Program Manager, Product Lifecycle Engineer

What you’ll do: 

• As the Program Manager for Product Lifecycle Engineering you will be responsible and accountable for the performance of a significant program critical to the success of the Archer business and our eVTOL aircraft. 
• You will be responsible for consulting and collaborating with the Functional Management counterpart for the development of Product Lifecycle Engineering tools, processes, procedures and application to the aircraft program(s). 
• You will be responsible for and have accountability to ensure the Product Lifecycle Engineering plans, processes, procedures and resources align with the aircraft program milestones and meet all aircraft program requirements. 
• The scope of this PM role includes Technical, Schedule and Cost elements with a focus on leading new product development, Risk and Opportunity management, Integrated Schedule Management, and other Program Management practices. Additionally, you will be expected to closely collaborate with the Functional Management owners of “Requirements Management” and “Configuration Management,” “Change Management” to support aircraft program needs.  
• Specific to “Technical” scope the Program Manager will contribute to and participate in this part of the program. The Engineering Director will be the primary person accountable for Technical decisions. 
• The primary deliverable will be the successful management of the Product Lifecycle Engineering processes, procedures and tools necessary to successfully meet all aircraft program requirements. 
• Primary responsibilities are the management of cost, schedule, and technical performance to program requirements and milestones for the PLE team.
• The Program Manager will 
• Openly collaborate with the Manager, Product Lifecycle Engineering to ensure the functional capabilities of these disciplines effectively enable the aircraft design, development, test and certification of our inaugural aircraft platform is successful. 
• Define, launch, and drive mission-critical technical and business initiatives to ensure program success and will be expected to resolve a wide range of issues in imaginative as well as practical ways.
• Develop strong relationships across Archer, inclusive of suppliers, and lead a multidisciplinary team to execute complex development programs within schedule and budget. 
• Build program task-based schedules, lead program kickoff and / or  gate meetings, and track milestone progress against the program management plan.
• Identify and manage program Risks, Issues and Opportunities to closure. 
• Ensure, through the Configuration Management team, that the aircraft configuration control and change management are properly employed to maintain technical discipline of the program. 
• Be responsible for complex program management tasks and development of standards and processes for planning, scheduling, administration, and accounting and using “agile methodologies” and Jira software systems. 
• Provide clear goals for all areas of a project and develop steps to oversee their timely execution
• Be proactive about challenges or constraints within a project and seek to manage them accordingly
• Work alongside product management teams to successfully monitor progress and implementation of initiatives
• Establish milestones for necessary contributions from departments and develop processes to facilitate their collaboration
• The Program Manager will be expected to exercise judgment and delegated authority for planning, directing, coordinating, administering, and executing many routine and complex projects/programs.

What you need: 

• Broad experience within the discipline of Product Lifecycle Engineering including deep knowledge of processes, tools, systems.
• Experience in one or more aviation engineering disciplines
• Experience with civil aircraft certification programs 
• Knowledge of program management, finance, contracts, budget management, schedule management and demonstrated business insights and business acumen
• Recognized as an authority in “systems thinking” techniques with the demonstrated ability to apply them to a wide range of complex problems and train others in their application
• Bachelor Degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or a related field. 
• A minimum 10 years, combined, of related experience in Product Lifecycle Management roles. 
• Knowledge of PLE systems and tools with a preference for Polarion and Teamcenter.
• Knowledge of Agile methodologies and Jira software systems. 
• Technical product and program leadership experience.
• Strong interpersonal skills especially in team building/maintenance and customer relationships.
• Must be able to act independently and make decisions on administrative and operational issues affecting the success of this organization.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Bonus Qualifications: 

• A bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science are preferred (or equivalent),
• A master's degree in one of these same academic disciplines is desirable,
• Thorough understanding of engineering product development including design phases, manufacturing business processes and supply chain management knowledge,
• Experience implementing solutions or processes for Polarion and Teamcenter or other large enterprise level initiatives.

This position reports directly to the Vice President, Program Management.