Program Manager – Production Automation
On-siteMadison, Alabama, United States
Job Summary
Own schedule, budget, risk, and deliverable tracking for manufacturing capacity and process improvement initiatives from kickoff through execution. Coordinate inward-facing manufacturing initiatives supporting UAS production, including process development, materials qualification, and line readiness. Lead automation projects by coordinating with engineering, production, and vendors to reduce touch labor and improve repeatability. Manage outward-facing activities such as customer status reporting, milestone reviews, and coordination with government program offices. Partner with cross-functional teams to resolve materials, process, and quality issues affecting cost or schedule. Drive risk identification and mitigation while maintaining risk registers and escalating issues proactively. This role leads multi-disciplinary manufacturing projects on time and on budget within a maker culture supporting the American Warfighter.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, materials science, business, or a related technical field; equivalent experience will be considered
- Proven ability to plan, schedule, and execute multi-disciplinary manufacturing projects on time and on budget
- Strong working knowledge of project management fundamentals, including scope, schedule, risk, and budget management
- Manufacturing experience, with working knowledge of materials and process considerations affecting production (e.g., composites, metallics, finishing, or assembly processes)
- Ability to coordinate across engineering, production, quality, supply chain, and outside contractors/vendors
- Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to interface effectively with all levels of management, customers, and government representatives
- Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and shifting priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment
- Proficiency with project management and scheduling tools (e.g., MS Project or similar)
- US CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED
- ABILITY TO OBTAIN SECURITY CLEARANCE
Desired Qualifications
- 5+ years of project or program management experience in aerospace, defense, or advanced manufacturing
- Background in materials and process engineering, such as composite fabrication, metallics, bonding/adhesives, or manufacturing process qualification
- Experience managing production line stand-ups, process development efforts, or manufacturing scale-up projects
- Experience with automation projects such as robotics, CNC integration, or fixture/tooling development
- Familiarity with UAS/UAV production environments
- PMP certification or equivalent formal project management training
- Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies
- Experience with ERP/PLM systems (e.g., Visual ERP, ePDM) and CAD-adjacent documentation workflows
Hiring someone like this?
Get your role in front of qualified candidates on Sorce.