Program Director I

Company Information:

Twenty-Six Defense, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a leading provider of high-performance products, system solutions, and aftermarket support services focusing on the defense, homeland security, and commercial aviation markets. With facilities throughout the U.S., Twenty-Six Defense supports those who contribute to the national security of the United States. Twenty-Six Defense is wholly owned by Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT and TASE: ESLT), a global high-technology company engaged in a wide range of programs for innovative defense and commercial applications.

Summary of Responsibilities

Job Summary

This Program Director I position will lead multiple Ground Combat Vehicle programs. Experience with Ground Combat Vehicles, countermeasures, hard kill, soft kill, or C-UAS solutions is desired. Additionally, there will be a strong technical requirement to manage developmental programs.

The Program Director I position is a senior level, hands-on program manager who possesses experience or has demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities to manage all facets of two-or-more design/development and production programs. The Program Director I will manage programs/portfolio that include design/development, production and sustainment. The Program Director I will be responsible for both customer engagements and the successful tactical execution of the programs in the portfolio. The Program Director I will report directly to either a Business Area Director of Programs or Business Area Vice President and manages a team of program managers.

Responsibilities and Tasks

• Establish and maintain positive relationships with customers, both internal and external.
• Manage a team of program managers in the overall execution of the programs in the portfolio.
• Manage affiliate partners and/or major suppliers and develop a strategic approach to executing the programs.
• Propose, plan, and execute programs/contracts with minimal oversight from superiors.
• Influence the development of contract negotiation strategies with customers, suppliers, and affiliates to achieve corporate financial objectives
• Thoroughly understand contractual obligations and ensure these obligations are met
• Establish operating rhythms with customers that provides sufficient details of program performance, risk assessments, and identification of opportunities for improvement
• Contribute to marketing campaigns by leading the preparation of program management plans
• Lead make/buy decisions and implement these decisions in timely manner through internal tasking, corporate work transfers, or purchase orders.
• Manage the performance of multiple suppliers, affiliates, or peer organizations
• Prepare forecasts of follow-on new business, sales, and gross profit for annual operating plans and mid-year updates
• Establish and distribute program budgets that meet company financial goals
• Evaluate estimates to completion (EAC) for company financial reports and acts to influence to outcome. Through understanding of all aspects of financial management.
• Lead the communication and flowing down of contractual requirements to functional groups, affiliates, and suppliers
• Plan and execute the transfer of programs from development phase to production/co-production
• Interpret risk analyses and earned value management reports to anticipate problems and take corrective action to prevent/mitigate problems.
• Influence peer organizations into assigning appropriate priorities and motivate them to meet program performance targets.
• Relentlessly follow-up on actions/tasks assigned to peers, subordinates, affiliates, and suppliers.
• Champion within the business to ensure that company policies and procedures that apply to performing program management are adhered to.
• Apply best practices in project management to ensure programs: (1) are completed on time and within budget and scope, (2) produce a quality product, and (3) result in customer satisfaction.
• Develop an in-depth understanding of program documentation, requirements, expectations, and deliverables, i.e., the RFP, proposal, contract, SOW, assumptions, constraints, CDRLs, etc.
• Promote adherence to applicable ITAR, TINA, FAR, Export Compliance, EMD, Safety, and Security requirements.

Knowledge (Education/License/Certification, Prior Experience)

• Experience with ground combat vehicles
• Experience with hard kill, soft kill, and counter-UAS systems and customers
• Bachelor's degree is required.
• Master's degree is preferred. 10+ years management experience may substitute.
• PMP Certification, or Equivalent, is required.
• The candidate must have ten-to-fifteen years of industry experience of which at least 5 years is in relevant management capacity.
• 5-10 years of functional (using skill set) experience is required.
• Other: ITAR, Export Compliance, TINA, Risk Management, DAR, EMD Verification, EVM, PLM, PBL, RT3, Project Site, PRIMES

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to independently and successfully propose, plan, and execute an aerospace program.
• Mastery of program management methods and Earned Value Management.
• Fluent with business structure and relationship with corporate affiliates.
• Working knowledge of MRP systems, purchase orders, and sales orders.
• Strong understanding of contracts: fixed price, cost plus, time and materials.
• Strong skills in time management, meeting facilitation, and problem-solving.
• Skilled in the use of MS Office, Outlook and Power Point.
• Strong ability to clearly communicate ideas verbally and in writing.
• Strong ability to create and give presentations.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to apply tact and diplomacy with internal/external customers and foreign personnel.
• Self-starter, able to build and motivate teams.
• Obsessed with completing tasks on time, within budget while delivering a quality product to the customer.

Travel/Physical Requirements

• Travel will be required 25% of the time
• Work is usually conducted in an office atmosphere

Here Are Some of the Great Benefits We Offer:

• Most locations offer a 9/80 schedule, providing every other Friday off
• Competitive compensation & 401(k) program to plan for your future
• Robust medical, dental, vision, & disability coverage with qualified wellness discounts
• Basic Life Insurance and Additional Life & AD&D Insurances are available
• Flexible Vacation & PTO
• Paid Parental Leave
• Generous Employee Referral Program
• Voluntary Benefits Available: Long-Term Care, Legal, Identity Theft, Pet Insurance, and more
• Voluntary Tricare Supplement available for military retirees

This job description does not list all the duties of the job. You may be asked by your supervisors or managers to perform other duties. The employer has the right to revise this job description at any time. The job description is not an employment contract. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position. Twenty-Six Defense is an equal opportunity employer as to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

*For Virginia-based positions only* In accordance with Virginia DOL requirements, the listed salary range reflects the anticipated base pay range for this role. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors including skills, experience, education, certifications, business needs, internal equity, and geographic location. Compensation may vary in different locations based on market conditions and cost-of-labor considerations.

Please ensure your résumé meets the Dayforce upload requirements. Dayforce supports résumé files up to 4 MB. To avoid upload issues, please: save your résumé as a PDF, remove photos/graphics/embedded objects, ensure the file is under 4 MB, and avoid password‑protected PDFs. If you encounter difficulties, try using a different browser (Chrome, Edge, or Safari), an incognito/private window, clearing browser cache, or disabling browser extensions. If you are unable to upload your resume for parsing, you may manually add resume details and/or attach your resume to the Additional Documents section. If you have exhausted all troubleshooting issues above, you may contact TechnicalSupport@26Defense.com. NOTE: Simply emailing a resume to this inbox will not be considered an official application to any job posting.