Deputy Program Manager

About the role

This is a hands-on Deputy Program Manager role for someone who can bring structure, follow-through, and disciplined communication to active aerospace and defense manufacturing programs. At AMS, programs may involve open orders, incomplete technical data, supplier constraints, quality requirements, and customers who expect delivery anyway. The Deputy Program Manager supports the Program Director by helping convert ambiguity into executable plans, clear action owners, and measurable progress. This role sits close to daily execution and is based in Torrance, CA, reporting to the Program Director.

Responsibilities

• Support development and maintenance of program plans incorporating supplier schedules, internal manufacturing activities, logistics timelines, quality requirements, test events, customer inspections, and billing milestones.
• Assist with creation, maintenance, and execution of the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS), including task sequencing, dependency tracking, milestone visibility, and schedule risk escalation.
• Coordinate cross-functional program execution with Engineering, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Contracts, and customer-facing stakeholders.
• Track open actions, deliverables, risks, issues, and decisions; ensure owners, due dates, and recovery plans are visible and actively managed.
• Support program financial performance by tracking material commitments, labor burn, revenue timing, margin drivers, cash flow impacts, and customer invoicing requirements.
• Monitor supplier and internal production schedules to identify delays, constraints, quantity issues, inspection holds, and other risks to customer delivery.
• Coordinate with vendors and subcontractors to support timely delivery of products in the correct quantities and in compliance with quality and technical requirements.
• Support Technical Data Package (TDP) reviews, build-to-print manufacturing coordination, deviation or waiver processing, and Engineering Change Order (ECO) activity as required.
• Prepare meeting agendas, capture minutes, maintain action registers, and provide clear follow-up communication to internal teams, suppliers, and customers.
• Prepare program status updates, dashboards, and briefing materials for leadership, customers, and project teams.
• Help identify project execution issues and drive resolution by coordinating with team members, stakeholders, and functional leaders.
• Maintain organized program files, checklists, trackers, and repeatable templates to improve program execution discipline and handoff quality.
• Support risk registers for open licensing orders, strategic stocking initiatives, and other assigned program activities.
• Escalate blockers early with clear facts, recommended options, and required decisions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business administration, or related field.
• 2+ years’ experience in an aerospace manufacturing or engineering environment, with 1+ years in project management.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Microsoft 365 including Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Adobe Acrobat.
• Project management software such as MS Project, Smartsheet, or similar tool.
• Outstanding organizational and time-management abilities.
• Working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems – preferably Microsoft Dynamics Business Central.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, problem-solving abilities, and leadership talent necessary to drive positive outcomes of manufacturing projects.
• Foundational understanding of finance/project finance to make informed decisions that affect the financial health of a project.

Preferred Capabilities

• Background in continuous improvement process implementation/management.
• Knowledge of Quality Assurance or Quality Maintenance System Management.

Pay

$90K–$130K