
Program Director
Graham, KYFull-time$175–250K/yrSeen 6 days agoSeen in employer's feed 6 days ago
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Job overview
Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense seeks a Program Director to lead major programs in its Warfighter Division. The role owns customer relationships, program execution, financial performance, and account growth across defense programs. The director leads cross-functional teams, manages customer commitments and business outcomes, and contributes to division strategy, with potential progression into broader business or General Manager responsibilities.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Benefits
Full job description
Experience Required
5 - 7 years
Minimum Education Required
Bachelor's Degree
Compensation
$7.25 / hourly
Hours Per Week
40
Number Of Positions
1
Work Schedule and Shift Requirements
First (Day)
Job Description
This opportunity is located within our Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company business, a global leader of mission-critical hardware and systems solutions including precision energetics systems and innovative explosive solutions.
Job Description
At Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company (EBAD), we believe that our strengths are built on our most important resource-our people. Join EBAD and you'll be part of a team creating cutting-edge technology that will blast us into the future. No other company can match the innovative, energetic solutions that we provide. At EBAD, you will actively contribute to successful missions, putting men, women, and satellites into space while protecting our armed service members around the world. If this is the culture and work environment you are seeking, then EBAD is the place for you!
Job Summary
We are seeking an experienced, strategic, and commercially minded Program Director to lead major programs within EBAD's Warfighter Division. This individual will own customer relationships, program execution, financial performance, and long-term account growth across a complex portfolio of defense programs.
The Program Director will operate with an ownership mentality, balancing customer success, cost, schedule, quality, technical execution, talent development, and business growth. This leader will establish trusted customer relationships, drive accountability across cross-functional teams, and position EBAD as a differentiated partner capable of delivering on critical defense missions. The ideal candidate will bring strong program leadership, commercial acumen, a sense of urgency, and the leadership potential to progress into broader business or General Manager responsibilities.
Key Responsibilities
Own end-to-end performance across assigned programs, including customer satisfaction, cost, schedule, quality, technical execution, risk, and profitability.
Serve as the primary customer interface and key account leader, building trusted relationships, anticipating customer needs, and strengthening EBAD's long-term position.
Establish and execute long-range program and account strategies while balancing near-term customer commitments and broader business objectives.
Lead cross-functional teams across program management, operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, finance, contracts, and business development.
Drive execution discipline, urgency, and accountability by ensuring actions are clearly owned, actively managed, and closed before they affect customer commitments or business performance.
Effectively prioritize across multiple programs, customers, and competing business demands to maximize enterprise outcomes.
Partner with business leaders to support growth, margin expansion, pricing strategy, contract structure, risk management, and long-term account development.
Hold internal teams accountable for delivering customer demand and meeting cost, schedule, quality, and technical commitments.
Identify and resolve issues proactively while maintaining clear communication with customers and internal leadership.
Build performance-driven customer credibility that supports follow-on work, expanded opportunities, and long-term account growth.
Contribute to Warfighter Division strategy and demonstrate the leadership, business acumen, and cross-functional influence required for future broader business or P&L leadership roles.
Requirements
Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
Minimum of 5-7 years of progressive program management experience, preferably in aerospace, defense, space, or other complex manufacturing industries.
Proven experience leading complex mechanical, electro-mechanical, energetics, or defense-related programs.
Demonstrated success managing customer-facing programs with high visibility, accountability, and mission importance.
Strong commercial acumen, including experience with margin expansion, pricing strategy, contract structure, risk management, and long-term account growth.
Demonstrated ability to balance customer needs, business performance, and internal capability development.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders across all levels of an organization.
Strong strategic thinking, business judgment, communication, and stakeholder-management skills.
Demonstrated sense of urgency, ownership, follow-through, and ability to drive actions to closure.
Evidence of building customer trust and winning follow-on work through consistent, performance-driven execution.
Military service or military program experience is a plus.
Compensation & Benefits:
The anticipated yearly wage range for this position is $175,000 - $250,000. The salary range represents the range EBAD has established in good faith for this position and may vary based on qualifications, experience, education, skills, internal equity, and business needs.
EBAD offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance; retirement benefits; paid time off and holidays; life and disability insurance; employee assistance and wellness resources; and incentive compensation eligibility, subject to applicable plan terms and conditions. Benefit eligibility may vary based on position, work location, employment status, and applicable plan provisions.
Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to r ace, r eligion, color, s ex, age, disability, s exual orientation, genetic information, national origin, or veteran status.
Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to r ace, r eligion, color, s ex, age, disability, s exual orientation, genetic information, national origin, or veteran status.
Job Type
Full time
Benefits Offered
Not specified
Veteran Preference
No
Place of Work
On-site
Requisition ID
REQ107799
How this job compares
Set against the 971 open Program Director jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 13, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$175–250K/yr
- US median$135–185K/yr641 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $213K, is 25% above the US median midpoint ($170K) — in the middle half of Program Director salary ranges across the US.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 971 open Program Director jobs across the US. 6% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 5 years of experience; Program Director postings that state a minimum ask for 7 years at the median (714 postings).
- Education
- This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 502 of the 971 open Program Director jobs (52%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 13, 2026. Figures based on too few postings are left out.
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