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Salary: USD 198,000 - 330,000 / annual
CHAOS Industries, a defense technology company founded in 2022 and backed by $1B in funding from 8VC, Accel, and Valor Equity Partners, is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead the planning, execution, and delivery of an autonomous Massed Modular Aircraft program contracted through the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).
You will own the full program P&L across the complete lifecycle—from proposal through development, test, production, and sustainment. This includes cost performance, schedule adherence (IMS/IMP), risk/opportunity management, and technical baseline control (EVMS-lite). You will serve as the primary interface with customers (Department of War, government agencies, international customers), internal engineering teams, operations, and supply chain partners.
Key responsibilities include:
- Owning program cost, schedule, and technical performance baselines and serving as primary point of contact for customer program offices (PEO, PM offices), leading program reviews, technical interchange meetings, and milestone reviews.
- Coordinating cross-functional Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) spanning systems engineering, airframe, aerodynamics, guidance, propulsion, warhead/payload integration, avionics, software, manufacturing, quality, test, and logistics.
- Developing and maintaining Integrated Master Schedules (IMS); managing critical path and resolving schedule conflicts.
- Managing program risk and opportunity registers; driving mitigation plans for technical, schedule, cost, and supply chain risks.
- Supporting proposal development, including Basis of Estimate (BOE) generation, technical volume input, pricing strategy, and capture activities for new business and follow-on contracts.
- Providing informed oversight across the full system lifecycle: requirements decomposition, System Requirements Review (SRR), Preliminary/Critical Design Review (PDR/CDR), integration, flight/static test, Test Readiness Review (TRR), and Production Readiness Review (PRR).
- Partnering with Chief Engineer and systems engineering lead to assess technical trade studies, verify requirements traceability, and ensure design maturity gates are met.
- Overseeing airworthiness, flight safety, and range safety processes, and ensuring compliance with applicable safety standards.
- Coordinating developmental and operational test campaigns (DT&E/OT&E), including flight test, captive carry, HIL/SIL integration labs, and environmental/qualification testing.
- Ensuring configuration management (CM) rigor and technical data package integrity across engineering releases.
- Managing contract performance against FAR/DFARS requirements, CDRLs, and contract line items (CLINs); supporting contract modifications and Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs).
- Ensuring compliance with ITAR/EAR export control regulations, DoW security requirements (NISPOM), and applicable airspace/range approvals (e.g., FAA COA, military range safety).
- Managing supply chain and subcontractor performance for long-lead and critical components (seekers, guidance electronics, propulsion, warheads, airframes, avionics).
- Reporting program status, financial performance, and risk posture to executive leadership and customer stakeholders.
This role requires a rare blend of program management discipline and hands-on technical fluency in the military aircraft domain. You will travel 20–30% to customer sites, test ranges, and manufacturing/integration facilities.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Minimum 15 years of program/project management experience within the defense or aerospace industry, with direct experience managing an aircraft program.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical field.
- Strong working knowledge of Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS), Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) development, and risk management processes.
- Experience managing programs under FAR/DFARS contract types (CPFF, CPIF, FFP) and supporting government customer program offices.
- Excellent leadership, negotiation, and executive-level communication skills; demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional IPTs and lead through influence.
- Willingness to travel (typically 20–30%) to customer sites, test ranges, and manufacturing/integration facilities.
PREFERRED:
- Master's degree or MBA.
- PMP certification.
- Experience supporting Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or international program execution.
- Experience with digital engineering environments and model-based acquisition approaches.
- Prior experience as a Chief Engineer, Deputy Program Manager, or Integration Lead prior to moving into Program Manager roles.
- Ability to obtain/maintain Secret/Top Secret/SCI clearance.
