Program Manager; Aerospace & Defense Hardware Programs

Baton Rouge, United States | Posted on 10/15/2026

Program Manager (Aerospace & Defense Hardware Programs)

Travel: Up to 20%

Type: Full-time

Client: Confidential aerospace and defense contractor

Intrepid us Talent Solutions is running a search for an aerospace and defense contractor that develops and produces mission-critical hardware. Our client needs an experienced Program Manager to run complex development and production programs. You’ll own execution across scope, schedule, cost, quality, technical performance, customer commitments, qualification and the move into production.

You’ll lead cross-functional teams from Engineering, Manufacturing, Test, Quality, Supply Chain, Configuration Management, Finance and Contracts, and you’ll be a primary point of contact for customers and key suppliers. This is a hands-on role in a growing organization. You’ll work directly with engineering, manufacturing, customers and suppliers, and your execution will shape how the business grows.

Planning and Baselines

• Lead assigned programs from contract award through development, qualification, delivery, production transition and closeout
• Turn Statements of Work, specifications, contract requirements and customer deliverables into executable program plans
• Build and maintain product-oriented Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) consistent with MIL-STD-881 principles
• Build, baseline and maintain the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS), including schedule logic, critical path, major dependencies, customer milestones, and procurement, test, qualification and production activities
• Maintain traceability of customer requirements, verification activities and contract deliverables through program completion and customer acceptance

Cost, Performance and Risk

• Apply Earned Value Management (EVM) principles to track cost and schedule performance and catch adverse trends early
• Own program budgets, labor and material forecasts, Estimates at Completion (EACs) and recovery plans for cost or schedule variances
• Hold disciplined control of scope, schedule, cost and technical baselines, and evaluate customer-requested changes before committing to them
• Run program risk and opportunity management with accountable mitigation actions

Teams and Suppliers

• Coordinate resource and capacity planning with functional leaders so engineering, manufacturing, procurement and test support match the program schedule
• Monitor critical suppliers, subcontractors, long-lead items and external dependencies that could affect program performance
• Give clear direction to cross-functional teams and elevate issues that need functional or executive action

Customers, Compliance and Growth

• Serve as a primary customer interface on program status, schedule, risks, deliverables, contract commitments and programmatic issues
• Plan and support major program and technical reviews, including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR and PRR as applicable
• Ensure contract and program execution complies with FAR/DFARS, ITAR/EAR export controls, customer requirements and internal quality systems
• Support proposal development, cost estimating, Basis of Estimate preparation and contract negotiations for new and follow-on work
• Support strategic planning, resource allocation and long-term customer relationships for assigned programs and business areas

Employment is contingent on successfully completing a background investigation, including criminal history and identity verification. All inquiries are handled confidentially. Our client is an equal opportunity employer and recruits, employs, trains, compensates and promotes without regard to race, religion, sex, color, national origin, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, veteran status, status…