Program Manager

Program ManagerDK CTL Aerospace Opco LLC (CTL) is a full service composite-manufacturing company providing services to the major aerospace and governmental organizations since 1946. CTL specializes in the manufacturing of Fiber Reinforced Polymer Structures. We are located conveniently in northern Cincinnati, Ohio location (less than 30 minutes from Dayton and/or northern Kentucky).We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Program Manager to lead customer programs through a critical period of operational improvement, driving both program performance and internal process maturity.

Position Summary The Program Manager will serve as the primary point of accountability for assigned aerospace customer programs, owning schedule, cost, quality, and customer satisfaction from award through delivery. This role requires more than traditional program oversight — the ideal candidate is comfortable on the shop floor, working directly with production, engineering, quality, and supply chain teams to solve real-time manufacturing problems.

The successful candidate will also play a key role in driving improvements to production processes and the company's MRP system, which currently present significant opportunities for optimization.

This is a hands-on role suited to someone who thrives in a fast-paced, evolving manufacturing environment and is energized by fixing things that are broken rather than simply managing around them.

Key Responsibilities Program Management
· Own end-to-end program performance for assigned customer accounts, including schedule adherence, cost management, quality metrics, and on-time delivery
· Serve as the primary customer-facing representative, managing communications, program reviews, and issue resolution with customers such as GE, Lockheed Martin, KHI, Middle River, and Pratt & Whitney
· Develop and maintain integrated program schedules, risk registers, and action item trackers
· Lead cross-functional program reviews (internal and customer-facing), including IPTs, milestone reviews, and escalation meetings
· Manage program financials including budgets, forecasts, and variance analysis

Manufacturing & Operations
· Work directly on the production floor to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve manufacturing bottlenecks, quality escapes, and schedule risks in real time
· Partner with production, quality, and engineering teams to implement corrective actions and process improvements
· Identify root causes of recurring production issues and drive sustainable, data-informed solutions
· Support capacity planning and production scheduling to meet program commitments

Process & Systems Improvement
· Identify gaps and inefficiencies in current production processes and MRP system usage; lead or support initiatives to improve data accuracy, planning logic, and system utilization
· Collaborate with operations and IT/systems teams to improve MRP configuration, master data integrity, and planning workflows
· Champion lean/continuous improvement initiatives that reduce waste, improve throughput, and increase schedule predictability
· Develop standard work and documentation to support more consistent program execution as processes mature

Risk & Compliance
· Proactively identify program risks (technical, schedule, financial, supply chain) and develop mitigation plans
· Ensure compliance with AS9100, customer-specific quality requirements, and applicable contractual/regulatory requirements, including ITAR/export control considerations relevant to international customers such as KHI
· Support new program launches (APQP/PPAP or equivalent) as needed

Required Qualifications
· 5+ years of experience as a Program Manager within the aerospace industry, ideally in a components or systems manufacturing environment
·…