Technical Program Director - Advanced Defense Manufacturing

Technical Program Director – Advanced Metallic Assemblies & Hypersonic Programs

Los Angeles, CA · On-Site

ABOUT THE JOB

A advanced defense manufacturer building the next generation of metallic structures and subassemblies for the most advanced strike, hypersonic, and aerospace programs in the country. Ranked on the NatSec 100 as one of the top venture-backed defense startups in the U.S., this company is growing fast, working directly with the nation’s leading prime contractors, and actively rewriting the playbook for how advanced defense hardware gets built.

We’re looking for a technically grounded Technical Program Director who came up through manufacturing or operations and grew into program leadership. You’ll own execution across a portfolio of high-priority metallic structure programs — managing relationships with prime contractors, driving cross-functional teams, and keeping complex programs on cost and schedule. This person will need enough technical depth to engage credibly with manufacturing engineers, mechanical engineers, and customers alike.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own day-to-day execution of programs supporting missile, hypersonic, and aerospace structure applications — managing scope, schedule, budget, and quality across multiple concurrent programs.

• Lead integrated product teams (IPTs) across manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, quality, supply chain, and production — coordinating without direct authority and maintaining program health across all workstreams.

• Serve as the primary customer-facing program leader for prime contractor and government stakeholders — leading program reviews, TIMs, and executive briefings.

• Translate customer requirements and RFIs into executable internal plans, working with technical teams to assess fit, develop quotes, and transition awards into execution.

• Maintain program governance — milestones, schedule tracking, budget oversight, and cross-functional accountability.

• Identify and mitigate risks across design maturity, manufacturability, supply chain, and schedule before they become problems.

• Support proposal shaping and new business transitions as the program portfolio grows.

• Contribute to scaling the PM function as additional programs come online, including potential work tied to a new production facility.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.

• 5+ years of experience in program management on defense hardware programs — missiles, radar systems, munitions, aerospace structures, or similar.

• A career path that progressed from operations, manufacturing, or floor-level roles into program management — direct ownership of finished hardware delivery, not coordination of supplier deliverables.

• Background in metallic structures, subassemblies, or fabricated hardware — machining, welding, sheet metal forming, or similar. Composites backgrounds are not a fit for this role.

• Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM) — CPI/SPI tracking, EAC forecasting, variance analysis.

• Experience leading IPTs or cross-functional teams without direct reporting authority.

• Enough technical depth to engage credibly with engineering teams and communicate effectively with customers on new program opportunities.

• Proven ability to manage cost, schedule, and risk on complex, multi-disciplinary programs.

• Direct experience interfacing with defense prime contractors or government program offices.

• 25–35% travel availability; must be eligible to work in an ITAR-controlled environment.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• P rogram experience tied to missile structures, aerospace pressure vessels, thrust structures, hypersonic vehicle components, radar systems, or guided munitions.

• Familiarity with defense contracting environments including Cost Plus, Fixed Price, and T&M structures.

• Background at a Tier 1 aerospace manufacturer, defense prime, or fabrication-focused defense supplier, where the role was on the manufacturing/delivery side rather than program-office/integration side.

• Prior experience at a high-growth or startup defense technology company.

SALARY RANGE

$200,000 – $240,000 + Stock Options + Full Benefits

• The salary range above is an estimate only with final amount being dependent on a wide variety of factors.

• Relocation assistance available (depending on role eligibility).