KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Integrated Program Delivery:

- Owns the integrated master schedule, critical path, dependencies, resource conflicts, long-lead items, test readiness, and recovery plans across engineering, manufacturing, procurement, assembly, and test.

- Drives daily execution with the functional team leads, re-plans against daily outcomes without losing the target, and holds the program accountable to schedule, cost, and technical readiness.

2. Stage-Gate Governance:

- Runs phase reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR, TRR, FRR) with clear entry and exit criteria, ensuring that evidence packages are complete and actions are closed before the program advances.

- Technical approval authority remains with the Director/Co-founder and the relevant engineering owners; this role owns the governance process, review cadence, and action tracking that surface risk early and keep the program moving on evidence.

3. Configuration, Change Control & PLM:

- Establishes and runs configuration management identification, baselines, status accounting, and configuration audits (FCA/PCA) and end-to-end change control: ECR/ECO/ECN, the Change Control Board, impact assessment, dispositioning, and closure.

- Owns and operates the PLM for the full engine and vehicle system, integrating it with the schedule, QMS, ERP/MES, and change-control tools so design, manufacturing, assembly, and test all work off one connected source of truth.

- Maintains a single, authoritative record of as-designed, as-built, and as-tested configuration for every serialized engine and vehicle.

4. Quality Integration & Supplier Quality:

- Ensures that QMS (AS9100 / NASA quality requirements), FAI (AS9102), NCR/MRB, CAPA, supplier quality, and full part traceability and pedigree are tightly integrated into program execution.

- Builds and runs the vendor and supplier quality program supplier qualification and audits, source/receiving inspection, supplier FAI, supplier corrective action (SCAR), the approved-supplier list, and counterfeit-parts control.

5. Procurement & Supply Chain:

- Owns long-lead planning, supplier readiness, make-vs-buy decisions, supplier recovery plans, and single-source risk mitigation, working through the procurement and supply-chain team.

- Manages strategic sourcing, contract and PO management, and inventory planning in service of the program's schedule and cost targets.

6. Cost & Resource Management:

- Owns the program budget, cost-to-complete, estimate at completion, unit-cost roadmap, and spend versus actual physical progress.

- Drives cost performance through should-cost analysis, value engineering, and cost-down initiatives.

7. Organization & Execution:

- Builds and scales the program management, planning, configuration, document control, procurement, supply chain, and operations teams.

- Works hands-on across design, production, and test sites: takes problems to where the work is, resolves them by bringing the work back to the correct process, and updates the plan to hold the target.

What Success Looks Like in the First Six Months:

- Director/Co-founders time recovered from chasing procurement, documentation, and action closure.

- Every major test has a readiness plan and critical path.

- Every engine has a controlled BOM and as-built/as-tested configuration.

- No part reaches assembly without traceability and approved documentation.

- Long-lead risks visible well in advance.

- Program cost-to-complete credible and tied to physical progress.

- Delays surfaced early; recovery plans actively driven.

- Every functional lead has clear ownership and dates.

- Zero repeat test failures from configuration or change-control gaps.

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS:

- Up to 15 years in program/project management, engineering operations, manufacturing operations, quality, or supply chain on complex hardware - aerospace, propulsion, automotive, or another regulated, high-reliability industry.

- Proven delivery of a multi-team hardware program to schedule and cost.

- Hands-on depth in integrated scheduling, critical-path management, and cross-functional execution across engineering, manufacturing, and test.

- Strong configuration management and change-control experience - as-designed / as-built / as-tested discipline across serialized hardware.

- Working knowledge of aerospace QMS, supplier quality, PLM, procurement/supply chain, and cost management.

- Familiarity with cryogenic liquid propulsion (LOX/methane, staged-combustion cycles) and launch-vehicle development preferred.

- Hands-on operator who works where the hardware is; willing to travel frequently.

- Engineering degree (mechanical, aerospace, manufacturing, industrial, or related).