What are the responsibilities and job description for the Program Manager position at Quest Defense Systems & Solutions, Inc.?
Quest Defense is an organization at the forefront of innovation and one of the world's fastest growing engineering services firms with deep domain knowledge and recognized expertise in the top OEMs across seven industries. We are part of a twenty-five-year-old company on a journey to becoming a centenary one, driven by aspiration, hunger and humility.
We are looking for humble geniuses, who believe that engineering has the potential to make the impossible, possible; innovators, who are not only inspired by technology and innovation, but also perpetually driven to design, develop, and test as a trusted partner for Fortune 500 customers.
As a team of remarkably diverse engineers, we recognize that what we are really engineering is a brighter future for us all. If you want to contribute to meaningful work and be part of an organization that truly believes when you win, we all win, and when you fail, we all learn, then we're eager to hear from you.
The achievers and courageous challenge-crushers we seek have the following characteristics and skills:
This position is located in Phoenix, Arizona
Job Summary:
We are seeking a highly skilled and results-driven Program Manager to oversee and drive the successful execution of complex programs. This role requires strategic planning, cross-functional coordination, and effective stakeholder management to ensure programs are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in program management, leadership experience, and the ability to balance technical, financial, and operational aspects of multiple projects.
The successful candidate is detail-oriented and highly collaborative. There will be a significant amount of interaction with the customer's teams. Listening to the customer's issues and offering proactive solutions is critical to building a strong relationship with this customer.
Key Responsibilities:
- Oversee engineering processes, ensuring alignment with industry best practices, safety standards in a DO-178 or ARP-4754 environment.
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning.
- Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams, ensuring collaboration across engineering, operations, finance, sales, and other key departments.
- Act as the primary point of contact between internal teams, leadership, customers, and external partners.
- Foster a high-performing team culture that emphasizes accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Manage and develop several customer-focused programs of engineers with a wide range of experience and expertise
- Build and manage customer relationships to ensure workload pipeline is full, develop and execute strategies for team growth
- Follow all Quest policies and procedures to ensure proper employee performance and development (metrics, performance reviews, training plans, etc.)
- Develop innovative ideas to improve cost on customer products / parts (redesign / process improvements)
- Manage recruitment initiatives with hiring managers on the team, participate in interviews and onboarding
- Support proposal development of new tasks (solution development, cost structure, schedule, and scope)
- Collaborate with resource managers internally and externally to staff projects and ensure workload continuity
- Contribute and present in technical and program reviews
- Technical Program Management (kickoffs, project plans,…)
- Mentor and coach, helping engineers enhance their technical skills and professional growth.
- Monitor and manage program budgets, ensuring cost-effective solutions without compromising quality
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, Software, or related field).
- 20 years in the Aerospace industry with strong team leadership/relationship management/account management experience.
- Technical leadership experience
- Experience managing business accounts > $2 Million
- Strong leadership, interpersonal, communication and presentation skills
- Ability to create technical SOWs and respond to RFI/RFP requests
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to forge relationships and build trust both within and external to organization
- Experience in V&V methodologies, Software, Displays
- Ability to foster a high-performing engineering culture through effective communication, teamwork, and accountability.
- Strong understanding of software development lifecycle and systems engineering processes.
- Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously to successful outcomes
- Excellent problem-solving, leadership, and decision-making skills.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills to engage with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Proven Aerospace Program Management Skillset (leading complex software and systems programs within the aerospace sector)
- Sales & Business Development Acumen (ability to support/drive technical sales campaigns and identify new growth opportunities through effective program execution).
- Strategic Leadership skillset (ie., proactive problem-solver capable of owning and driving growth initiatives, anticipate challenges, proactively mitigate risks, and ensure smooth project execution
- Strong Communication Skills: Ability to influence key stakeholders, lead cross-functional teams (domestic/International), and communicate complex technical concepts to both engineering teams and executives.
- Cost and schedule control experience in order to optimize resources, manage budgets effectively, and keep programs on track, preventing costly overruns.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experienced with Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
- Experienced working on military and commercial aircraft
Physical Requirements & Work Environment
- This position is located in Phoenix Arizona
- Due to the nature of the work, all candidates must be a U.S. Citizen with ability to get clearance if needed.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
Quest Defense provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
