Program Manager, Aerospace & Defense

Description

About Helix Linear

Helix Linear Technologies designs and manufactures high-precision motion control systems for industries where performance matters most, including aerospace, medical devices, defense, and advanced automation. Our solutions power mission-critical applications, where reliability and precision down to ±0.0001 inches make all the difference.

Our vision is to engineer what's possible in motion, with precision, integrity, and purpose. We pursue that vision by designing, machining, grinding, and assembling critical motion components in-house, including precision ball screws and linear systems.

We are in a phase of strategic growth, investing in R&D, advanced equipment, and new product lines. Our clean, climate-controlled facility is built for precision, focus, and continuous improvement, and our team thrives on solving complex problems in a collaborative environment.

At Helix, we value ownership, technical excellence, and a growth mindset. If you're motivated by meaningful work at the intersection of engineering, innovation, and manufacturing, and want to grow with a company shaping the future of motion control, we'd love to meet you.

About the Position

Aerospace and defense is Helix's fastest-growing segment, and the one with the least room for error. The Program Manager owns customer programs end-to-end: from design-in through qualification, production ramp, and sustained delivery, over program lifecycles that run years.

You are the single point of accountability for program health. You track milestones, manage risk, and hold internal teams, Engineering, Quality, Operations, and Sales, to the commitments that keep a program on schedule and in spec. When a program is at risk, you see it early and drive the fix. You don't own the work in each department; you own the outcome across all of them.

This role requires fluency in the realities of A&D manufacturing: long qualification cycles, first article inspections, material traceability, and customer flow-down requirements that don't bend.

Responsibilities:

Program Ownership

• Own program schedules, milestones, and deliverables from design-in through production and sustained delivery.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for customer program managers and technical leads.
• Track program health against cost, schedule, and quality commitments; escalate risk before it becomes delay.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Coordinate Engineering, Quality, Operations, and Sales to keep program commitments aligned and on track.
• Drive resolution on cross-functional blockers, unclear requirements, capacity conflicts, technical risk, to closure.
• Ensure clean handoffs at each program phase: quote ? design ? qualification ? production.

Risk & Compliance Management

• Manage program risk registers; identify technical, schedule, and supply risk early and drive mitigation.
• Ensure program execution meets AS9100, DFARS, and customer-specific flow-down requirements.
• Maintain program documentation and traceability records to audit-ready standard.

Customer Communication

• Provide customers with proactive, accurate status on schedule, technical issues, and risk.
• Manage customer expectations through long qualification and procurement cycles without losing urgency internally.
• Own first article inspection coordination and customer approval cycles.

Internal Reporting

• Report program status to leadership with clear, current data, no surprises at the review.
• Maintain program metrics (OTD, milestone adherence, open risk) as a standing part of operating rhythm.

Who You Are:

• Program owner by instinct, you track the whole board, not just your piece of it.
• Relationship builder who gets things done through influence, not direct reports.
• Comfortable holding other departments accountable to dates you don't control directly.
• Calm under schedule pressure; you communicate risk early instead of hoping it resolves itself.
• Detail-disciplined with documentation and traceability, you know A&D customers will check.
• A translator between customer requirements and shop-floor reality.

What You Bring:

• 5+ years in program management, project management, or production planning in an aerospace, defense, or precision manufacturing environment. (required)
• Direct experience with AS9100 or comparable aerospace quality systems. (required)
• Working knowledge of DFARS, ITAR, and customer flow-down requirements in an A&D supply chain. (required)
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent programs with competing priorities and hard deadlines. (required)
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems for scheduling and program tracking; Epicor preferred.
• PMP certification or formal program/project management training (preferred).
• Familiarity with precision machining, ball screws, actuators, or comparable linear motion components (preferred).
• Experience managing first article inspection and customer qualification processes (preferred).

What Success Looks Like:

• On-Time Delivery: Programs under your ownership meet or exceed Helix's 90% OTD goal.
• Early Risk Visibility: Program risks are flagged and escalated before they impact schedule — no last-minute surprises to customers or leadership.
• Qualification Velocity: First article and qualification cycles move on plan, with clean documentation the first time.
• Cross-Functional Trust: Engineering, Quality, and Operations see you as the person who keeps programs coordinated, not a reporting layer.
• Customer Confidence: Customers rate Helix as responsive and reliable on program communication.

Why Join Helix?

Helix is building something durable, not just high-precision products, but a company defined by integrity, clarity, and disciplined execution in industries where the stakes are high.

We engineer with purpose, hold ourselves to rigorous standards, and take ownership from the first customer interaction through final delivery. Our culture values people who are direct, dependable, and committed to doing things the right way, even when it takes more effort.

Helix offers competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, retirement plans, PTO, and most major holidays, along with steady daytime hours.

This is an opportunity to be part of a meaningful growth story. If you're motivated by building strong teams, clear systems, and trusted customer relationships, and you value ownership, collaboration, and engineering integrity, Helix is a place where your work will truly matter.

Helix Linear Technologies is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Due to U.S. export control laws, applicants must be U.S. persons (U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident).