Program Manager

At AIRO, we bring together aircraft, autonomy, avionics, and mission services into one integrated platform designed for the environments where failure is not an option. Our technology supports contested logistics, tactical and long-range ISTAR, and operations that demand precision under pressure, so the people who depend on it can get where they need to be when it matters most. Here, you will work alongside innovators, engineers, operators, and industry leaders who share a passion for solving hard problems and building what comes next in aerospace and defense. Join us and be part of something extraordinary. Position Overview: The Program Manager leads execution of the contracts AIRO Drone wins. The first assignment is DMRE: a paid, five-week planning sprint (Milestone 2, expected November to December 2026) in which you will lead about 16 U.S. manufacturers and suppliers to produce production plans and cost estimates for 5,000, 500,000 and 5,000,000 aircraft. On DMRE, you are the single accountable owner of AIRO's Stage 2 prototype effort under DIBC-RFS-26-02. You will serve as the central strategic architect bridging the Government sponsor, ATI/DIBC, AIRO's engineering and manufacturing organizations, and an extensive network of partner manufacturers, translating the Government's need for decision-grade readiness evidence into a milestone plan, a working production architecture, and a body of proof that the AIRO team can surge Group 3 UAS production as qualified, contractable, and usable capacity. You will exercise ownership over cost, schedule, and technical performance of the Project Sub Agreement; lead a cross-functional, multi-company matrixed team; and interface directly with Industrial Base Policy stakeholders, ATI agreements officers, and partner-company leadership. The role requires a leader who is as comfortable on a partner's shop floor assessing tooling and workforce readiness as in a Government readiness review presenting binding constraints and recommended interventions. This is a long-term, hands-on program management position. DMRE is the first assignment; as AIRO Drone wins additional contracts, you will lead them as well, including any DMRE follow-on production or CRMN activation. Key Responsibilities: a. Program Execution & Milestone Delivery: Leads end-to-end execution of the Stage 2 Project Sub Agreement across all milestones: Teaming & Production Approach, Conversion Planning, Validation, Execution, and Readiness Assessment. Owns the Integrated Master Schedule, milestone acceptance criteria, payment gates, risk register, and Earned Value reporting for the effort; drives program reviews and decision-making at the executive level. Translates the Statement of Need's cross-cutting evidence requirements (SON §5.2-5.7) into a structured data-collection and deliverable plan, and ensures every deliverable is decision-grade, traceable, and submitted on time through ATI. Manages scope, change, and Government-directed restructuring of milestones or teams in coordination with the Senior Proposal & Contracts Manager. Leads program execution on additional AIRO Drone contracts as they are awarded, applying the same schedule, cost, risk and reporting discipline. b. Manufacturing Network & Teaming Leadership: Serves as the day-to-day leader of AIRO's partner manufacturing network; defines bounded production roles, workshare, interfaces, and teaming agreements for each firm and facility. Builds and runs the network operating rhythm: partner onboarding, weekly integration cadence, data calls, site assessments, and escalation paths. Assesses each partner's in-house vs. outsourced capability, capacity, quality system (AS9100/ISO 9001), tooling, workforce, supplier dependencies, and cybersecurity posture (NIST 800-171 / CMMC), and identifies the binding constraints by item, firm, facility, and role. Partners with Supply Chain and the Phoenix, AZ Advanced Manufacturing Center to align network production roles with the RQ-35 Heidrun / RQ-70 Dainn production architecture and Blue UAS / NDAA supply-chain traceability requirements. Acts as AIRO's primary technical and programmatic point of contact with the Government sponsor, ATI/DIBC agreements staff, and any Government assessment teams. Leads discovery sessions, technical exchanges, readiness reviews, and site visits; presents constraint findings and recommended Government interventions that materially reduce readiness or conversion barriers. Coordinates Government-furnished information, technical-data access, qualification and source-approval pathways, and acceptance criteria. d. Readiness, Conversion & Qualification: Develops conversion plans quantifying the time, cost, schedule, risk, and enabling conditions required for each partner to move from potential capability to qualified capacity. Directs