Product Manager - Planning & Government Programs

About the Role

Columbia Helicopters is a trusted provider of heavy-lift helicopter services, creating new aircraft, flying globally, and providing maintenance support for critical operations. The Product Manager, Planning & Government Programs oversees production planning execution across MRO operations, ensuring alignment between schedules, material availability, and contractual requirements. This role drives process standardization, resolves operational constraints, and improves workflow efficiency while managing government program compliance and coordination.

Responsibilities

• Government Program & Customer Management
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for government MRO programs, coordinating with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Ensure compliance with contractual, regulatory, reporting, and performance requirements.
  • Partner with Account Management to support Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and domestic government customers, integrating customer requirements into production plans.
• Production Planning Leadership
  • Act as the subject matter expert for Production Planning across MRO operations.
  • Develop and support production schedules, work order prioritization, forecasting, and capacity planning.
  • Align material availability, production schedules, and operational priorities to ensure efficient execution.
  • Identify and resolve planning constraints, scheduling conflicts, and workflow inefficiencies.
  • Standardize planning processes and drive improvements in throughput, on-time delivery, and work order visibility.
  • Provide support for complex, high-priority, or high-risk programs.
• Program Compliance & Audits
  • Lead Product Verification Audit (PVA) preparation and execution, ensuring operational readiness and successful audit outcomes.
• Boeing Program Oversight
  • Serve as the primary liaison for Boeing communications and program coordination.
  • Manage planning, scheduling, and execution support for the Boeing CISP program and other Boeing subcontract work.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with Supply Chain and Operations to ensure material readiness, realistic schedules, and proactive risk mitigation.
  • Drive alignment across Planning, Supply Chain, Operations, and external stakeholders to support successful program execution and delivery.
• Travel as needed to support program coordination, stakeholder engagement, and operational alignment.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in MRO operations, production planning, or aerospace operations.
• Strong expertise in production planning and scheduling, MRO workflows and execution, and Government contract environments.
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional coordination between planning, supply chain, and operations.
• Experience supporting government or defense programs (FMS preferred).
• Ability to identify and resolve workflow and scheduling constraints.
• High level of accountability and ownership.
• Familiarity with PVA or audit processes.
• Experience working with OEM partners (e.g., Boeing).

Benefits

• Competitive Pay & Strong Benefits
  • Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • Retirement plans with company contributions.
  • Paid time off and employee wellness resources.
• Growth & Career Development
  • Training and development opportunities.
  • Internal mobility and leadership support.
  • Encouragement for continuous learning and long-term career growth.
• Purpose-Driven Culture

  Every role contributes to the broader mission, empowering employees to make an impact and share ideas.

• A Team That Has Your Back

  Collaborative, inclusive environment where employees are respected, encouraged, and supported.