ACARA Jobs
Program Manager (Aerospace)
Apply- ID: 558132
- Posted: 3/13/2026
- Location: Elyria, OH
- Category: Pro - Professional
- Job Type: Direct Placement
- Duration: Direct Placement
Description
Acara Solutions has been providing aerospace firms throughout the U.S. with our staffing services for close to 70 years. Our Cleveland, OH area (Elyria) international aerospace client has an onsite direct salaried Program Manager position open. Their salary target range is $120K - $150k at this lower cost of living region. Performance bonus and relocation assistance available. This is an onsite position.
Summary:
-Products are pumps and getting into thermal management - commercial and military
-You will be doing executive level summaries and presentations.
-Working on new products and cost savings/productivity projects
-Leading commercial and military responses for new quotes
-Working with engineers to put together technical response
-Putting together cost estimates, project schedule, proposal
-Lead cross functional team (IPT lead- integrated product team) in design and development of new product
-Transition launch of product to operations team
Program Managers provide leadership and management of cross functional business, technical, and operations teams while assuming accountability for overall success of assigned product development programs. Program management responsibilities extend from customer proposal to program inception, through the successful transition to production processing after completion of qualification testing / certification compliance and production readiness reviews. Program success is measured by customer satisfaction of the development process and technical solution, accomplishment of schedule milestones, and adherence to recurring and non-recurring cost targets.
- Proposal Review
- Review and evaluate technical and business aspects of customer requests for proposals and / or change requests.
- Support and lead elements of customer bid packages and internal project appropriation requests including coordination and review of statement of work, technical proposal requirements compliance, engineering cost estimates, and program schedules.
- Program Planning
- Create, monitor, and update program plans in sufficient detail which define the required processes / activities of various functional groups to achieve customer defined milestones / deliverables within Crane process guidelines.
- IPT Leadership
- Lead, manage, and motivate Integrated Product Teams (IPT) through effective utilization of personnel assigned to the project from all functional groups within the company.
- Coordinate sufficient in-house product reviews with various functional groups to ensure product designs are manufacturable and meet cost targets while satisfying customer specifications.
- Develop and ensure adherence to standard processes and procedures throughout all phases of the program.
- Coordinate with supply chain and operations team members to facilitate the new product introduction process and ensure program hardware delivery requirements meet customer and program needs.
- Customer Coordination
- Establish and maintain positive working relationships with customers through frequent oral and written communication.
- Coordinate customer required technical and program progress reviews.
- Scope Management
- Proactively manage project scope to ensure only what was agreed to is delivered.
- Ensure changes in scope are thoroughly documented and approved through a standardized change management process.
- Cost Management
- Monitor and control program costs associated with non-recurring engineering activities during the Design and Development phases of the program.
- Maintain project team focus on the initial business model and design to cost targets related to recurring product cost.
- Schedule Management
- Develop and maintain a detailed resource loaded program schedule.
- Ensure all stakeholders understand the program schedule.
- Prioritize resources and tasks to drive key milestone adherence.
- Issue / Risk Management
- Identify, track, manage, and assist in resolving program issues.
- Identify, manage, and assist in mitigation of program risks (technical, schedule, and cost) through a standardized risk management process.
- Transition To Production
- Facilitate a complete and orderly transition of the product from the program's engineering design and development phase to full scale production through a standardized production readiness review process.
- Metrics & Progress Reviews
- Proactively disseminate project information to stake holders (core team, leadership team, and customers) by defining, collecting data for, and presenting program metrics in a standardized program review / audit process. Metrics should be centered around program schedule, costs, and completion of program deliverables.
Job Requirements
Required Skills / Qualifications:
Bachelor's in Engineering or other technical discipline
-Min 5 years of experience in Program Management or similar project management (preferably in aerospace, automotive or medical device manufacturing) with a good understanding in design and production processes.
-Min 5 years of experience in Microsoft Project and other PC based office tools
This position requires the candidate to be able to obtain a secret clearance in the future (U.S. Citizen)
Preferred Skills / Qualifications:
- Highly prefer engineering background
- PMP cert
- APQP/PPAP knowledge nice to have
- MBA or comparable advanced management degree
- Visual Basic programming nice to have- excel tools have a lot of programming in it (pivots, v and x lookups)
- Formal training in Program and / or Systems Management (PMI or equivalent)
- Experience in engineering product development and certification processes
- Experience in Aerospace product development and certification processes
After you apply, you may receive a call or message from our AI Talent Scout about this role or other opportunities that match your skills and preferences. AI agent role is to help speed up your hiring process by answering questions, confirming basic information, and identifying whether there's a mutual fit.
The call or chat may be recorded so that our recruiting team can review it - they make all final hiring decisions, while AI agent simply helps move you forward faster. The best part? They are available 24/7, so you can connect whenever it's convenient for you.
Aleron companies (Acara Solutions, Aleron Shared Resources, Broadleaf Results, Lume Strategies, TalentRise, Viaduct) are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Race/Color/Gender/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Veteran.
Applicants for this position must be legally authorized to work in the United States. This position does not meet the employment requirements for individuals with F-1 OPT STEM work authorization status.