validation and, if authorized, execution activities: demonstration builds, first-article and qualification testing, inspection, and acceptance. Documents reset, sustainment, return-to-baseline, warm/latent readiness, and residual-readiness options, and produces CRMN-related planning evidence (screening, activation, support packages, disposition). e. Business Development & Program Expansion: Supports customer engagements and demonstrations tied to the DMRE (not primary capture role) and identifies opportunities to convert exercise outcomes into follow-on production, additional DIBC awards, or Programs of Record. Serves as the voice of the partner network to Product Management, Engineering, and R&D, feeding producibility and design-for-manufacturing insights into AIRO's platform roadmaps. Qualifications: 8-15 years of progressive program or production leadership in aerospace, defense, or advanced manufacturing, with a verifiable record of delivering UAS, autonomous-system, or comparable hardware programs on cost and schedule. Demonstrated experience leading multi-company, distributed, or supplier-network production efforts, coordinating a dozen or more firms toward a common build, qualification, or delivery outcome. High-volume commercial manufacturing experience (automotive, electronics manufacturing services, or consumer products), including scaling or converting commercial production lines, strongly preferred. Hands‑on manufacturing‑readiness experience: Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) assessments, production‑rate ramp planning, make/buy analysis, first‑article and qualification testing, and supplier development. Experience executing Other Transaction prototype agreements or similar milestone‑based Government efforts, including through consortia such as DIBC, and reporting to Government sponsors. DARPA experience a plus; prior performance on a DARPA program, or participation in DARPA manufacturing, rapid‑prototyping, or industrial‑base initiatives, is strongly valued. Experience with Industrial Base Policy, Defense Production Act Title III, Manufacturing Technology (ManTech), or CRMN‑related readiness and surge‑capacity planning a plus. Experience working with warfighters and Government end‑users in operational environments preferred. Preferred Qualifactions: Deep understanding of Group 3 UAS design, producibility, and the airframe, propulsion, avionics, harness, and ground‑support supply chains that feed it. Command of aerospace quality and compliance frameworks: AS9100, ISO 9001, NIST 800-171 / CMMC, ITAR/EAR, NDAA supply‑chain provisions, and the DIU Blue UAS clearance process. Proficiency in program‑management tooling: Integrated Master Schedules, Earned Value Management, risk and opportunity registers, and configuration management. Ability to identify binding constraints across technical data, tooling, workforce, suppliers, quality, cyber, qualification, contracting, and business case, and to recommend concrete Government interventions. Strong written and verbal communication; able to produce decision‑grade Government deliverables and brief senior sponsors with clarity. Education: Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or Systems Engineering, or a related technical field. Master's degree (MS, MBA, or equivalent) highly preferred. Project Management Professional (PMP), DAWIA Program Management or Production/Quality/Manufacturing certification, or equivalent preferred. U.S. Person status required to access export‑controlled data; active U.S. Secret clearance preferred or ability to obtain. Physical Requirements: Ability to sit, stand, and/or walk for extended periods Ability to use hands and fingers for manual dexterity and repetitive tasks Ability to bend, stoop, reach, push, pull, and lift as required by the position Ability to safely lift, carry, push, or pull objects within the requirements of the position Ability to perform the visual, auditory, and communication requirements necessary to perform the essential functions of the position Ability to work safely in the physical and environmental conditions applicable to the position Company Benefits : Parental Leave Health Savings Account (HSA) 401(k) with company match Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Basic Life Insurance – fully paid by the company for employees and their dependents Long-Term Disability Insurance – fully paid by the company Voluntary Short-Term Disability Insurance Supplemental Life Insurance options This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive, and the employee may also be asked to perform other reasonably related job duties as assigned by their immediate supervisor as required. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time as needed. The AIRO Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. #J-18808-Ljbffr