and actionable.
• Establish consistent program reporting for executive leadership and customers, including clear communication of progress, risks, issues, financial performance, schedule status, dependencies, and required decisions.
• Strengthen program financial discipline in partnership with Finance, including support for budgets, forecasts, estimate-at-complete reviews, margin awareness, cost controls, and tradeoff analysis.
• Drive risk, issue, opportunity, and dependency management across programs, ensuring mitigation plans are owned, tracked, communicated, and escalated appropriately.
• Build, lead, mentor, and develop program management talent, creating a culture of ownership, cross-functional collaboration, customer focus, continuous improvement, and disciplined follow-through.
• Continuously improve PMO processes to support scalability, compliance, quality, speed, and repeatable execution as the Stratospheric ISR business unit grows.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Business, Program Management, Operations, Finance, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive program management, technical program leadership, operations, or portfolio execution experience, including experience leading program managers or cross-functional program teams.
• Demonstrated success leading complex hardware, aerospace, defense, autonomous systems, advanced manufacturing, government contracting, or mission-critical technology programs.
• Strong understanding of program management fundamentals, including scope, schedule, cost, risk, issue management, change control, integrated planning, stakeholder management, and executive reporting.
• Experience establishing or improving PMO frameworks, governance models, operating cadences, dashboards, metrics, templates, and repeatable program execution practices.
• Ability to lead through influence across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, Contracts, Business Development, Operations, and executive stakeholders.
• Strong business and financial acumen, with experience supporting program budgets, forecasts, cost controls, earned value concepts, estimate-at-complete reviews, or similar program financial management practices.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to brief executives, customers, and cross-functional teams on complex program status, tradeoffs, risks, and decisions in a clear and actionable way.
• Experience with U.S. Government, defense, aerospace, or regulated customer environments preferred, including familiarity with FAR/DFARS, contract deliverables, compliance expectations, and customer program reviews.
• PMP, PgMP, PMI-ACP, Agile, Lean Six Sigma, DAWIA, or similar certification preferred.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance, as required by program needs.

What We Offer

As Director, Program Management Office, you will help build the execution engine behind Ondas Sentinel’s Stratospheric ISR business unit, strengthening how complex programs are planned, governed, communicated, and delivered for customers.

You will work side by side with experts in emerging technology, gaining exposure to cutting edge ideas and projects that are shaping the future. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance because we believe in taking care of the you as a person, not just a team member.

Our Tucson workplace is designed to support collaboration, focus, and well-being, with an on-site environment that keeps program management, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and mission teams closely connected to the work and the mission.

We believe in creating a dynamic and inclusive workplace where creativity thrives, and every voice is heard. Our commitment to all team members is built upon five core cultural pillars: Engage, Lean In, Create, Care, and Own. Together, these pillars form the foundation of our employee experience while adhering to the highest standards of ethical and sustainable practices.

Some Final Notes

The description gives you a sense of what the position involves but is not an exhaustive list. We are a growing and evolving team, which means your responsibilities may shift or expand over time as new opportunities arise. Flexibility and curiosity are part of what make our work exciting!

At Ondas Sentinel, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate belonging and diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members. We welcome applications from every background and life experience because we know our differences make us stronger.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.