Program Manager

JOB SUMMARY The Program Manager will lead, coordinate, and execute defense and military aircraft modification programs. Reporting to the Vice President of the Integration and Sustainment Business Unit, this role is pivotal in aligning project execution with corporate strategy and national defense objectives. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with a solid background in defense program management, risk and resource management, and a proven record of delivering solutions to military customers. This position will play a significant role in developing solutions for proposal efforts to ensure seamless handoff from proposal to execution phases. Location: On-site or hybrid; remote work not available. Roles and Responsibilities Program Execution & Oversight: Manage all phases of program life cycles including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. Oversee scheduling, budgeting, procurement, and resource allocation for complex defense initiatives. Utilize data-driven methodologies to forecast potential challenges and proactively institute risk mitigation strategies. Stakeholder & Relationship Management: Act as the primary interface between the organization, federal agencies, military representatives, subcontractors, and vendors. Maintain robust communication channels and deliver regular status reports and updates to senior leadership and government stakeholders. Cross-Functional Program Execution: Coordinate day-to-day program execution across engineering, contracts, finance, procurement, quality, manufacturing/installation, subcontractors, and other internal stakeholders. Track cross functional action items, risks, deliverables, schedule inputs, procurement status, and customer commitments to ensure program requirements are executed on time. Support internal program reviews, customer meetings, and status reporting by consolidating inputs from functional teams and identifying gaps, dependencies, and required decisions. Facilitate communication between functional owners to resolve execution issues, maintain alignment to program priorities, and support timely completion of contractual deliverables. Risk & Financial Management: Identify, evaluate, and mitigate project risks throughout the program life cycle. Oversee and manage multi-million-dollar budgets, ensuring optimal allocation of resources and adherence to financial targets. Business Development Program Support: Contribute to company by pursuing new business opportunities, supporting our business development team, and developing proposal responses. Define program vision and objectives, integrating long-term strategic goals with operational execution. Regulatory Compliance & Quality Assurance: Ensure all program activities adhere to U.S. Defense regulations, including ITAR, FAR, DFARS, and other relevant standards. Implement and monitor rigorous quality control measures to guarantee the highest standards of project deliverables. Continuous Process Improvement: Spearhead initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, streamline workflows, and adopt best practices across program management disciplines. As a rapidly growing business, improvements are necessary to keep pace with changing customer needs. Required Skills and Abilities Exceptional strategic, analytical, and organizational skills. Strong understanding of military aircraft avionics modification processes. Superior communication, negotiation, and leadership abilities. Expertise in budgeting, risk management, and performance analysis using industry standard practices such as earned value and/or agile. Experience managing and mentoring business development and capture teams to successful results. Experience developing winning approaches to government requests for proposals (RFP) including organizing the technical, cost, and management volumes. Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite to include Microsoft Project or related software. Ability to work flexible hours and be available to respond on short notice as needed. Education and Experience Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, STEM, or a related technical discipline is preferred. A degree in Business Administration, Program Management, or a related field may be considered with relevant technical, aerospace, defense, or manufacturing experience. A combination of education, training, and experience that demonstrates the required knowledge and abilities may be considered. Preferred Qualifications: Master’s degree in a related field and five (5) years of combined systems engineering and program management experience within the U.S. Defense Industry or closely related sectors. Bachelor’s degree and ten (10) years of combined systems engineering and program management experience within the U.S. Defense Industry or closely related sectors. Demonstrable success in managing large-scale, multi-million-dollar defense industry programs from inception to completion. Military aircraft modification experience highly desired. Security Clearance and Other Requirements Must have a minimum of an active U.S. SECRET clearance and be subject to a government security investigation. Driving or renting a car for company business is expected with some frequency. For insurance purposes, a valid driver’s license is required. Physical Requirements Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times. On-site or hybrid. Remote work not available for this position. Travel Required This position will travel up to 25% of the time out of state and overnight. Benefits GMRE is a small veteran‑owned company who cares about our employees. We offer health, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k), vacation, Paid Time Off (PTO), or Paid Sick Leave (PSL) based on state laws, paid holidays, and life insurance to all permanent full‑time employees. GMRE’s mission is to provide high quality engineering and technical services to help our customers grow and succeed. Equal Opportunity Employer GMRE is an equal opportunity employer. GMRE is committed to making employment decisions based on valid requirements, without regard to age 40 and over, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or any other applicable status protected by state or local laws. This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice. #J-18808-Ljbffr