Overview
The Senior Program Manager is a customer facing role responsible for leading program management activities and ensuring customer satisfaction through the oversight of program execution, team development, and internal collaboration. This role serves as the subject matter expert across programs and departments, providing guidance to Program Managers and internal teams while also ensuring alignment with company processes, safety policies, and customer expectations. The Senior Program Manager functions as a backup for all Program Manager accounts and may serve as backup for the Manager of Programs as needed.
Responsibilities
Operational Leadership:
- Ability to lead without authority and foster a teamwork environment
- Make independent decisions balancing company goals and customer needs
- Oversees day-to-day program operations, acting as the primary point of contact for key customer accounts and internal departments
- Ensure deliverables are completed on time, within budget, and to the customer's satisfaction
- Proactively identify and resolve risks and issues
- Coordinate with production, supply chain, engineering, quality and program teams to align customer demand with internal resources and capacities
- Coordinate with production control to ensure that work orders are properly scheduled and maintained in the MRP system
- Prepare and present internal and external reports, and provide project updates that clearly reflect program status and milestones
- Ensure customer demand is entered timely, accurately and in accordance with quote parameters
- Accurately forecast monthly sales and achieve budget goals
- Consistently acts in accordance with business professionalism principles including during business hours, at company events, meetings, off-site meetings, audits, etc.
- Consistently provides professional business communications to internal and external customers, staff, peers and company leadership
Team Development and Leadership:
- Develop and maintain PMO training programing including developing training schedules, training new hires, updating training documentation and ensuring PM training matrix is updated regularly
- Drives standardization of program management tools, templates, and reporting methods, and ensures processes are followed consistently across accounts
- Guide, coach and mentor program managers ensuring team members are equipped with tools and support necessary to succeed
- Ensure direct reports in supervisor/manager/lead roles are carrying out responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws with the guidance of HR; including interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems
- Foster a culture of collaboration and team work to staff at all levels
- Provide clear communication and direction to staff at all levels
Financial Management:
- Assist with project controls including budgeting, cost tracking, scheduling, and forecasting
- Monitor and report trends on customer account profitability
- Provide expedite quotes as required, protecting profitability while supporting customer requirements
- Support internal finance team in resolution of unresolved customer invoices
Continuous Improvement:
- Lead change management initiative to adapt to evolving industry standards
- Identify opportunities to enhance efficiencies
- Has authority to stop any production order for quality concerns
- Ensure all employees wear appropriate PPE in designated areas as required
Knowledge, Skills and Other Abilities:
- Advanced excel skills including pivot tables, complex formulas, charts, macros and power queries
- Team oriented with strong leadership and coaching skills
- Detail oriented with meticulous work habits and strong project management skills
- Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships
- Willingness to apply hands-on approach in supporting customer activities and to step in when needed, not just observe
- Strong ability to set priorities, solve problems, and be resourceful when under pressure
- Comfort and experience interfacing with various levels of staff and management while working in a fast-paced environment
- Must demonstrate a sense of urgency and dedication to supporting customer requirements
Qualifications
Preferred Education/Experience:
- College or High school degree and five years’ related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Previous experience in production environment required
- MRP or ERP system experience required
- Aviation background preferred
Physical Demands:
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 accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, climb stairs or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
