Technical Program Director, Missiles & Hypersonic Strike Systems

About Machina Labs

Engineering moves at software speed. Manufacturing doesn't. Yet.

Machina Labs is changing that. We build intelligent, software-defined factories that produce complex metal structures directly from digital design. By integrating advanced metal forming, robotics, and automated production inside a flexible factory architecture, we enable customers to move from prototype to production in weeks, not years.

Backed by Lockheed Martin, Toyota, and NVIDIA, we’re rebuilding the manufacturing infrastructure that defense, aerospace, and advanced mobility programs will run on.

If you want to work on hard problems that matter and see them fly, drive, and defend, this is the place.

Machina Labs is seeking a Technical Program Director, Missiles & Hypersonic Strike Systems to lead the execution of high-priority defense programs involving advanced structural assemblies, formed metallic components, and next-generation manufacturing solutions for strategic strike platforms.

This leader will be responsible for driving complex technical programs from early feasibility and prototyping through qualification, low-rate initial production, and full-rate production. The role sits at the intersection of engineering, manufacturing, customer delivery, and defense program execution. The ideal candidate will bring deep experience managing technically demanding aerospace and defense programs, with particular strength in missiles, hypersonic weapons, propulsion-adjacent structures, and flight-critical hardware.

The Technical Program Director will work cross-functionally with engineering, production, quality, supply chain, and executive leadership to ensure program success. This individual will also serve as a key customer-facing leader, building trust with defense prime contractors, government stakeholders, and strategic partners while ensuring Machina Labs delivers on cost, schedule, technical performance, and quality.

This is a senior technical leadership role that will help shape how Machina Labs scales into mission-critical defense production.

• Own end-to-end execution of technical programs supporting missile and hypersonic strike weapon applications.
• Lead programs from concept development and prototyping through qualification, production readiness, LRIP, and full-rate production.
• Ensure program performance across technical scope, schedule, budget, risk, and quality objectives.
• Translate customer requirements into executable internal plans across engineering, manufacturing, inspection, and delivery functions.

• Coordinate internal teams across applications engineering, production, quality, supply chain, robotics, and product development.
• Establish program governance, milestones, decision points, and reporting structures to maintain alignment and accountability.
• Drive timely issue resolution and remove blockers across technical and operational work streams.
• Build scalable program management processes to support increasingly complex defense programs.
• Interface with Customers and External Stakeholders.
• Serve as a primary program interface for defense primes, government program offices, and strategic partners.
• Lead program reviews, technical interchange meetings, status updates, and executive briefings.
• Ensure customer requirements, compliance expectations, and delivery commitments are clearly understood and executed.
• Support proposal shaping, statement of work review, technical planning, and transition-to-execution activities for new awards.

• Identify program risks early and develop mitigation plans across design maturity, manufacturability, supply chain, quality, and schedule.
• Drive disciplined change management and configuration control in partnership with engineering and quality teams.
• Ensure production and qualification activities are supported by robust documentation, planning, and readiness reviews.
• Help bridge the gap between advanced manufacturing innovation and production-grade defense execution.

• Help position Machina Labs for expanded participation in advanced strike,…