Senior Program Manager

Eleven Recruiting is searching for a Senior Program Manager to join one of our largest Aerospace Manufacturing clients sitting onsite in Santa Ana, CA. The Program Manager will be overseeing the delivery of complex commercial, military, and space component programs. This individual will be responsible for managing the full product lifecycle — from development through production — ensuring all program objectives related to cost, quality, delivery, and customer satisfaction are met. The Program Manager will serve as the primary liaison between internal teams and external customers, maintaining strong control over schedules, budgets, and technical execution.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for customer communications regarding program schedules, technical requirements, contract deliverables, and status updates.
• Manage and coordinate customer orders, engineering changes, change requests, and RFQs.
• Maintain full financial ownership of assigned programs, including tracking costs, forecasting, earned value analysis, and internal/external reporting.
• Lead cross-functional teams across engineering, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain to achieve program milestones and resolve issues.
• Ensure compliance with all internal procedures, customer specifications, and regulatory standards (e.g., AS9100, ITAR).
• Drive accountability by using KPIs, earned value metrics, and program reviews to monitor performance and course-correct when needed.
• Lead risk identification and mitigation planning to maintain program stability.
• Coordinate the timely delivery of hardware/software and contract data requirements.
• Provide detailed reporting and recommendations to senior leadership and customers.
• Support new business proposals and assist with developing cost and technical narratives.
• Champion a culture of operational excellence, continuous improvement, and proactive problem-solving.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Manufacturing, Engineering, or a related technical field is required.
• Minimum of 10 years of program or project management experience in the aerospace or defense industry.
• Proven success in managing complex aerospace or space-related programs through the full product lifecycle.
• Experience working with aerospace primes and Tier 1 customers such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, or the U.S. Department of Defense.
• Strong technical understanding of aerospace product development, including fabrication, composites, ducting systems, and mechanical assemblies.
• Knowledge of AS9100D quality standards, ITAR/EAR compliance, and defense industry requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams through development, prototyping, production, and delivery.
• Skilled in coordinating with manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and engineering to meet customer requirements and resolve production issues.
• Proficient in MRP/ERP systems to support material and production planning.
• Advanced financial acumen; experienced in cost analysis, scheduling, budgeting, and earned value management.
• Strong command of Microsoft Office, including MS Project, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with a strong customer-facing presence.
• Ability to lead in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment with a high level of ownership and accountability.

Salary: $150,000 - $175,000