Director of Program Management

About Barber-Nichols:?  

Barber-Nichols (BN) is a premier provider of custom turbomachinery solutions serving the Defense, Aerospace, Cryogenics, and Energy industries. Our team consists of industry leaders who collaborate closely with equally accomplished customers to deliver technologies that advance their markets and establish enduring partnerships. At BN, we foster a results-driven environment that values professional growth, rewards achievement, and supports innovation. From designing the blower for NASA’s Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan to engineering critical components for the U.S. Navy’s MK-48 program, BN’s portfolio spans some of the most exciting and impactful projects in the world. For those seeking to contribute to impactful projects alongside a highly skilled team, BN offers an exceptional place to build your career.   

Position Summary: 

The Director of Program Management provides executive leadership and oversight for complex, cross-functional Defense and Aerospace turbomachinery programs across the full product lifecycle—from technology development and prototyping through production, deployment, and aftermarket support within safety-critical or mission-critical applications. This role ensures compliant, efficient, and high-performing program execution within an engineering and manufacturing environment.

The Director integrates Barber-Nichols’ (BN) technical capabilities with evolving government, defense, and aerospace requirements, delivering programs that meet scope, schedule, cost, quality, and security expectations. This leader strengthens operational execution by improving processes, systems, and controls; drives alignment across engineering, operations, procurement, and quality; and builds high-performing, self-directed teams.

Key Results Areas: 

1. Establish, implement, and communicate the cross-functional strategic and tactical plans for program execution to ensure on-time, on-budget, and on-quality performance.

     a. Maintain an integrated view of portfolio performance, resource demand, contractual commitments, and emerging risks; recommend priorities and tradeoffs to executive and functional leadership when required.

     b. Partner with Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and Finance to ensure incorporate manufacturing readiness, supplier readiness, quality planning, cost maturity, test readiness, and production-capacity requirements early in the program lifecycle.

     c. Establish and lead a tiered program governance model appropriate to program size, complexity, risk, customer importance, and lifecycle phase. Define review cadence, escalation thresholds, decision rights, and reporting expectations for each program tier.

     d. Own and continuously improve the program management operating system, including program launch, work breakdown structures, integrated schedules, baseline management, financial forecasting, risk and opportunity management, change control, action management, program reviews, and program closeout.

     e. Establish common data definitions, templates, controls, and performance dashboards that provide timely and reliable visibility into portfolio and individual program performance

2. Responsible for customer relationships, proactive client management and new opportunity      ideation in collaboration with internal teams.

     a. Build enduring and trust-based relationships with key customers resulting in high satisfaction and repeat business.

     b. Serve as executive escalation point for critical customer matters while developing Program Managers as the primary leaders of their assigned customer relationships.

     c. Use independent judgment to balance BN interests with that of our customers.

     d. Negotiate favorable outcomes to complex technical, contractual, schedule, and operational challenges. 

3. Develop, lead, and mentor a highly engaged, self-directed team to maximize employee retention and customer satisfaction.

     a. Continually improve the skills and capabilities of the Program Management team to maximize the value provided to the business and our clients.

     b. Remove barriers to facilitate personal and program success for each team member.

     c. Connect the values and passions of team members to the work and programs they lead.

     d. Build an inclusive, accountable team culture that recognizes individual strengths, encourages constructive challenge, and supports professional development.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Directly supervises employees in the Program Management Office. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, training, assigning work, setting expectations, evaluating performance, coaching, resolving conflicts, and developing team capability. Ensures consistent, fair, and values-driven leadership aligned with organizational policy.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, an individual must possess the knowledge, training, experience and abilities required. 

Education and Training

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, program management, or a related technical field
• Equivalent combination of education and DoD/USN/Aerospace experience may be considered

Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in program management, engineering, operations, or business leadership within an aerospace, defense, or complex engineered-products environment, including at least five years leading Program Managers or complex cross-functional teams.
• Experience with DoD and Aerospace acquisition lifecycles, FAR/DFARS, EVMS, CDRLs/SDRLs, risk management, and configuration control.
• Strongly preferred experience with NAVSEA, SUBSAFE/Level I, or nuclear/safety-critical programs.
• Minimum four years of leadership experience in engineering, program management, or operations.

Other:

• Must be willing to work overtime as required
• Travel up to 20% of working time.

Skills:

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies: 

• Excellent written and verbal communications skills required
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Adept at negotiating complex contracts, situations, and scenarios 
• High attention to detail
• High say/do ratio
• Ability to successfully plan and implement objectives within established timelines and work schedules
• Ability to analyze problems and develop effective solutions at both strategic and functional levels
• Develop innovative strategies, approaches and ideas to address dynamic challenges
• Meets challenges with resourcefulness; generates suggestions for improving work; develops innovative approaches and ideas; presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others attention and garners support from peer leaders.
• Understand financial models and inputs to assess performance, areas of growth and development of opportunities
• Proven ability to lead high-performing, cross-functional teams by effectively motivating staff, setting clear goals, providing guidance and constructive feedback, and fostering a collaborative, positive, and inclusive work environment; skilled in      strategic decision-making, guiding teams through change, and promoting open communication and accountability 

Physical and Mental Demands

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical demands: This position primarily involves office-based work but requires periodic movement through engineering, manufacturing, assembly, and test areas, including occasional use of required personal protective equipment. 
• Mental demands: While performing the duties of this position, the incumbent is required to read, write, analyze data and reports, exercise judgment, develop plans, procedures and goals, present information to others and work under pressure.
• Work Environment: This role operates across office, engineering, manufacturing, assembly, test, customer, and supplier environments and may involve exposure to typical industrial conditions. Periodic travel and occasional work outside normal business hours may be required.

Work Authorization/Security Clearance 

Must be able to work in the U.S. without sponsorship. Ability to obtain US government security clearance required.

Compensation and Benefits: 

The salary range for this role is $180,000 - $210,000 and is commensurate with the applicant’s experience. This range represents the anticipated minimum and maximum base for this position. The final compensation for this position will be set based on the applicant’s qualifications (education, training and/or experience related to this role), and therefore, may fall outside the range shown, depending on the circumstances. 

Barber-Nichols offers a comprehensive benefits package including:  

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance 
• FSA and HSA with company paid HSA quarterly contributions 
• Disability, Life, and AD&D Insurance 
• 401(k) with 4% Company Match and Profit Sharing 
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (NYSE: GHM) 
• Generous PTO and Paid Holidays with an option to purchase additional PTO 
• Tuition reimbursement  
• Performance-based bonus program 
• Paid Parental Leave, Military Leave, Jury Duty, and Bereavement Leave 

To view our full list of benefits, please visit?Careers | Barber-Nichols. 

ITAR Requirements:?To conform to U.S. Government commercial space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), applicants for employment at Barber-Nichols must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawfully admitted for permanent residence into the U.S. (i.e., current green card holder), or lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. § 1157-1158.?Security clearance is not required for this position. 

Equal Opportunity Employer: 

Barber-Nichols is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to a workplace free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other protected status as defined by law. Barber-Nichols will ensure individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.  

Barber-Nichols participates in E-Verify, the federal program for electronic verification of employment eligibility.