Mission Manager

About the Role:

We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Mission Manager to support the successful expansion at our next-generation airbreathing propulsion test facility, HEAT, located in Jacksonville, FL. This role will work closely with the Chief Engineer and cross-functional teams to ensure the program milestones and deliverables are delivered on time, within budget, and in alignment with technical, operational, and stakeholder requirements.

The Mission Manager will serve as the main customer interface and contract deliverable owner, managing the day-to-day execution of the contract, milestones, deliverables, and customer stakeholder communication. This is a pivotal role that requires both strategic foresight and tactical execution in a highly technical, high-stakes environment.

Responsibilities:

Government Customer Engagement & Deliverable Execution
• Serve as a primary point of contact for the government customer, supporting regular status briefings, milestone reviews, and deliverable coordination.
• Ensure all program deliverables—including documentation, engineering artifacts, schedules, and contract-required reports—are developed, reviewed, approved, and submitted on time.
• Align on government expectations, technical direction, and contractual requirements, and translate them into actionable program activities.
• Ensure high-quality execution and compliance with all delivery commitments.
Program Planning and Execution
• Assist with development of the program schedule, milestones, and work breakdown structures (WBS) in collaboration with engineering leads and contractors.
• Track progress against cost, schedule, and performance baselines; provide regular updates to senior leadership and government stakeholders.
Supplier & Contractor Management
• Support the selection, onboarding, and oversight of suppliers and contractors, ensuring delivery of key work packages on time and to spec.
• Assist with subcontracts, statements of work (SOWs), deliverables, and performance milestones.
Team and Stakeholder Coordination
• Facilitate meetings, action tracking, and resolution of issues across engineering, logistics, safety, security, and operations functions.
• Ensure alignment between technical activities (led by the Chief Engineer) and broader program objectives, contract deliverables, and customer expectations.
Risk and Change Management
• Maintain and update the project risk register; proactively identify, assess, and mitigate schedule, funding, or integration risks.
• Manage scope changes and assess impacts on schedule, cost, resources, and contract execution and deliverables.
Budget and Resource Oversight
• Assist in budget planning and monitoring; track obligations, expenditures, and funding profiles in coordination with finance teams.
• Assist with coordinating resource needs and staffing plans to ensure adequate coverage across phases of the project and timely contract execution.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field (Master’s or PhD preferred).
• 5–10 years of experience managing complex technical programs or infrastructure projects, preferably in aerospace, defense, or R&D environments.
• Demonstrated experience in direct execution of deliverables under contract to a government customer.
• Strong understanding of project management best practices (e.g., execution, risk analysis, scheduling, budget planning).
• Familiarity with propulsion test infrastructure, ground test facilities, or aerospace systems integration.
• Experience managing external suppliers and contractors in high-complexity technical environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; adept at briefing senior leadership and managing multi-stakeholder dynamics.
• Proficiency in project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Jira, Confluence).
• Must be a U.S. Citizen and able to obtain and maintain a US Security Clearance (TS preferred).